Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-12
Gigantic Musical Bells of Eu-
rope Embodiment of
Civic Liberty.
WOULD CONSTRUCT IN U. S.
FROM CAPTURED COPPER
National Capital Urged to Erect
Masterpiece of Architectural
Thankfulness.
BY J. MARION SKULL.

In thankfulness at close of the war.
the greatest war the world has ever
known, it is but natural our thoughts
should turn to means of making plain
to future generations what manner
of men they were who fought and
bled that civilizatio might live. Me-
mortal architecture to this end would
seem to be the favorite choice of
most of our great cities. Boston. New
York, Philadelphia, Washington, and
many more. are planning something
of the kind.
No doubt among these cities will
prevail friendly rivalry to see whose
work shall stand most we'll, but Wash
ington. the capital of the greatest
nation on the earth, world capital of
the years to come, should never be
content with anything done merely
well. Her monuments erected now
should be of such consummate worth.
such masterpieces, that all the world
might pleasure in them and ourselves
be proud to point them out.
The city of Albany is moving for
and doubtless will secure a memorial
carlton to be installed in the SPLEEN
did tower of the city hall there. thus
emulating such cities as Antwerp,
Eruges, Client, Malines. and many
others that have not hesitated to de-
vote large sums of public money to
this great civic music, music which
gives constant joy to thousands.
Carlton and Arch.
A suggestion from the president of
the Chamber of Commerce that posi-
bly, the idea of a peace carlton and
memorial arch might be combined in
mn h1o lad 70
accompanying sketch. 1t is not the
work of professional architect and
may therefore be open to the criti-
cism on the part of the purist that
too many of the f1fty-seven varieties
OF architecture have entered into its
conception.
Well. it was a mixed army whose
achievement we would celebrate, so
let 1t go at that and consider this
only an attempt to visualize a possi-
Bile combination of the memorial arch
and the peace carlton in one. and
leave the ultimate design to a compe-
tent architect and the Fine Arts Com
mission.
In the meantime 1t may be of inter-
est to many to know just what a car
ilion Is. inasmuch as we have prac-
tically nothing of the kind in the
United States.
Gigantic Musical Instrument.
A carlton is a gigantic muscial in
strument, consisting of bells of vari-
GUS sizes ranging from six or seven
tons to few pounds and accurately
attuned to the chromatic scale SO that
music can be played on them in any
key just as 1t Is played on a piano.
The best Of them carry from thirty
eight to fifty-two bells, giving a
range of four octaves, more or less.
and are carried well aloft that the
sound may descend from a consider
able height and reach great distances
without obstruction from surrounding
objects.
Belgium is pre-eminently the land
of the carlton, for there are to be
found the best in the world and the
greatest appreciation of their won
derful charm and the poets of our own
and o.her lands have sung the praises
of Bruges, of Client. Of Antwerp and
Malines. Fortunately some Of the
best are still intact though many
have been destroyed through the raw
ages of the German army of occupa-
ton or the devastation Of battle. At
Iseghem the Germans took away the
bells. but were overtaken by the