The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-01
THE BELLS OF HARVARD.
4 Succession of Nine Whose History
Covers a Period of 300 Years.

Harvard has mad an interesting
succession of bells, nine of them al
together, two being now in use. That
the very first college building had
one is shown by an extract from a
book published in 1643, declaring
that every scholar shall be present
in his Tutors Chambers at the 7th
hour in the morning Immediately af-
ter the sound of the bell
A second bell was presented by a
John Willet and did service for near
ly a century. 1t was melted, or at
least badly damaged in the disastrous
fire of 1854, when the second college
building, Harvard Hall, was Destroy
3D. The third structure, Massachu-
setts Hall, was built in 1880, and
very soon the treasurer was "deslred
70 enquire what may be the cost OF
2 bell and clock, proper for the COL
lege." Both clock and bell were
hought and the steward got 4 pounds
q wear for keeping them IN order'
This one was described by an Engllsn
traveller some years later as "a very
good bell
Harvard Hall was rebuilt after the
fire, and in 1865 in a new set OF ar
+ic1es resuecting the diet of the COL
lege" there is a reference to fourth
bell. It's fate is shown by an entry
of January Is, 1898: 'Voted that
the President and the Treasurer be
q Committee to procure the recastlng
Of the College Bell lately split
This fifth bell, like it's predeces-
sors. was ordered from England and
weighed about 31S pounds. TWO
bells were given in partial exchange
for the lately split" one from Har-
ward Hall and the small one from
the clock on Massachusetts Hall.
Apparently vandalism by students
is no merely modern affair, for II
seems to have been the cause OF so
much damage to this fifth bell that IN
1927 the College authorities had to
appoint a committee ''to consider the
most effectual method of securing
it (the belly against irruptlon. On
the same date the president was re-
ouested to buy a bell on as good
terms as possible. This sixth bell
was cast in 1908 by Paul Revere at
his foundry in Canton and weighed
434 pounds.
This one became cracked in 1885
and was replaced the same year by
the seventh bell, which was cast by
George H. Holbrook, of East Med
way, Mass, and weighed 45O pounds.
This one, known to most living Har-
ward graduates, had long and hon.
orable career, but it, too, finally be-
came cracked in 1890, owing to the
fact that it had not been properly
hung. At that time it had been rung
for forty-two years by one man, the
veteran janitor, Mr.. Jones. When II
became cracked he kept it few
years as a relic, but in 1904 he gave
it to the Harvard Memorial Society,
which had it broken up, part OF the
bronze being used for tablets placed
at Hollis and Holworthy halls. A
small model of the old bell, made
from it's metal, was presented to Mr..
Jones.
The eighth bell is the one now
hanging in Harvard Hall. 1t was
cast by Meneely & Co., West Troy,
N. Y, and weighs $50 pounds. 1t
was first rung January 7, 1900. The
ninth bell is the fne-toned one in
Memorial Hall tower. 1t is ten times
the size of the early bells of the COL
lege for it weighs 5000 pounds. 1t
was cast by Van Dusen & Co., of Gin
cinnati, and was installed after COM
mencement, 1897, the gift of the
o1oce of 1272-N Y. Sun.