The record-union., 1895-01-05
ABOUT Big BELLS.
The Largest Have Been Cast in
Russia, China and Japan.
The Great Monach of Bells in Moscow,
Weighing Four Hundred Thousand
Feet Wide-Metal Monster of China.

all foreign countries as superior in tone
to any others, although the largest have
been cast in Russia, China and Japan.
An American firm OF bell-makers re-
Gently had an order from Japan, and not
long ago shipped number of bells,
ranging from 1000 to 1,500 pounds, to
South America. They were carried 200
miles inland on poles by relays of natives.
The very large bells of the world have
always been objects of interest and more
or less wonder. The casting of these i'm
mense bells for churches and monasteries
is due. doubtless, TO the tendency of
semi-civilized nations toward pompous
magnificence, and also to their religious
enthusiasm, the size of the bells being a
measure of their pious zeal. Both of
these considerations contributed to the
production of the great bell of Moscow,
Of which every one has heard.
At the casting of this bell it is recorded
that the mobiles from all parts of the en-
pire were present, vieing with each other
in the value of the votive offerings. such
as gold and silver plate, iewelrY, etc.,
which they cast into the furnace. This
| king OF Bells" as it is commonly called
| by the Russians, stands at the foot of the
| tower OF lven Neliki, within the krem-
/ llp. at Moscow, not far, probably, IRON
| the spot upon which it was cast from the
| furnaces especially erected for the pur-
| pose.
! ltl placed upon circular wall or base
OF granite OF about i've feet in hight by
four feet IN thickness, III front OF which.
looking toward the Moskva River, is a
marble slab bearing the following in
scrlption in Russian:
! nns ST in NV nd Of
the Imperial Empresse Anne, daughter
OF John. It was in the earth lob years,
and, by the will of the Imperial Emperor
Nicholas, was raised upon this pedestal
in 1886, Aug. 4th.'
| In the inscription which the bell itself
! bears it is stated that the first great bell
was cast in 1903, and weighed $4,000
pounds; that during the reign of the
| Gar Alexis 1t was ruined by fire, and in
1904, with additional metal, was recast
into the second great bell the weight of
which was 2So.OO0 pounds; that in 1906
this bell was also ruined by tire. and in
1888, with still further additional metal,
was recast by order of the Empress Anne
into the present great bell.
The grounds and buildings which sur
round the bell being OF immense size
| they serve to dwarf it's appearance in ap-
| preaching 1t from the kedeemer Gate.
| and 1t is not until the visitor has obtained
| nearer view and measured il by his own
| size that he is able to realize its colossal
proportions. 1t measures - feet inches
| across the mouth, l9 feet inches in hight
| and its thickness at the point where the
! clapper would strike is % inches
Its estimated weight is from 400, 900 to
| 10000 pounds. A nearly triangular
| shaped piece of about six feet in hight by
seven feet at the base, the estimated
weight of which is eleven tons, is broken
out of its side at the rim, and stands upon
the ground just below the opening thus
formed.
Besides this fracture there are eight
cracks, distributed around the remaining
portion OF the rim at about equal dis
tancces, running up from three to seven
feet. These cracks can only be accounted
for upon the theory that the contraction
OF the metal upon the inner mold in cool
ing, after the casting thastened, perhaps,
by the accidental presence OF water in the
castIng-pltl caused 1t to split asunder,
and two OF these splits running together
caused the piece to fall out.
That the bell was rung-a question
which has caused some discussion-is
evident from the inscription upon it's
base. In placing it in its present position
1t was intended that it should be made to
serve as chapel, with which view an
opening was left through the pedestal
wall, which, with that In the bell about
1t, forms an imposing entrance; but the
present appearance of the interior would
Indicate that it was never consecrated or
used for such purpose.
There are several religious figures cast
upon lis outer surface, among which is
that of the Savior, the Holy Virgin and
the eyangellsts, surrounded by cheru-
BIN. 1t also bears a representation of
the Car Alexis and the Empress Anne
Any opinion as to what the ringing
quality OF the great bell might have been
Is, OF course, merely conjeetural. but an
examination OF its proportions shows
that IL is rather too thick to have vibrated
freely, while its tone would have also
| been impaired by the large quantities of
silver thrown into the furnace as votive
offerings at the time of the casting; re-
cent experiments having shown that the
Introduction of silver into bell-metal
contrary to poetic conception and popu-
lar opinion, only serves to deteriorate its
ringing quality.
Among other big bells in Russia may
be mentioned that upon the Troitsa Mon
astery, celebrated both for the depth and
richness OF Its tone, and also the "As-
sumption BelP' in Moscow, the diameter
OF which Is eighteen feet. and its esti-
mated weight 10000 pounds. 1t is sus-
pended above the chapel of st. Nicholas,
III the kremln, but as it is reached by
passage leading from the Tower of
Ivan TAT the foot of which is the great
belD, 1t is usually spoken of by travellers
as being one OF the thirty or forty bells
suspended in the tower.
1t was cast in 1917 from the metal of a
bell destroyed in the conflagration of
1872. 1t is said that when il sounds.
which is but once year, a deep, hollow
murmur vibrates ell over Moscow, like
the fullest tones of a vast organ or the
rolling of distant thunder" At Novgo-
rod there lsa bell Of about 20 900 pounds
weight, while there are others in the
country weighing from 10000 to $4,000
pounds.
Among other bells noticeable for their
size might be mentioned that of Erfurt,
In Germany, weighing $4,000 pounds,
which was cast In 1879 In Vienna and
Olmutz are bells of 10000 pounds each,
cast In the last century. That of Notre
Dame Cathedral at Paris, cast in 1850.
weighs $4,000 pounds.
The bell of st. Peters at Rome weighs
1900 pounds; that of st. Paurs, London,
1l,6O0 pounds; that in York Minister,
called Great Peter of York; OO0
pounds; the Parliament House bell, in
London, $4,000 pounds. Great Tom of
Lincoln, weighing 10000 pounds. cast in
l6SO, was long celebrated as the finest
bell in England, but becoming cracked
was recast in 1884. The celebrated Great
Tom OF Oxford, which hangs in the tower
OF Christ Church, and strikes l0l times
every evening at 9 o'clock. weighs II. 600
pounds and was cast in 1880.
There is bell in Pekin, China, which
weighs 10000 pounds. 1t is fourteen
feet high and twelve feet in diameter
The Chinese formerly made their bells
nearly square in shape. At one time if
was the custom to make bells of several
pieces OF metal welded together. bnt
| these necessarily lacked vibration and
were useless.
The metals EMPLOYED i'm the mapnfsot.