Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19

night riding fame. and weighs one thou
sand pounds.
of many distinguished persons, who have
been buried from the church, or for
whom memorial services have been held
therein. One of the most tragic occasions
which its tolling commemorated was the
killing of the Secretary of War. Mr.. Up
shur; the Secretary Of the Navy. Mr..
Gilmer, and six others on board the war
ship Princeton, as the effect OF q bursting
of gun. The funerals of the two cabi
net officers took place from the White
House. in the vicinity Of st. John S
Church.
The first bell to be installed in this city
was that of All Souls Unitarian Chapel
remembered by later generations as the
to Washington and placed in position in
June. 1922, but it is said that it was not
rung until nearly a year afterward, so
that St. Johns bell seems to possess the
claim. mentioned, that Of being the first
to call a congregation together in Wash
ington. The Unitarian Chapels bell. like
that Of st. Johns. was cast at the factory
originated by Paul Revere near Boston.
and was purchased with subscriptions by
John Quincy Adams, John C.. Calhoun and
other distinguished men. This bell was
rung for public purposes until 1861. but its
use was then discontinued, for the reason,
1t is said, because 1t had, on the death
of John Brown. rung a requiem for him.
many years, not merely for religious, but
for various other purposes. It sounded
fire alarms. and, owing to the city's linn
tied extent at that early period. and the
fact that the location of the bell was then
central one, it was found to have been
tolerably efficient in that capacity.
In the days of the volunteer fire depart
ment, when other bells came into use and
were employed in sounding an alarm of
fire, a request was made that the bell
of the Unitarian chapel be the only one
used for that purpose. This request,
urged generally by the fremen them
selves. originated from the practice. in
citizens, Of ringing An false alarms from
the various bell stations
There was then. according to an old
resident OF this city. q large number of
volunteer lre-fghting organizations in
Washington, and tho confusion resulting
from calling them into requiation was
such as practically to set tho entire town
in commotion. generally ending In a fac
ton fight between tho various companies
in order to determine which was the most
efficient.
This happy result attending upon the
sounding. OF flre alarm led persons in
search Of excitement to avail themselves
of such fire alarm bell as happened to be
most convenient and the precautions
guarding the use OF which We're exceed
ingly lax. Thus it came to pass that the
Unitarian bell was made the official fire
alarm hell of the city. and an official
ringer was appointed by each OF the fire
companies, whose province 1t was to
sound the tocsin.
The bell of 81. Dominic's Catholic
Church and that Of st. Mary's, the one
located in South Washington and the
other on 9Th street near G street. were
formerly used by the fire department in
sounding alarms, but the practice was
discontinued at the request OF the pas
tors of the churches. They found. they
said. that at a religious service when
the bell was s0anded for fire considerable