The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-04-26
THE BELL.
A Few Points Of Interest in Connection
with Its History.

According TO n Bh1la0elpnia city
records the Assembly passed a resolu-
ton In 1850 directing the superinten-
dent to "provide a bell ofsuch weight
and dimensions as shall be suitable"
On November ], 1851, Iasac Norris,
Thos. Leech and Edward Warren
ordered Robert Charles, of London,
''to get us a good bell of about 1000
pounds weight, the cost of which we
may presume may amount to about
e2O0 sterling, or perhaps with the
charges, ETC., more" The letter con-
cludes as follows:
1--WE hope and rely upon thy care
and assistance in this affair, that thou
wilt procure and forward it at thy
first opportunity, as our workmen
inform us it will be less trouble to
hang the bell before their scaffolds are
struck from the building, where we
intend to place it, which will not be
done until the end of next summer.
Let the bell be cast by the best work
men and examined carefully, with
the following words well shaped, in
ldIBe l6lleES dIOulu IL, WIZ
by order of the Assembly of
Pensy., for the State House in the
city Of Phila., 1852.
"Proclaim Liberty throughout all
the land unto all the inhabitants
thereOf.-Leviticus XIV 10.
The bell was brought from London
in the ship Matilda, and landed late
in August, 1852. After it was hung
it was cracked when being tried. The
Matilda had a large cargo and could
not take the bell back, and Pass &
Stowe, Philadelphia founders, under
took the job Of recasting it. Many
experiments were tried and the bell
was finally %recast, with the addition
of an ounce and a half of copper to
one pound of the old bell. The sound
was not satisfactory and again the bell
was broken up, and the result of the
next trial was satisfactory. Under
date of June 7, 1853, the records read !:
LAST week the great bell cast by
Pass & Stowe, weighing 2,OSO pounds,
was hung In the Steeple."
The original bell cost e198. Pass d
Stowe were paid ESQ, lbs, sd.
Concerning the ringing of the bell
on July 8th, 1776 las the public read
ing of the Declaration took place in
the State House yard on the day.
John Adams wrote to Samuel Chase
on July 9th, "The bells rang all day
and almost all night"
In September, 1777, by order of the
Executive Council, the Liberty bell
and the bells of the Christ Church and
st. Peters were taken down shipped
to Allentown and Lancaster. Eleven
bells were thus removed to keep them
out of the hands ofthe British. After
the British evacuation they were
brought back, and Old Liberty was
put in its old position late in IT'S. In
1928 a new bell was put In the steeple,
and Liberty Bell became a venerated
object, to be rung only upon great
occasions. 1t was tolled in that veal
upon the receipt of news that the
British Parliament had passed an
act to Emancipate Catholics. Or
February %, 1882, the Centennial
birthday of Washington, it was rung,
On the morning of July s, 1885, just
forty-nine years after the great Decla.
ration of Independence celebration
the old bell was tolled in memory o.
Chief Justice Marshall, who died in
Philadelphia two days before. Their
it was that the large crack appeared
starting from the rim aud running in
a right hand direction, toward the
crown. 1t was about eight or ten
inches long, but when it was rune
February %, 1913, it increased sc
much that never again could the
famous old bell be head more than
a few feet away.