Evening journal., 1896-05-19
THE OLD CITY HALL BELL
For Sixty-eight Years it Notes
the Flight Of Time.
NOW MARKING THE oITYs FIRES
The Heirs of Its Original Donor want
It Consigned to the Keeping Of tho Del
aware Historical socIetI-The FIremen
Naturally Object.

The demand made by the Tatnsll heirs
that the old bell which now occupies a
position In the befry OF the
Phoenix Fire Company's house. and which
from l79S to 1866 rang ont the hours OF
day and night. from the city hall tower,
be turned over to th Delaware Hlstori
cal Society. has aroused considerable op
position fmong old firemen They claim
that the Tatnall eirs ha,- no right or
title In the bell and that tbe Delaware
Historical Society has no further right
than that covered by the fact that IL
was the custodian from 1866 when u
was taken from the tower and placed
In the hands OF the society for safe keep
Ing until the new home Of the Ph@lix
was completed.
Opposed to Retiring the Bell.
City Treasurer Joseph X Adams, him
self an enthusiastic fireman. one Of the
old timers when the red-shlrted heroes
fought the flames by hand and improved
apparatus WAS not in existence has been
locking up the history OF the old bell,
and the dust from many an old tome has
been disturbed FOR the FIRST time ia many
years. He was a member Of City Council
when the brszsn tongue Of the old bell
used TO call the city fathers TO their post
OF duty, or rang out the summons for
public or political meetings. IL was
TO his efforts that the ringing OF this bell
for Council and other meetings was dis
continued, aud while he was In favor Of
partial silence on It's part. he is opposed
} to retiring the old bell 90 the silence o Z
the curiosity hall OF the society, and
silencing It's tongue forever. Although
nearly centenarian, thu bell is still in
good working order and should be per
mitted to continue OF use as warner to
the hremen.
A Page or Two From History.
The FIRST town hall WAS built In 1774
for the borough Council, and was sltu
ted over the west end OF the Second
street market house, with a frontage on
. Market street. It was supported on
/. arches extending from the columns
: which divided the market stalls, and
|, | Fhen not In use by the borough officials
the one room II contained was used by
the schools In those days. Prior to It's
erection the borough Council from 1876
: had held its sessions In public tRverns OF
the houses Of the members. The new
!. hall he'd a small square cupola, sur
. mounted by a spire and topped by a
weather vAne This was demolished in
!, 1895. and then the city fathers began
= looking for new and more appropriate
! quarters. The outcome Of their efforts
= WAS the City Hall, which has ever sincl
then been In use, and unless all sign
). fail will Do used for another century.
!" Enterprising Oitizsns to the Front.
z The plot OF ground on Market street
where the City Hall now stands wal
selected as the site and a part Of Il wR'
bought for Gi27 The owner OF the
balance needed wanted 1916 for his part
but the burgesses decided that they
could not give over 500 and there was !
u liability that the purchase would fal
through when enterprislng citizens came
forward and contributed the difference
! The borough then borrowed 81, 800, Peter
. Bauduy drew the plans and the hall wal
J begun. Iu 1898 It was completed
and as the historians Of that day say. II
became "a monument to the liberalitl
d, and public spirit Of the citizens Of VIII
mington.
The Big CLOCK and Bell
= With the new city hall an assure,
4 Il fact the adv stability Of having a towr
> clock was Rgitated, and one OF Whining
toms most enteprising and generoul
A citizens came forw rd. The oounci
received the following letter which ex
\ plains Itself
! "FR1ENDs and FELLOW CITIZENS
= have for several years past apprehendtC
that great convenience would arise 1,
the inhabitants OF this borough By
having q commodious time piece erected
- in central part OF the town. la the
d / 6rst place it would accelerate the
70 punctual meeting OF the religiously
10 disposed people At their places OF wor
Is ship: secondly, It will be Of service q
q those who think themselves not Of abilit]
10 to purchase time pieces and the last bui
10 not least consideration is II will become
}; ornamental to the place Of my nativ
It ity. Therefore. have procured from
g Europe q large and complete town cloch
d Of excellent workmanship, which / nov
10 present to you for the use Of the town
a with a sun OF money not exceeding 5000
N TO be laid out In q large, oompleta ant
10 good bell TO serve the clock as we'll a
the Town Hall now erecting, which bel
you to accept
Il am your friend,
y 'JosRrH TATALL.
, "Brsndywine Bridge. Fifth month. 22i
re 1898.
u The clock arrived IN due time and wa
taNNhetA IA Ahn teHoAf
has since done It's duty, at times erratl
" Il is true, but still fairly we'll The bel
however, was found to cost more tha
y the 5000 donated by Mr.. Tatnall, and th
~ old records show that on two dliferen
'e occasions bills Of exchange we're Tor
wardsd to England to pay on the be
before IL started on IT'S ocean voyage
ha finally reached Wilmington and va
-a hung in the belfry The records sbol
na that Mr.. Tatnall's donation WAS aocepte
A. by the borough Council on Nay 25 l7sl
Iv bot the date OF the BELLS arrival Is nc
ID noted.
he During the 6s yesrs &c hung In th
bo tower from 1898 to 1868, the old be
nt struck the hours over q half millio
to times. besides being used to summon th
~ Council to the weekly sessions, an
n citizens to meetings Of political, public
religious and other nature. In 1878 tt
bell wss placed In the care OF the Deli
ware Historical Society and later va
,is handed over to the Ph0nix company an
he placed In the tower of the new boui
le. where It has since remained