Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-12-29
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80 ING out the old year. ring In
the e, new s,,:.., -.
world where civilization has
taught mankind the importance of Gel.
ebrating his holidays bruzen 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 Fu.
ther Times scythe. The custom has
significance. Il beauty of meaning
identified with some of the earliest OBJ
servances Of the church.
From remotest antiquity BELLS play
ed part in religious worship. In Egypt
the feast of Osiris was announced by
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
TOfhnli(s f.hI1r.b iS I,,r1 tI<
ringing Of silver rhimeh bells
Paulinus. bishop of Nola. introduced
the bell into the Christian worship in
the year 400 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 comfortcr'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 u believer In theory devils
troubled the expiring patient.
But the peals Of consecrated bell
were believed to possess 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 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 he salutcd 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 he
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 clapper.
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
have greeted New Year are now ST.
fenced for all time. One is priced
relic of the worlds greatest autocracy:
the other is a 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
1874. 1t was the design Of its makers
that it 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 1893 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 it toll forth the be-
ginning of the new year. Cast in
1874. 1t remained in its place till 1897.
Then it fell during fire and from it's
great weight sank deeply into the earth.
For exactly one century it was per-
mitted to remain buried.
Then it was raised. but the exca-
vators found in its side gaping hole.
where great piece had been broken
out. No more should the bell ring.
But they raised it. placed it ON solid
foundation. and it now forms the
dome of small chapel made by ex-
cavating the space beneath it. Now,
though it may no longer ring in the
new year. it 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 in. Formerly this
service was performed by the bell now
known as the Liberty bell.