The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-12-22
RING Our THt OLD,
RING IN The NEWi

WOfiu Wnere CIVILIZATION has
taught mankind the Importance of eel
| ebrating his holidays brazen throated
bells will obey this injunction at the
midnight moment which marks the
passing Of 1911 into 1912.
Every bell, every chime, every peal
come 1t from brass or steel or glass
sounding in mellifuous beauty in the
silence of night, marks the observance
OF custom that goes back not less
than fifteen centuries.
Ring out the old year. ring In the
new, is not an impulse to celebrate
with mere noise another swing Of Fa.
ther Times scythe. The custom has
a significance, beauty OF. meaning
identified with some Of the earliest oh.
servances of the church.
From remotest antiquity bells play.
ed part in religious worship. In Egypt
the feast Of Osiris was announced by
I the ringing of bells. Aaron and other
Jewish high priests wore bells attach
ed to their vestments. In Athens the
priests Of Cybele used bells in their
rites; the Greeks employed them In
camps and garrisons, and the most
solemn moment in the ritual Of the
Catholic church is preceded by the
ringing Of silver chimed bells.
Paulinus, bishop of Nola; introduced
the bell into the Christian worship In
the year 400aA. d.
The first bells were made in Cam
pania, hence the term campanilc or bell
tower
The adoption Of the bell into the
services Of the church soon gave the
chimes the comforter's office In the
minds Of the devout. In their simple
faith the worshipers believed that con-
secrated bells had the power to pre-
vent storms, to drive away evil spirits
and to bring repose to the sufferer.
The direct forerunrer Of the New
Year bell is what was known as the
passing bell" This was rung at the
death Of believer. In theory devils
troubled the expiring patient.
But the peals of consecrated bell
were believed to possess a potency
that the most malignant OF devils
could not Withstand; hence with ev-
cry death the ringing of the holy bells
exercised the evil spirits and assured
the soul a happy passing into future
untroubled peace.
From this ancient custom developed
easily and naturally the habit Of ring
Ing out the old year and ringing in
the new.
Centuries have passed, thousand
years, and still 500 more have been
numbered since the first New Year
was hailed by the music Of tuned
brass, but man still finds the custom
beautiful and comforting. and 1912
will be saluted by more peals than any
Of Its predecessors.
The bell most favored is made of tin
and copper. In the reign Of Henry ii.
experts decreed that bell should have
two parts of copper and one of tin.
When Mr.. Layard made his famous in
vestigation of the ruins of Nineveh be
found beautifully toned bells where
the proportion was ten parts of copper
against one Of tin. Later experts have
decided that four to one Is about the
right proportion. Experiments have
also been made with bells Of brass,
German silver, real silver and gold.
Some made of steel were shown to
have beautiful tone. but deficient
from the fact that It could not be sus-
tanned. Glass bells Of great thickness
give out an exquisite melody, but the
material is too brittle to withstand the
constant impact of the ciapper.
So most of the bells that greet 1912
will be made according to the formula
of four parts copper to one part tin.
The most famous Of the bells that
hive greeted New Year are now ST.
fenced for all time One Is u priced
relic of the worlds greatest autocracy;
the other Is worshiped memento of
the struggle for liberty that launched
into existence the worlds mightiest re-
public.
The great bell of Moscow, now To-
Gated In the Kremlin, was cast In
1734. 1t was the design of Its makers
that Ii should fill the air with vol
ume Of melody that should make it
world famous. In both height and d.
ameter this colossus Of bells is twenty
one feet. 1t weighs 1903 tons.
But how vain is the planning of
mankind is proved by the tragic ca
reer Of this monster of sound. Only
for three years did 1t toll forth the be-
ginning OF the new year. Cast In
1874, 1t remained In It's place till 1887.
Then 1t fell during fire and from its
great weight sank deeply into the earth.
For exactly one century 1t was per-
mitted to remain buried.
Then II was raised, but the exca.
yators found In It's side gaping hole,
where great piece had been broken
out. No more should the bell ring.
But they raised II, placed 1t on solid
foundation. and 1t now forms the
dome Of a small chapel made by ex-
cavating the space beneath II. Now,
though 1t may no longer ring In the
new year, 1t can be the sanctuary for
the New Year prayers OF the faithful.
Every New Year eve citizens of
Philadelphia gather around the shrine
OF liberty, Independence hall. to hear
the new year rung iE. Formerly this
service was performed by the bell now
known as. the Liberty bell
Before that memorable day In 1776
when the nations fathers gave forth
to the world their Declaration OF In
dependence, whose signing was her
aided by the ringing Of Liberty bell,
the old bell had been used TO ring in