The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-22

bell is placed there so that the caller
will be obliged to ring and walt to
be admitted. It is said these high
walls were built about the gardens to
keep the negro slave at home in the
early days when they were not allow
ed on the streets at night without a
permit.
The "gateways" Of early days were
of artistic merit, each home striving
to excel its neighbors. In no city Of
manent feature. They are made Of
wrought iron, with pretentious posts
of succeed brick, iron and even gran
ite, of great merit, giving an inviting
entrance to fine residence and sur
rounded by grounds literally filled
with luxuriant growth The gardens
are features of the home rather than
for the public, more part of the
house than of the street. These old
baronial estates once belonged to the
wealthy slave-owners, rice and cotton
planters, who once constituted the
arstocratc class of South Carolina
Many of the fertile old plantations
have been abandoned because of new
conditions, but many of the old homes
are still occupied by the families that
have owned them for two centuries,
and within these homes If one can
gain admission, may be seen such
wonderful antique furniture, Old por-
traits and miniatures and other relics
of colonial days, that would surprise
the present generation and would de-
light the collector of them.
Charleston Is called a city OF sun
r1Ak tSrlyN Can ff,ts u.
bright and genial winter climate and
for its rose gardens and seml-tropcal
flowers. which will form another para
graph.
OBJECTS OF INTEREST.
Charleston is full of objects of in
terest to every American. north or
SOUTH and in ancient architectural
beauty exceeds any city of the south
from its fifty or more churches and
semnaries. some date back for two
centuries. now standing in perfect
state of preservation. I will briefly
mention two or three only of these
ecclesiastical edifices Of the pre-revo-
lutionary era st. Michael's church
was erected in 1852, built Of brick,
rough cast. and is now colored white.
1t is 135 feet long by so feet wide and
1S5 feet in height. and is scarcely sur
passed in architectural beauty by
any in America. There is a peculiar
repose and stability about the en-
tire structure which never fails to
impress the beholder. and it is with
out doubt the most interesting build
ing in Charleston today. During the
earthquake in 1856 it's massive pillared
the church and the foundation settled
eight inches. making it necessary to
put a step between the floor Of the
vestibule and the body of the church.
the building being also cracked in
four other places, but the steeple was
uninjured. The gilt ball, how
ever, surmounting the spire, was
blown down in 1885. and subsequent
ly replaced. 1t was a very prominent
landmark, and can be seen at sea for
several miles. During the civil war
the shells from the Union batteries
on Morris Island the Swamp Angel'O
We're aimed directly at it, but strange
to say, it was not once struck. The
body of the church. however, was
struck seven times only out of 1925
shells fired within twenty-four hours,
but without very serious injury.
feature to us on entering the gallery
was the old pipe organ, made in Lon
don in 1867. 1t has three banks Of
keys, thirty stops, with five octaves
and two octaves of sub-bass. Though
l34 years old, it's tones are deep ana
clear and of good quality.
ST. MlCHAEL'S CHIMES.
ba oh; rf
has a history worthy of relating. The
subscription for ring OF bells" was
started in 1862. and in 1864 chime of
eight bells. together with the clock.
We're hung upon the tower walls,
which rise through the roof of the
church, constructed upon independent
foundations. In 1882 they were cap
tured by the British as a perquiste OF
war and carried back to England.
They We're purchased by Charleston
merchant and reshipped to the city in
November 90. 1883, when the over
ioyed citizens took possession ofthem,
and again placed them in position
in the steeple or belfry. Later two
bells We're found to be cracked. which,
after vain attempts to mend them,
in 1888, they We're again shipped to
England to be recast, and We're re-
turned to their places in the steeple
the next year. Here they remained
undisturbed until 1862 when they We're
sent to Columbia for safe keepins.
This proved false move. for they
We're burned in February. 1865, by
Shermans army. and so badly In
jured as to be entirely useless. while
two bells were stolen and never re-
covered. They were again sent to
England and recast by the successors
of the firm that had made them over
a hundred years before. from the same
patterns, and the eight bells, as near
ly identical as possible with the orig
inal ones. We're landed in Charleston
in 1867. February. 1867, they were
held for month, however, until the
customs duty of $1,000 imposed was
raised, and again, on March 81, 1867.
the familiar chimes once more rang
out upon the ears of the people, the
sweet music of Home, Sweet Home"
and Home Again from a ForeiNn
Shore" No sound appeals so touch
ingly to the heart OF a Charlestsnian
as these old bells, and their return
was a source of deep emotion, and
since that day they have hung undis-
turbed in their belfry, where still the
white e-haired negro who has rung the
chimes for sixty years strikes with his
aged hands the well-worn handles,
which by the ropes overhead call forth
Iesounding peals of the sweetest
music of the day.
IN THE CHIIRCHYARD.
In st. Michaels churchyard. in the
rear OF the church, are inferred the
remains of many of Charleston's most
honored citizens among them the bril-