The Washington times., 1901-10-13
LoNDoN's FAMOUS CHIMES.
A Description of the Most Interest
iuI. british PeaIs of Bells.

The Great Paul. at our Metropolitan
Cathedral weighs nearly seventeen tons,
Sometimes an interest is given TO a clock
by its bells being visible and being struck
by hammers which are welded by special
mechanically worked figures. The intro
duction Of figures into clocks is by no
means a new one, as is instanced in this
country by the knights in armor who used
to strike the hours at Wells Cathedral
with their battle axes. In the celebrated
clock at Strasburg, among the host of
/ figures a presentment Of death is allow
/ ed to strike the hour on the bell, using a
+ human bone for the purpose. The real
work of striking in large clocks is done
! by special part quite separate from the
{ time keeping portion. In the mechanism
I the most important arrangement is a bar
rel after the fashion of that in a musical
box, while outside the framework is
I placed a wheel with slots at varying in
teryals corresponding in length with the
time taken up in striking one two. three.
and so on up to twelve. The chimes OF
the Westminster clock have been repeated
far and wide. The hour bell is, OF course,
Big Ben" which originally weighed six
teen tons and cracked. When recast the
weight was decreased by about two tons.
and the bell has been cracked for the
second time this many years. The quar-
ter bells range from about four to a single
ton. and are in very good tune.
The hour bell of the royal courts Of JUS
tice and its attendant quarters collect
lively weigh five tons, and yet can barely
be heard, so great is the traffic that runs
beneath them The DOncaster or Scar
borough chimes are practically the same,
but they do not sound at the hour. For
Ginning tunes carlton machine, in addi-
tion to the clock is a necessity The
tunes which can be successfully played de-
pend upon several conditions First of all,
the most suitable music is that which goes
smoothly on its way and in which the
same note is not required 10 me repeated
too quickly. The number Of bells avail
able is, however, the most important con-
sideratiou, il there are enough of these,
by the substitution Of one barrel for an
other great variety Of airs can be pro-
duced. Among secular tunes, Home
Sweet Home" Caller Herrin',' - and THE
Old Folks at Home" are often chosen.
The chimes Of the old Royal Exchange,
among other things, played There is Nae
Luck About the House." and we may re-
call the fact that when the historic build
ing was burned in 1898, and while the
names were AT thelr helght, the bells rem
dered the melody and then fell with a
crash among the blazing ruins. As a rule,
seven tunes are arranged on a barrel, six
being secular and one sacred, suitable for
sly week days and a Sunday At Sligo
cathedral, for instance, a tune is PLAYED
four times during the day on the nine
bells, and as the carlton is furnished with
seven barrels, a different tune is provided
Tor seven times seven, or forty-nfne davs
AT " WorceSter where there is a splendid
peal OF bells, thirty-five tunes are played;
Manchester Town Hail has twenty-one
Dells ana thirty-one tunes are provided
Several London churches stilI enliven their
surroundings with their chimes-for in
stance, st Giles, st. Brides. St Dlonis,
and st. Clement Danes The clock at the
last-mentioned building IS peculiar lnso-
much as it strikes the hour twice. once
on the tenor, or largest bell of the peal
and then on a small bell at the very top
of the tower.-The English Magazine.