The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-11

from this lofty perch the traveller
sees Bruges as an inland island, for
it is completely surrounded by nat
ural streams and man-made canals.
Not to be cheated of a port by Ma
lures destructive forces, the people
of modern Bruges have built several
canals to the North Sea. The largest
and most direct leads eight miles to
Zeebrugge (meaning 'the seaport of
Bruges'O. This port and it's canal and
the basin at Bruges figured prOmi-
nently in the World war. The Germans
developed a strong U-bOat nest at
BrugeS from which their underwater
commerce destrOyers went out to sink
many an allied ship and to which they
returned for repairs and OutIIting.
When the war was over a tremend-
Ously strong shelter with a concrete
roof six feet thick, built over the wa
ter, was left standing near the Bruges
end of the sea canal, monument to
German U-bOat activities.
The British, however, successfully
hinderec the U-boat activities from
the Bruges nest by their famous sOr-
tie against the Zeebrugge mole when
an old ship filled with concrete was
sunk across the entrance to the canal.
Medieval Architecture.
Altogether, Bruges is one of the
quainteSt of the old Flemish cities
and is said to preserve in its archi-
lecture a more medieval aspect than
any of its sister municipalities. PrOmi-
nent architectural features are the
church of NOtre Dame and the Cathe-
dral of st. Sauveur, both excellent eX-
amples of early pointed Gothic, and
the Market Hall with its dominant
belfry.
In st. Basile's chapel is kept the
Sacred Vial, brought by crusading
knights from Jerusalem, reputed to
have been the vessel holding the wa
ter with which Joseph of Arimathea
bathed the blOOdstained body of
Christ. This reliquary is carried once
each year in the procession of the
Most Precious Blood.
The tapestry manufacturers Of
Bruges were world famous, and this
city has long been noted for its wool
en- cloths.
The bells of Bruges that are ring
ing out the summer concerts are typ
zeal of those of the other carillOns
of Belgium and Holland. To attain
the range of four Octaves, the bell
producing the lowest note must weigh
several tons, while the smallest weighs
scarcely 20 pounds. The bells are con-
nected to a keyboard or to clock
work mechanism, which causes their
clappers to strike. Producing music
from the bells requires great skill
and deXterity on the part of the bell
master, for he must use his feet for
the larger bells, and the muscles Of
both his wrist and elbow are brought
into play in producing the tremO-
landO effect usually given. A fine CARL
lon is not the result of a chance mould
ing of metal, but its making is as
much an achievement wrought by a
wise combination of excellent material
and deep thought as a StradivariuS.
Lovers of carlton music compare the
tones to those of a pinafOrte in del
icacy and to an organ in majesty.
When touched by the hand of a mast
er like Denyn, the wizard of Malines.
the music seems to come veritably
from the heavens and to settle in
Deace and benediction over the sur
rounding country.
Poets Love the Carillons.
So closely has the love Of bell music
grown into the national life of the
people of the low countries of Eu-
rope that it has lured to their shores
poets and writer's from other lands.
Longfellow and Robert Louis Steven
son paid tributes to their silvery tones,
and to Victor Hugo's imaginative
mind. the spirit of the Carlton of
Cechlin became personified as dane
er scattering magic notes on a sleep
ing world as she tripped from the
heavens down a crystal staircase. To
people who live within the shadows
of these towers, the bells possess a
personal as we'll as an historic signi-
ficance for having been connected with
some stirring event.
The great modern carillons are the
outcome of rivalry among the cities
of the Netherlands and Belgium. In
the Fifteenth century when timepieces
were rare and the people depended
upon the town clock for the time of
day or night, each town sought TO sur
pass Others by adding more and bet
ter bells, until brief melodies could be
played. Then came the keyboard and
pedal console much like that of an
organ, the playing of which has be-
come an art. The Netherlands and
Belgium, i'm which more than two
thirds Of the worlds $50 carillons are
located. have established government
schools for carlton players.
The architecture of the graceful
campaniles of Italy, the singing tow
ers and belfries Of northern Europe.
and the hell towers of England and
America have been influenced by bells.
Today bells are not made for towers
hut towers for bells.