The sun., 1897-02-14
FANOUS BELLS.
Prophetic B-n OF vnisia-Jspasese Little
Giaat-TheECxsr BeIi or the Kremiin.

FrOphetc beh Nuteta-JnpAueee Astttio
Giaat-TheECxsr Beii OF the Kremiin.
groz, the London Iafv Mail
In this country bells are and always have been
ultimately associated with national as well As
iniividusl Joy and sorrow. When a great vic
tory 10 won the bells crash forth the glad It'd ngs
from thousand stesples. while they perform .
ike Office. though of course In different KEY.
In the case of q national disaster. Bells in Eng
iand, however. have not become. like some In
otner countries. hoary with ages OF superstition
But Spain has u bell that Is its prophet. 1t is
Its soothsAyer. oracle. aud guide. This bell. the
famous NiilelA has hung fol centuries In tho
sh. mos; Se S Enrnns Il.
fame rests not so much upon its notes. though
,hss. are high. pitched soft and clear; nor upon
The viiieia is spanish bell that for years has
%'a %ss1 fh. e i.,hrl ef sss Alfonso 90 aied h: VT
leila began tolling In the night, ana tolled until
the S. ae sa e IN. msS.
defeat. And when great fires have touched the
castle. and sickness or tnsurrec!ion threatened
Tho Villela has tolled again. and only fort
night ago Il was one short. quick stroke.
direful tidinxs. Did 1t mean more disaster In
Cuba Wa the war 10 drain a.. royal vaults
tell, but IL sent out Its warning note.
Russia has a coronation bell. tho largest In
the world. and weighing 100000 pounds.
bell. being rung only In honor OF him. AZ tho
coronation il peaIed forth as the Emperor en-.
tered tho church. and Its voice announced tho
conclusion OF the ceremony IN the whole OF Rus
sa. The coronation he'll Is rung by u bell niger
Cssse no doe. ia ns ne tS oaer VI worH
and IN always on duty to tell Of important events
In he imperial! family.
bell Ia case of need. lie rings the bell when his
Majesty goes 10 church md In cAse OF The death n
constantly between the death and the time OF
tho funeral.
As is well known. to Russia belongs the
largest unrung hell IN the world This bell now
occupies II building IN the kremlin. II was cast
two centuries ago, hut Was found too heavy TO
one after another, tried to have II lifted. and
DOZENS Of lives were sacrificed in the shifting
iro broke out aud heated the bell in Its pit.
quantity Of cold water flowed round IT, and q
The I Russian % ' Gar I I1medatey nj ordered Il to 10
II ted on pedestal and set within tho kremlin,
where Il Is so .ometime- S,ed 4 as a. E temple Its
The bells OF Notre Dame in Paris are the
largest bells OF sweetness IN the world. One OF
cast IL would never disclose tho secret OF It's
Asa nation, the Japanese have tho largest
bells, but tho crudest. SO unskilful arc they
that many OF them will not ring; aud so they
are obliterated from the list OF bells. The best
bella made, even II cast correctly, have two
small hammers. Or they arc made TO sound
Ike tin, and the hammer does not strike ronnI-
been weighed. IL Ia said to weigh comparatively
little. being OF some light Japanese metal; but
1t 10 thirty feot across. II Is used to announce
births or deaths In the royal family; Its clapper
10 small, elongated affair that strikes tho boil
with douole sound. and tho Little Giant" is
easily recOR niZed when heard.
Tho bell OF Notre Dame in Montreal is the
largest bell in Anne rlca, but not tho sweetest.
This attribute 10 claim by the biggest bell Of
Trinity's chime in New York. which is surpass-
ing in delcacy aud penetrating In Its pureneSs.
It 10 cast In + fiat
Tho countries OF Turkey. Greece. Italy. and
not In good repute there. from the fact that
criminals wear them around tho neck and lepers
are strung with them, In tho temples The high
priests decorate their robss with small janRling
bells, and this Ia another reason why bells can
not become common. In Turkey they are con-
splouously unpopular; indeed. that country is
tho only ono that positively forbds the ringing
In OF the new year BY meAns OF bella.