Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-23
AN HISTORIC OLD BELL
GRACES PEKtM CHURCH
Forty-Four Years il Has Hung in Tow
err, Having Been Brought
From Spain.

The Roman Catholic church of st.
Joseph. at Pekin, Tazewell county, has
a bell that has a history and that has
had many changes OF ownership For
40 years it has hung in the old tower.
ringing out the time for masses, for
funerals and for weddings. Two
months ago it was carefully and rever.
emily removed to the steeple of the
handsome new edifiice and again tolls
the knell of passing day." as it
has done for 200 years past, for it is
fully that old.
1t is but trifle larger than an ordin-
airy locomotive bell. is made of some
metal in which has been mixed guam
THY of silver. giving it a peculiarly
sweet sound and of great carrying
qualities, but not loud. This bell was
cast in Spain at a celebrated foundry
at Vallidodlid, early in the 18th cen
fury. 1t was taken to Mexico by some
of the old monks and hung in the ca
thedral at Vera Cruz. where it remain
ed until the Mexican. war in 1S47. For
a century and half it's mellow tones
called the faithful to worship in the
ancient cathedral. and its notes were
heard at the elevation of the host, at
the funeral of the aged at the mar
riages of the younger ones and at the
baptism of babes.
At the capture of Vera Cruz in 1S47,
three young men of Company G, 4th
Illinois. whose names and titles were
Second Lieut.. w. A. Tinney, Sergt
John NJ. Gill and Sergt Samuel
Rhoades, all of Pekin, took this old
bell, and, as a little souvenir sent it
back to their home safely packed in
straw i'm barrel. The company in
which were these three Pekinites had
reached Vera Cruz, via Tampico. and
they were among the first to get to the
shore. In addition to the bell they cap
tured the wooden leg of Santa Anna
and his carriage. which are now in the
state museum at Springfield
When these mementoes finally reach
cd Pekin the bell was sold to the own
ers of the river steamboat Prairie
State. and for five years it did duty on
this boat, and its ringing was heard
along the length of the Illinois river
from St. Louis to Peoria till the bell
of the Prairie State became a familiar
sound to all travellers along that high
way of trade, as the river then was.
On April 16, 1852, there was a race
between the Avalanche and the Prairie
State. common thing then when two
river boats came near each other. Just
as these two racing boats, loaded with
passengers. arrived opposite the Bemis
house, in Pekin. came an explosion and
the Prairie State went to the bottom
with large loss of life. The bell lay
at the bottom of the river for two
years. 1t was then fished up and sold
TO the Methodists, who just then were
about ready To dedicate a new place of
worship, which was then located north
of the Farmers National bank.
From 1854 to 1867 this Roman Cath
Ollie bell served the Methodist people
as devotedly as it had it's first owners,
or as it had the Inflated steamboat.
For Sunday school. for morning and
evening service. and for Wednesday
night prayer meeting. it rang out clear
ly and sweetly. When a funeral or
wedding was to Occurr at this house
of worship the people told the sexton
and the sexton tolled the bell" and the
old bell cast in Spain, rrmg in Mexico,
changed on the river, continued to do
it's simple duty under it's varied chang
es of proprietorship as an obedient SER
want to it's many owners.
In 1867 application was made to the
trustees of the Methodist church by
the authorities of st. Joseph's Roman
Catholic church at Pekin, looking to-
wards the transfer of this relic to the
latter denomination. The Methodists
were willing and so the Roman Catho
lies again came into possession of this
noted and much travelled bell.