New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-28
THE CENTENNIAL BELL OF OLD ihi'i'
AN ADDITION TO THE FAMOUS cHlMtS-h'" -
w.S TESTED AND HUNG.

WAS TESTED AND H'+'
By National flags and tr.-colored buo''"S =
displayed upon its exterior and by 'he ",, r,.,,,v
hs torc monuments I'm IFS churhyani' ga i''"''
Church VIII testify TO the sympathetic interest "'
corporate guardians take In the celebration b' no'o
farreaching than these visible signs VIII oo "'
melodies rung out from It's chimes tlcaf anu VI -
among them VIII be The new bell when mas W.
purchased To add 10 the compass III '"is P'''
thereby hangs tale showing how in these centennial
days American ingenuity can turn ont Oei i"' o.
most any emergency easily as IL can ouiId , 1t
to win an International race. ,
1t was not altogether smooth sailing 10 get We"
cast which should III into It's proper meme WI" Wv
other nine veich with one exception arr Of English
make. several Of them dating back to l'''' Al J"
negotiations were opened with the representatives. "a
an English firm. bur they came 10 nothing ana INC
officers Of the corporation pinned their faith 20 INC
firm of McShanc IL son. the Baltimore beliouh''iN
The frs, bell they made arrived here about SIX weeks
ago Albert Meisahn the campanoloTst OF the cl'''"'
for he Is something more than mere beiirhser vas
one OF the men with whom the acceptance or relcU"l
of the new bell rested and Sexton Thomas IL. brown
WAS another They qualified experts, VINO ma"
lived among the chimes for years. and we're familiar
with every subtle era!ation Of their tones IheS
found the new bell half tone too sharp and TOO
brilliant in its quality for IT, sluggish BRUSH
COMPANIONS They suggested that IL be made 10 SCUM"
more dun. To be the safe side, the corporation
determined TO have another one made
When the second one came, along with IFS recon
sAructed predecessor they placed IN the church
wand alongside Of the north tower and tested IN INC
open air The newest one was the first to De tfico'
and Nci,lahn and Browne withdrew a distance Of 100
feet 70 observe the result. The old bells high up
I'm the south tower. were runs out, ana whch .ae
interval be filed by the new ca!HHia'S W. w.
reached IL wa, sharply struck by hammer 10 ,Is
horror OF the two alert listeners II sOuhucu a. f
and nm musical tin kettle. The once rejected zen
was now their only hope. The same test "t' sPp.,
ord ,,-,,n rho " r fiat interval reached ltS uho
was listened for with many misSVings 10 me eI'
surprise of the judges. 1t rang out As true au
a tuning fork vibrating with singing qualty wn'oH
caused it, notes To- hnt"r IN me an ,ror NeSt
long As those of It's companions III thc lower. 49,
day II hoiSted 10 It's place III t!o nor - ~, ~
Of the bcfry since that time It mas D'en M 1',
actual use and few days ago the rec Tor % thc oAs
thc Rey pr Morgan Din, cOncurcI IN thelr NrI"I, ~;
This finally settles the question and hencciorln
tc,n II, place and be Known rs the centennial pen,
- Ir1II ne engraved with suitable mscriptlon taken
altogether. the total cost OF The a'cep'cu Don va" "
close 10 $500 =. o,,,, ,,vo keys,
Now with the high note Of me nav De-. %'" nt -
m, others namely ID, f.. + sharp. Il: ~ - i'. ~,
,Ialp II Is possible TO play In i've Keys ms VIZ
enable Camp anoosst MeslahA 10 pay l nan. 80
hi,tcr,o hryoud his resources. The large dccptoh"l
d bell IS three feet and seven inches IN daeer, lb
fret and three and haf inche, high ana "eIshS
ncarly 4 900 pounds They diminish In SIZE ara
wci III until the new one at thu top OF the ecair
measures only two feet anroSs and weighs Oul '"p
would doubtless br Interesting enough Il t tton, ~
could be a-ccrta ined Their were tour o. ,r tt -,
the six which formed me original l"al on 700 ~.
mn in the tower of the churh then standing. Non',
i-l6 one Of this latter set vas sent - - ram a.,
tyn of them 10 II. johns. In NaNchst. Inns ltls
three Of The original bells on hand To the,e W.T.
aided six morr made by C. * q. NcarN' the ni1n
which succeeded the London makers OF me orlGi' h
Venoelv OF Troy and In Lao another bell was
made By the McarS people.