The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-11
FAMOUS BELLS OF HISTORY
RUSSIA. JAPAN AND CHINA POSSESS THE FOUR LARGEST IN
THE WORLD.
a!nster, Weighing between 10 and IA

minister, weighing between 10 and IA
tons.
a curious story is connected with
the bells of Messingham church. Eng
land. 1t is related that Il long time
ago a traveller passing through Mes
u stile in the churchyard and calling
out, Come to church. Thompson!"
Come to church. Brown" Come to
church, Wilkins!" And so On. Greatly
surprised. the traveller asked what it
means. lie was told the place, having
no bells, they called the folk to church
in this a The traveller remarked
that it was a pity so fine a church
should be without bells, and at the
make three for the church if he would
pay for them himself. They readily
agreed to do this. by trade the three
men were n tinker. a carpenter and a
shoemaker. When next the traveller
passed that way he found the three
men ringing three bells. which. said
Ting. tong, pluff," being made re-
spcctively Of tin. Woo and leather.
The first rcal peal of bells or chimes
in England was sent by Pope Calixtus
III. to Kings college, Cambridge, and
for 300 years this was the largest peal
in the country. Peals came into gen.
eral use about the beginning of the
year 1900. when sets of eight bells
We're hung in many of the leading
churches. When first introduced
chime bells We're rung by a number
of c each grasping IL rope from n
particular bell and striking it at the
precise moment the leader pointed a
finger at him for a signal. The GUS
tom originated in Europe, and was i'm
ported to this country when the first
chimes We're brought over. This was
shortly after the country's ~independ-
| ence was declared, the new bells be-
ing placed in Trinity church, New
York city. 1t required seven men to
ring the seven bells. and it was not
until 1900 that a plan was devised
whereby n man alone was able to
ring The bells.
King Henry VIII. despoiled many
churches of bells to be sold for their
value as metal. Curious things are re-
ported to have happened when these
bells We're removed. 1t is a remark
able fact tina Sir Miles Partridge,
! who. Mt dice, Won the bells of st.
Paul's from the king, was shortly aft
erward hanged on Tower Hill. AT
Yarmouth ships carrying the bells to
foreign parts foundered and sank. The
wreckins of n vessel carrying fourteen
bells of Jersey at the entrance of the
va 81 S"NS ASS AAS s"A%
that when the wind blows the drown
ed bells are heard pealins.
Any mention of bells would be in
complete with adding something about
our w Liberty bell, famous in two
worlds. This bell is of English manu-
facture. cast in London in 1852,
brought over to America. and subse-
quently recast in Philadelphia where
it reposes in Independence hall. on
lower Chestnut street. On it is inscrib-
cd: "Proclaim Liberty Throughout the
World and to all the Inhabitants
Thereof" Seven years after the sign
ing of the Declaration of Independence
this bell made known the joyous news
that peace between the United States
and Great Britain had been restored.
AS everybody knows, the Liberty
bell is crack, but what everybody does
not know is how it came to he crack
ed. There is n story to the effect that
it was cracked while tolling for the
funeral Of Chief Justice John Marshall
on July s, 1885.