The Washington herald., 1909-02-19

Except in Scotland. the reformation
spared the bells. Even the passing belT'
was retained But while the prelate was
mercifuI 20 the bells and preserved them.
even though associated with a faith
other than his own. the soldier was less
merciful There were few medieval peals
which did not mourn the loss OF some
Of their great bells. many being used in
the manufacture Of cannon. as were those
from Rouen Cathedral Even less worthy
causes often explain the disappearance OF
others. Henry VII lost a peal Of bells
that hung in Harrington Without IN
game Of dice with Sir Miles Partridge
The knight himself vas soon afterward
hung. fitting retribUtion. although his
fate was due more 10 his having out
gan5ied his prince than 70 his having
robbed the beIfry.
The first big bell brought 70 America
was one purchased BY New Haven. April
1851 Trinity Church New Haven, now
has one OF the largest chimes IN this
country. consisting Of ten bells, from z
fat 10 F, weighing 300 pounds and cost
ing $50 The chimes Of Old Trinity,
New York. are undoubtedly the Oldest
though nothing definite can be learned
of them except that they came from Eng
land. Christ Church. Boston. has beau
tifUl chime. and Christ Church. Philadsl-
phia, has a set Of bells OF historic inter
est. During the Revolution they were
taken down from the tower and sunk IN
the Delaware 10 avoid danger Of their
capture by the English. At the close OF
the war they were restored TO the old
belfry. Tradition says that the Myrtilla
brought these bells from London. and
that afterward, whenever her sails
whitened the harbor. the bells were rung
IN her honor. Philadelphia treasures also
the famous Liberty bell, which unverifed
tradition declares was cracked when pro-
claiming the adoption OF the Declaration
OF Independence
Old St John. at Portsmouth. n
H, has a bell that was cast By
Paul Revere. It was recast from the
famous bell that had been brought there
by the brave PepperelI after the sacking
OF the LouisbDrg Cathedral, in the French
and Indian war. and was injured later
in a FIRE. Tie bells Of St MichaeTs.
Charleston, are widely travelled. They
were brought over from England and
hung in the steeple in ISL Twenty
years later they were taken back 70
England by the British, when they oc-
cupied the town, and were not restored
until some time after peace was de-
claTed-
In Vredryck Flypse's old brick church.
!n Sleepy Hollow, in SSe Hudson Valley.
still hangs the bell with the date "i6S5''
on its side. though its pealing has long
been still. Other church bells. not so
still as this, are those that compose the
chime IN St Louis Cathedral, New Or
leans These are not only Tung for ritual
istic ceremonies, but are rung every Sat
urday night in memory OF Don Andres
Almonaster y Rcxas, whose munifcencs
made the edifce a possibility.
The largest single ben IN this country
Is probably that OF Montreal Cathedral,
which weighs $3.50 pounds. That In the
New York city hall weighed 2s.e0o pounds.
but was recast into five smaller bells.
Washington possesses a chime OF eleven
bells n the tower OF the Metropolitan
Methodist Episcopal Church. made famous
through the interest taken in their IN
stallation by Mrs. Grant, wife OF Presi-
dent Grant They were dedicated on
November 80. 1s71. New York has, in
addition 70 Old Trinity's chimes, cariIIons
a. - All'iLtf-ss Gu AZ oAaNC La-fCl
Troy, Albany. Montreal. Toronto. and
several other cities, possess excellent sets
OF bells
Russia has long claimed the largest
bell IN the world, though recent travel
Ct IN Burma states he has seen a Sill
larger one, which can easily hOiG Grty
people. The great bell OF Moscow was
first cast in the reign Of Boris Godunof.
and recast in 1854. Il then weighed 80
tons. was fifty-fOUr feet in circumference.
and had walls two feet in thickness The