The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-05-20
Ancient Chimes Occupying the Bel
fry of St. MichaePs, Charles
ton, S. c.
MOST FAMOUS IN AMERICA.
In $50 Years They Have Had Many
Strenuous Experiences, But
They Are Still on Duty.

Replete In its landmarks Of other
days, old Charleston is South Caro-
lima city to be beguilded more by evil
dence Of what has been, rather than
by what is, says Winifred S. Haynet
In the Atlanta Journal. Among its
many remaining edifices of bygone
days there are none which speaks
more eloquently of the cultured relig-
ious life of this gracious city than its
many interesting and beautiful old
time churches, erected in many in
stances by the grandfathers and great
grandfathers of the men and women
who attend their services to-day.
Tourists go to st. Michael's, opened
for worship in 1852, the oldest un-
modelled church In the United States.
Modelled after the church by Christie
pher Wren, in London, the resem-
blance, though not so pretentious, Is
quite marked. In the small, crowded
churchyard adjoining sleeps the dis
tinguished statesman, Robert Hayne,
and few indeed are the crumbling
stones which do not bear names of
men and women whose lives meant
much in these proud colonial days of
that old city.
Within the church are many tablets
too many, in fact, to read. One Is
shown the pew in which Washington
sat, and which has since been oc-
cupied by most of the city's distin.
guished visitors-Robert e. Lee, the
Princess Louise of England, and vari-
Gus of our Presidents.
1t Is pretty day, and If one has
the courage for the climb, he may
use his own pleasure about ascending
through the belfry to the watch tower
used during the revolution From
there an excellent view of the city may
be had, and of the beautiful harbor,
with little Fort Sumter black dot,
and the misty ocean stretching far be-
yond
The situation naturally reminds one
Of the Old North Church at Boston,
with its celebrated lanterns-'one If
by land and two II by sea-" In the
belfry are to be seen the chimes,
which, in point of history at least, are
the most famous in the United States.
Originally imported from England,
they have crossed the Atlantic five,
and In the case of one bell, seven
times, to do duty for st. MichaePs,
nothing demonstrating to greater ex-
tent the Charleston peoples regard for
sentiment than the history of these
chimes.
Confiscated by the British In the
days of the American revolution. dur
Ing Sir Henry Clinton's occupancy Of
the city, they were sent to England
as trophies of war, where later they
were purchased by private citizen
and returned to Charleston. In tho
course of time one of them became
cracked and was sent to London for
repair During the Civil War they
were sent to Columbia, s. c., by the
people OF Charleston to be made into
cannon II needed. They were spared,
however, but when Sherman burned
Columbia they were ruined. until their
molten metal was gathered up and
again shipped to London, where they
were remodeled in the original casts
By the successors OF the first firm.
Up In their belfry home they still ring
out in the glad refrain they have
played, when possible. each Sunday
morning for more than 150 years; for
regardless OF this sad old city's In.
numberable calamities--its wars and
fires and floods, its disastrous storms
and earthquakes-St Michael's chimes
have continued to praise God from
Whom All Blessings Flow"