The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-03-26
TRIP TO SEATTLE
Last One for Liberty Bell Large
Crack Discovered,

If the crack in the Liberty Bell is
perceptibly increased in the trip from
Philadelphia to Seattle, the most pre-
cious at all relics will have made its
last trip from Independence Hall.
Custodians Of the worshipped me-
mento Of the struggle for independence
are agreed on this.
1t has always been the sentiment of
the authorities of Philadelphia that
they merely held the bell in trust for
the nation at large, and that wherever
possible, as in the case of expositions
of importance, the bell should be sent
to do its part in intoxicating the great
lessons Of patriotism in the hearts of
the people.
But now peril has arisen, A new
crack, running from the old one, al
ready so we'll known from the photo
graphs, has appeared.
1t is seventeen inches long, and though
it is very faint, and can only be seen by
the closest OF scrutiny, it is considered
a grave warning.
The new crack extends from point
midway between the rim and the crown
to point near the center of the crown.
1t is said that the crack has grown a
little every time the bell has made trip.
Long ago the original crack gave great
concern to those who feared that it pro-
vided the line of cleaverage along which
the split would extend until the old bell
would no longer hold together. Experts
in metals studied the bell, and it was
finally, after grave counsels, decided to
let mechanic drill out the crack at its
top, leaving rounded space which would
effectively stop any further spread.
This was done, and of the filings care
fully preserved number Of rings were
made which are now the treasured relics
of the families of two or three men who
were officials of Philadelphia at that
time. But the same kind of remedy
could hardly be applied to the new crack
which has appeared, for this is still SO
family outlined that it can hardly be
said to command enough importance
yet to warrant any further tampering
with a relic which it is the wish of the
American people to keep as nearly in
tact as possible.
The original split in the bell was made
while it was being tolled in honor of
John Marshall, Chief Justice of the
United States, who died on July 6, 1885.
A crack appeared twenty-nine inches in
length, beginning at the lip of the bell,
where the metal was three inches thick,
and extending toward the crown.
1t is said, though some dispute the
tradition, that after the bell was cracked,
it was rung on several occasions, the last
being Washington's birthday, 1915.
William B. Hamm, of Philadelphia,
an expert in metals, who has made life
study of the bell, and has volumes OF
data concerning it, has this to say of
the dangers of sending the bell over
trips that might unduly jar it,
Il don't think there is much danger
in the original crack, and the other may
be all right, too. The only peril that
can see is the chance that in making
trips the motion of molecules in the
metal of the bell changes under irregu-
lar percussion, and alters the metal from
its cohesive character to granular char
acter. Should this alteration take place
the bell might split -
Representatives of the Seattle Expo
sition, in celebration of the founding of
the Great Northwest, make a most inn
pressive argument in favor of getting
the bell, and one which in some of its
points is not to be refuted. They say
hat the mass of their people live so far
away that they have little opportunity
@ make the long journey to Philadel-
ohia to see the great symbol of liberty,
md that if only for the sake of the chill
lren, they have right to their desire.
Moreover, they propose to take the
Kind of precautions that will protect the
,ell at all times.
They also have forcible argument
n the fact that the bell has been per-
nitted to 60 on many other trips.