Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-12-27

taught mankind the importance of cell
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 it from brass or steel or glass.
sounding in mellihuous beauty In the
silence of night. marks the observance
of a 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-
Their Times scythe. The custom has
a significance. a beauty of meaning
identified with some of the earliest OBJ
servances of the church.
From remotest antiquity bells play
ed a part In religious worship. In Egypt
the feast of Osiris was announced by
the rim ging 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 200 A D.
The first bells were made in Cam
pania. hence the term campanile 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 forerunner of the New
Year bell is what was known as the
passing bell" This was rung at the
death Of a believer. In theory devils
troubled the expiring patient.
But the peals Of a 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. a thousand
q 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
7 beautiful and comforting. and 1917
m will be saluted by more peals than any
: of its predecessors.
pr The bell most favored is made Of tir
~ and copper In the reign Of Henry ii
M experts decreed that bell should have
~ two parts of copper and one of tin
r When Mr.. Layard made his famous in
e. vestigation of the ruins OF Nineveh h
d found beautifully toned bells wher
~ the proportion was ten parts Of cope
against one of tin. Later experts hav
decided that four TO one is about tn
right proportion. Experiments hav
es also been made with bells OF bras:
iv. German silver. real silver and golC
gh Some made OF steel were shown
he have a beautiful tone. but dehcier
lily from the fact that il could not be SUI
ut tanned Glass bells Of great thickness
ne give out an exquisite melody, but ii
ar material is too brittle to withstand II
ey constant impact of the clapper-
he SO most Of the bells that greet 19-
op will be made according to the formu
he of four parts copper to one part tin.
re- The most famous of the bells tn
~ have greeted New Year are now :
.t~t fenced for all time. One is Il prize
Ny. relic of the worlds greatest autocrac
the the other is worShiped mementO
er- the struggle for liberty that launch
~ into existence the worlds mightiest
yer public.
The great bell of Moscow. now
Gated in the Kremlin. was cast
1884 1t was the design OF its make
the that it should fill the air with a v
an ume of melody that should make
Sh. world famous In both height and
tin ameter this colossus OF bells is tweni
lily one feet 1t weighs 1913 tons.
IN But how vain is the planning
nh. mankind is proved by the tragic
md reer of this monster of sound. Or
70 for three years did it toll forth the
ven ginning of the new year. Cast
"a 1884. ii remained in its place till Il
r. Then 1t fell during a fire and from
- great weight sank deeply into the ear
For exactly one century 1t was p
mitted TO remain buried.
Then ii was raised. but the ex
vators found in It's side II gaping he
., where Al great piece had been brot
OnI out No more should the bell ri
R,t thav raised IL pl9cpd II on a II