The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03

fns made ready for the massive belfry in
-ha suburbs Of Cincinnati, where it is
z85n TO swing, and ring out the loudest
p45l that has ever vibfated upon the free
air of America. Doubtless, by the time
these words appear in print the molten
metal will have flowed kissing down the
mold and the biggest bell ever cast on
+his side the Atlantic will be cooling in
the great pit constructed to receive it.
For the new bell is to weigh nearly if
teen tons; and the great bell in the ca
tbedral at Montreal. hitherto the largest
on the American continent, weighs rath-
er less than thirteen tons. 1t will take
rank therefore, very creditably, among
the largest bells of the world-the larg
est in England, the Westminster bell,
weighing about the same while one in
Vienna the largest in actual use in Eu-
rope, weighs about twenty tons. 1t is
true that the monster of Moscow, which
lies broken and prostrate weighed more
than 200 tons; but it was simply huge
mistake, which having failed as a bell,
is now used as a chapel. 1t is stated, too,
that there is a monstrOsity somewhere in
China that weighs about sixty tons; but
it's shape is abominable, and its tone eX
cruciating to any but Celestial ear.
But these figures of weight convey but
a very vague idea of size. The great Chi
nese cat call is said to be fourteen feet in
hight. but it is shaped like a barrel The
Cincinnati bell, which is cast in the true
proportions for beauty and melody-be-
ing modelled after a bell in Erfurt, Prus-
STA, which is accounted the sweetest in
the worlds seven feet in hight, and
nine in diameter at the base. That is to
say, if ii rested, mouth downward, on
the ground, the tallest man could stand
upright under it: and if it were set on
edge, and a school boy were to cling with
his hands to the upper rim, his feet would
bangle about where the clapper VIII hang
when the bell is finally in position. This
capper will weigh no less than $40 pounds.
Imagine the effect when ii comes in col
lisiOn with fifteen tons Of resonant bell
metalr Nowhere else in the world is such
a mass actually swung. The diameter of
the wheel is fifteen feet, and two ropes
viii be attached. 1t is stipulated, indeed,
that the bell shall be so poised that one
man can ring it; but unless the services
of Sandow could be secured as sexton the
task would be altogether too arduous-
hence the double rope Bells have been
cast which required the combined effort
Of more than twenty men to swing them;
but bell-hanging, as well as bell-fOund-
ing, has made no small progress, and such
cumbersome arrangements belong to the
Gays OF ereaking oX-carts and wooden
The ornamentation of the Cincinnati
bell is believed to be more elaborate than
that of any other in existence. Civic and
ecclesiastical decorations will both have
place, making it at once an emblem of
patriotic feeling, and a consecrated in
strument of worship. Encircllng the
body of the bell, just above the sounding
bow, is the Latin text of the Lords
prayer in true gothic characters about
seven inches high. Above this, on the
civic half, the American eagle hovers
over the great seal of the United States
an impression of which was sent di-
rectly from the white house. Beneath
this is the seal of the state of Ohio,
pierced by the STATS that support the
stars and stripes, which fall in grace
n fold IN, OF 4ar cid and tic
is the seal of the city of Cincinnati.
Medalions of the deceased donor and
family complete the design, On the &c
clesiastical half of the bell, under the
surmounting tiara, is a medallion of Pope
Leo XIII, with his seal beneath it. Just
below is the medallion of the Right Rev.
William Henry Elder, archbishop of Gin
cinanti through which are crossed the
STATS of the papal banners. Right and
left of this medallion are two others-of
Archbishop Purcell, and of Bishop Fen
wick, the first bishop of Cincinnati. Be
meath the central medallion is one of
Vicar General Albrink.
Arond the crown, or upper part in
Gothic relief are two verses of mediae-
val Latin hexameters relating to bells,
which read as follows:
Laudo Deum Verum, plebein. Yoco. con-
clerum;
Funera prango. fulgura FRANCO, Sab
This may be approximately though not
completely, rendered by the quaint old
English lines:
When joye and myth are on We wynge,
We rynge;
When we lament a passyng soule.
We tolle"
It will be noticel that great symmetry
has been attained by this arrangement.
The eagle is opposite the tiara, and the
Aemircan flag to the papal ensign; the
seal of the United States corresponds to
that of Rome; and the same artistic bar
ance is maintained in all the parts The
designer is a Cincinnati man
Mundhenk
This ornamentation of bells is a pecu.
liar and difficult task. The decoration
must be in relief to avoid interfering
with the tone The medaliOns for ex-
ample, after being designed by the artist
and passing through a whole series of
transformations, must at last be accur-
ately impressed upon the clay of the
mold-an operation requiring great dex-
The general form of the church-ber was
perfected by medieval founders, and no
radical change from this has ever been
maze with good results. 1t has been ar
gued by some that bells of hemispherical
shape, without the usual flare at the bot
TOM, would give purer tone; but this
IneOry Is not i'll accord with the facts
The lines of the new bell differ quite con-
slderably from those which are usual The
exact proportions were determined by Mr.
+. z. Lotx, superintendent of the Buckeye
foundry, where the bell is cast accord
ing TO rule of his own, devising-but this
rue IS carefully guarded as trade secret
metal
used is the usual alloy of copper and tin
IN the ratio of rs to % No other metals
OF proportions give so satisfactory a re-
SUIT. The idea that an admixture of sill
lusion
To produce such a casting requires
When all IS ready, upward of eighty hours:
ana the slightest mismanagement would
result IN failure. Even the cooling must
pc carefully regulated. There is per-
maps, but one other foundry in the United
States-that at Troy, n. Y, where the
columbian liberty bell was cast-in which
such a work could be successfully car
RED through.
From the foundry the bell will be TAX
en- TO vacant space adjoining Federal
square, there to be exhibited for a month
10 the schol children of the city and vi
entity $4,000 free tickets are to be dis
trlbuted. Excursions will be run on the
various railroads for some distance from
cincinnati, and other public demonstra-
IONS viii be made. Finally, before being
paced in position in the belfry, the great
Dell will be consecrated WIN impressive
ceremonies according to the Roman Cath
Ole custom. The sponsors will be numer-
GUS including both state and ecclesiasti-
cal dignitaries. The bell will then be
raised to the belfry, where it is to be
mounted in connection with a chime of