Evening star., 1923-04-01

4 v GUS bells of the cathedral OF
Notre Dame will again be
heard to ring for state occasions
These bells, which have been silent
since the early days OF the war, will
announce the advent of science and
electricity into this ancient edif1ce,
for electric motors are being in
stalled to operate the gigantic clap
pers 1t Is expected that the install
alton will be completed within the
near future.
The use Of electric motors causes
one to wonder what Victor Hugo,
who wrote at length upon the cath
edral and it's bells IN THE Hunch-
back of Notre Dame" would say to
this innovation.
Although Hugo seemed to deplore
the great strain placed upon the ex-
pert bell-ringers as they swung the
great clappers, he also seemed to be
equally opposed to the many changes
which had been made in the cathe-
dral.
He writes: "There may be dis
tinguished in it's ruins three kinds
of damages, all three worn to diff
ferent depth: time. firstly, which
has insensibly eaten and rusted away
bits here and there; next, political
and religious revolutions. which,
blind and wrathful by nature. have
unanimously overran II, tearing off
its rich dress of sculpture and carv-
| ing, broken the windows snapped its
necklace of arabesQues and frettings,
manned the statues, now for their
miter anon for their crown; lastly
| fashions more and more stupid and
grotesque, which, since the anarchy
and splendid deviations Of the Rem
atssance, have succeeded to the ne
cessary decay of architecture.
Fashion has wrought more ruin than
! revolution"
| = X
VICTOR HUGO, nevertheless. would
probably have accepted the stu
alton without much comment. for he
draws a pathetic picture of the deaf
| hunchback who could hear nothing
save the heavy vibration from the
| largest bell. He was the chief bell
ringer, Quasimodo.
There are fifteen bells in the tow
| ers Of Notre Dame Cathedral. The
| largest of these was called Marie.
1t stood alone in the southern tower
with its sister, Jacqueline. a bell of
! medium size which was shut up in
it's cage beside the larger bell. JAG
| oueline had been christened after it's
donor, Jean Montagu's wife, who was
later beheaded at Montfancon. In the
second tower were six bells of vary.
ing size and tone. and in the belfry
across the cross-aisle six more bells
| were to be found. In the latter place
hung the wooden bell. which emitted
a much softer tone and which was
rung from the afternoon of Holy
Thursday until Easter morning.
| Hugo gives a vivid description OF
the ringing Of the bells and the deer
love which Quasimodo had for them
zone could have no idea of his de-
light when the bells were all rung
together. When the archdeacon bade
him Cor he would speed up to the
belfry quicker than anybody else
| could have come down. He breath
lessly entered the aerial chamber OF
the big bell; he surveyed 1t for a
space with love and gladness. then
would softly speak to it; he patted
It with his hand. as one would do &c
a good horse that had finished long
race. He walled the pain it was tc
suffer
After the first caresses, he would
shout out to his aides. on the floor
below, to commence. They hung or
ropes, heaved at capstans, and the
enormous mass of metal slowly NOV.
ed. Quasimodo. with >heaving Breast
watched i9 The first shock of the