The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-27

7, 4, tho most celebrated bell in Europe.
though not proud nor handsome i'S
fame rests not so much upon l'S ho''',
though these are high-pitched SOFT anu
clear; nor upon its size. for there are
other bells I'm Spain much larger put
upon It's personality.
BELLS THAT SPEAK.
1.-THE bells of the tower have been
noted for centuries as having "a power OF
their own. Ring out. wild bells means
that the bells have il within them TO tell
terror. And Chime. We bells. means
they can speak for JOY. The Deh-rlnser
does the best he can for them; but IL Is
true the bells add a force of their own.
The Villela is Spanish bell that Tor
wears has foretold any impending trouble
10 the nation. When the father of little
Alphonso died. the Nillela began toilins
an the night and toled until morning
light. In the ten years Cuban war the
bell struck awful tones on the nights oil
defeats. And when great fires have
touched the castle and sickness or insur-
rection threatened the throne the Nlllela
has lifted up its voice In sudden loud
warning.
Last week the Villela tolled again. III
was one short. quick stroke. only
few heard II. but they ran TO tell the
O1rtIul tlulIES. l'll ~ bi't'h ih''' 49,
aster in Cuba? Was the war TO drain
the royal vaults beyond perjury to debt?
The Vilela would not tell. but IT sent
out its warning note.
Russia has a coronation bell IL Is
the largest in the world, and weighs
half a million pounds. It's sound has
never been bounded and Is said. like the
Empcrors voice, TO reach TO heaven.
IL hangs n the Kremlin. II is the En-
pcror's bell. and is rung only in honor
OF him. At the coronation IL pealed forth
as the Emperor entered the church; and
its voice announced the conclusion OF the
ceremony to the whole OF Russia. The
coronation bell is rung by a bel-ringer
blessed by the Emperor the head of the
church. The bell-ringer does no other
work. and is always on duty TO tell of
important events In the family of the
Emperor.
He Is pen ioned. or late he has been
busy polishing up the bell for special
happenings. lie rings when His Majesty
goes TO church. and i'm case OF the death
OF a Russian monarch the Kremlin bell
tolls constantly between the death and
the time OF the funeral.
Since Russia is the home OF bells, II
Is not wonderful that 1t should hold the
largest unrung bell in the world. This
bell now makes building in the Krem-
lin. il was cast two centuries ago. but
was found too heavy to remove from the
pit The Russian monarchs. one after
another tried To have II lifted. and hun
urcdsrof lives were sacrificed in the shift
ing pit OF sand. Finally fate interviewed.
A raging fire broke out and heated the
bell IN its pit. A quantity OF cold water
flowed In around H. and a great piece. the
size OF a door. was broken out. The Rus
sian king Immediately ordered IL lifted
20 a pedestal. and set within the Krcm-
Nm. where IL IS sometimes used as
temple. Its walls are two feet thick and
tits twenty-five feet high.
DEARLY LOVED BELLS
The dearest bells" in France are the
Angels. made famous by Millct. and the
bells OF Notre Dame. Milet's son still
lives In the little home overlooking tho
ttone church where tho Angels bell
hangs, and every night he goes out 10
hear IL toll while the peasants bow their
heads and say mass The bells OF Notre
Dame are the largest bells OF sweetness
IN the world one OF them weighs thir-
, ty-flye thousand pounds. The maker
who cast II would never disclose the Sc
erct of its loud. sweet tone
The japanese have the largest bells.
hut the crudcst so unskilled are they
that many OF them will not ring. and so
they are obliterated from the list OF bells.
The hest bells are a mixture OF copper
/ end tin, with a hammer one-twentieth
Me weight Of the bell. The JAPANESE
4 halls, even n cast correctly. have two
eSnall hammers. Or they are cast 20
I 0unA Ike TN, and the hammer does not