The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-07-09
FINAL TONE OF
LIBERTY BELL?
What Is Believed to Be Its Last
Ringing Is Said to Have
Recently Taken Place
at Philadelphia.


What may prove to be the last ring
ing or the historic Liberty beii took
place in Independence hall at Philadel-
phia recently.
1t WAS decided to transmit the tones
OF the bell across the country to San
Francisco over the recently completed
transcontinental telephone line. partly
fulfilling III literal sense the prophet
&c words cast on the bell, Proclaim
liberty throughout all the land. unto
al the inhabitants thereof" The bell
Was struck three times with mallets at
Intervals OF ave seconds. BY an ar
rangement OF three very sensitive
transmitters, which were suspended
beneath II ON rubber bands. SO as TO
exclude all foreign vibration, the
tones were caught and clearly heard
over the telephone wires on the Pa
cific coast At the same time pho
nographic record was made OF the
notes SO as TO preserve them for pos
terity.
This Is the first time that the great
bell has been sounded since ii was
cracked In 1885 while tolling the death
OF John Marshall. the first chief JUS
tice OF the United States Supreme
court. The reason that 1t may never
again be rung Is that new crack.
more serious than the old one. has de.
yeloped In IL.
II has been found that the bell is
afflicted with the disease OF metal"
This is partly responsible for the APP
| pearance OF the latest fissure and has
made II necessary TO support its
weight on padded props in order TO
relieve the stress which has gradually
been pulling II apart.
4 The new crack is now plainly Wis
ible, while only short time ago II
was microscopic. II begins at the up
per part of the original fracture, ex-
tending from the letter 'P" In the
philadelphia" diagonally a quarter of
the way around the circumference, to
the letter .y' In Liberty" near the
top. II IL believed that the new crack
might not have occurred had the bell
been allowed to remain at rest after
II was first broken. II has, however
been shipped on different occasions to
New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta
Charleston, Boston and St. Louis. That
II Is actually suffering from a malady
known as the disease of metal" is
the description OF its ailment in the
technical phraseology OF the metallur
gist, and Is not popular figure OF
| speech. The reason for this distempeI
IL to be found In the history OF the
bells casting.
II was originally made by Thomas
. Lester at London, In 1852, and shipped
TO Philadelphia. When II was hung te
try the sound II was cracked by the
ciaDper. At first 1t was intended e
! return II TO England. but subsequently
two workmel, Pass and Stow. neither
OF whom was experienced in the art
undertook the Tecasting in Philadel
phia. Obviously the bronze was too
brittle, and In order 10 tougher 1t
they added approximately ten per cen
Of copper to the original metal. WheI
the bell was later rehung II was found
that too much copper had been used
and. 10 the chagrin of everyone, tht
tone was destroyed. The same mer
again undertook the work. and thi,
time are supposed to have added til
to restore the tone. The third bel
was accepted. but too much tin hac
been used, and the tones were so high
~ resonant that II was seldom rung.-
Popular Mechanics.