Marble Hill press., 1895-01-31
SOME GREAT BELLS.
SILVER INJURIES THE RINGING
QUALITY.
The Monarch of Them All is at MOSCOW
Weighs 400, 900 Pounds and Is Almost
Twenty Three Feet Wide - Metai
Monster In China.

in all foreign countries DIS superior III
tone to any others, although the
largest have been cast in Russia, Chi
ma and Japan. An American firm OF
belllnakers recently had an order
from Japan. and not long ago shipped
a number of bells, ranging from 1000
to 1000 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
immense bells for churches and mon
asteries is due. says the New York
World. to the tendency of semi-civil- |
lied nations toward pompous magnlfi-
cence, and also to the religious enthu-
siasm, 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 everyone has heard.
At the casting of this bell it is re-
corded that the mobiles from all parts
| OF the empire we've present, vylng
| with each other in the value of the
votive offerings, such as gold and sill
YER plate. jewelry, etc, which they
cast in the furnace. This liking OF
bells" as it is commonly called by the
| Russians, stands at the foot OF the
tower of Ivan Veliki. within the
Kremlin at Moscow, not far, probably
from the spot upon which it was cast
from furnaces erected especially for
the purpose. 1t is placed upon cir
cu1ar wall or base of granite of about
| five feet in height by four feet in
thickness, in front of which, looking
toward the Moskva river is marble
slab bearing the following inscription
in Russian:
This bell was cast in 1888 by order
of the Imperial Empress Anne, daugh-
ter of John. 1t was in the earth 103
years. and by the will of the Imperial
Emperor Nicholas. was raised upon
this pedestal in 1886, August 4th."
In the inscription which the bell it.
self bears it is stated that the first
great bell was cast in 1858, and
weighed $4,000 pounds; that during
the reign of the Gar Alexis it was
; ruined by fire. and in 1854, with addi-
, tional metal was recast into the sec
ond great bell. the weight of which
b was 2Ss, 900 pounds: that in 1905 this
bell was also ruined by fire, and in
1888. with still further additiona
metal, was recast by the order of En-.
press Anne into the present great bell
The grounds and buildings which sur
round the bell being of immense size
: they serve to dwarf its appearance ii
approaching it from the Redeeme
y Gate. and it is not until the visito
has obtained nearer view and meas
I ured it by his own size that he is abb
to realize its colossal proportions. |
measures twenty-five feet eight inche
'e across the mouth, nineteen feet thre
. inches in height and its thickness a
the base where the clapper woul
" strike is twenty-three inches. Its es
timated weight is from 100000 t
/, 100000 pounds. A nearly triangular
ID shaped piece of about six feet i
height by seven feet at the base, tn
:. estimated weight of which is eleve
tons, is broken out of its side at th
eS rim and stands upon the ground jus
ID below the opening thus formed.
Besides the fracture there are eigl
~ cracks distributed around the remail
eo ing portion of the rim at about equ'
IT, distances. running up from three
n seven feet. The cracks can only
'e- accounted for upon the theory tn
* the contraction of the metal upon tt
'le inner mould in cooling after the cas-
ing (hastened, perhaps, by the acc
WI dental presence of water in the cas-
'se ing pitt caused it to split asunder, al
two of these splits running togeth
iiu caused the piece to fall out. TIL
"" the bell was rung-a question viii
ro. has caused some discussion--is e,
~ dent from the inscription upon
'us base. In placing it in its present +
leu sition it was intended that it shou
'ho be made to serve as chapel, wi
op which view an opening was Il
'h' through the pedestal wall, whie
with that in the bell about it, for
~ an imposing entrance; but the prese
you appearance of the interior would
dicate that it was never consecrat
.iu, Or used for such purpose The
Anu are several religious figures cast up
A' its outer surface, among which is IL
'@e. w Of the Savior, the holy virgin and I
'ou' evangelists surrounded by cherubi
:. It also bears representation of {
l.or Gar Alexis and the Empress Anne.
~ ~ Any opinion as to what the ringi
A.u , quality Of the great bell might hs
"a" been is, OF course. merely coniectur
but an examination Of It's proporti,
shows that II Is rather too thick
Itish have vibrated freely, while It's Il
ling would also have been impaired by |
na- large quantities Of silver thrown |