The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
AN OLD SPANISH BELL.
Cast Nearly Eleven Centuries Ago, IL 10
Owned by O Connecticut Village Church.
From the Hartford DaiIy Times.

From the Hartford Daily Times.
At East Haddam. only a short distance from
the Nathan Hale schoolhouse. which was dedi-
Gated with such imposing ceremonies by the
Sons OF the Revolution and the people OF the
town, Wednesday, is an old bell which ante
dates the schoolhouse by more than nine hun
bred years. II has a position on the stone wall
at the rear Of the pretty little stone church,
Just on the edge of the cemetery, and from It's
appearance none would suppose that it had
known the heat of summer and the cold Of win
ter for almost eleven centuries. 1t Is not very
large, and the greenness OF old age so common
TO copper has made but slight inroads upon II.
When Nathan Hale died for his country this
old bell was OF the age Of Methuselah. the old
est patriarch Of Bible record. Al the time
Christopher Columbus discovered America i
had been ringing out the days Of more than half
a thousand wears. II tolled the deaths OF tho
thousands Of Spaniards who were lost in the
the incursions of the Moors and Arabs across
the Straits Of Gibraltar rs they despolled the
fair vineyards Of CASTLE and for more than four
hundred years knew none but Moorish rule,
country when this old bell was cast, and the
British Isles were but so much territory, ruled
by w cIanni Esr Garoni VIII VIII m nsI,a ,h ss only law ,bs
throne Of Spain the little old bell in the Fast
Haddam churchyard helped to ring out the It'd
ings to all the country round. II was then in
Nv 'pW'l " of' vi ~ u - W. 49, ~
the nome province Of Ferdinand; For more than
six hundred wears it had been there. calling the
people-rich and poor-to service, ringing our
the JOY Of their marriage celebrations, and toll
ING the death requiem. 4,
Early In this century, when Napoleon started
on his sacking tour of Spain, and was finally
with many, Others, was taken from rs
which y has occupied so long: Twenty
load of bells from Spanish churches, which
Napoleon had destroyed, was sent to this
country, consigned ia. var ous bell foundries
The old East Haddam bell was In the lot. VIII
liam WHY'S Pratt. a New York shipchandler.
was in business at that time. His wife wa;
a daughter Of the late Capt. Oliver Atwood
Interested in st. Stephens Episcopal Church
at East Haddam, and as the church was with
ish bell from among the hundreds Of others
In the shiplOad II was sent to East Haddam
and mounted in the church belfry the old
For years the spanish bell did its duty Loyalty,
but finally II became cracked and It's tone was
was built, close by where the old Nathan Hale
schoolhouse now stands, the bell was taken
from the steeple Of the old church. and has
not since been used, but rests quietly in the
churChyard, viewed reverently by hundreds
every day.
II was cast in the year si5. The marks
the side. are deep and broad. The Arabic
numerals which form the date show that IL
was cast. not long after Spain was conquered
BY the Moors. The inscription on the ancient
bell Is in Spanish and can be read very plainly.
IL IL as follows:
%The Prior being the Most Rev. Father Miguel
villa Murva. The Procurator. the Most Rev.
Father Josef E'Stivan. Corrales Made Me-.
Made in Year 4. ID SIS"
The people of St. stephens Church value
the old bell very highly. and II will doubtless
ALWAYS remain in possession Of the parish.