Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-01-29
Famed Liberty Bell
May Ring Again
Famous Bell. Silent for Ninety six
Years, May Ring Out on Wash
ington's Birthday.


The famous old Liberty Bell, which
SO loyously rang TO announce the Dec
laration of Independence and which
tolled SO sadly when George Washing
ton died at Mount Vernon, may again
ring forth from Independence Hall, in
Philadelphia, on Washington's next
birthday, February q, 1881.
Efforts are being made by officials of
the George Washington. Bicentennial
Commission to arrange for a nation
wide radio hook-up on this date and
have President Hoover press an cleo
trio button in Washington which will
start the nations most historic bell
ringing again after a silence of almost
one hundred years. 1t is proposed to
have the bell strike thirteen times,
once for each of the thirteen original
states.
According to noted historians, the
last ringing of the bell was on July
8, 1885, in honor of the funeral serv-
ices OF John Marshall, chief justice of
the United States, who died in Phila-
delphia on July 6, 1885. While the bell
was being solemnly tolled it suddenly
cracked. An attempt was made to re-
! pair it in 1886 for the celebration of
! Washingtons birthday ceremonies but
this attempt failed 1t is believed, how
ever, that while the cracked bell will
not give forth its once famous clarion
notes, it will nevertheless ring suffi-
GENTLY loud to be heard by all radio
listeners, If it is tapped thirteen times
on the anniversary Of Washington's
/ birth next month.
Before it cracked, the Liberty Bell
had lived life of eighty-two useful
/ years and had become one of the most
famous bells in the world. All through
the Revolutionary War the Liberty
Bell was used for the purpose Of call
ing together the inhabitants of the city
to learn news from the battlefields At
one time during the war, however, it
became necessary to remove the bell
hastily from its fastenings and take it
out of the city. This exciting event took
place on September Is, 1777, when the
news came that the British army was
about to occupy Philadelphia. The bell
was carefully loaded on a wagon and
conveyed along with the heavy bag.
gage OF the American army in supply
train OF seven hundred wagons. guard
ed by two hundred North Carolina and
! Virginia cavalry to Allentown, Penn
! sylvania, where it was hidden in lions
church until June 81, 1778, when it was
/ taken back to Philadelphia and again
| place in Independence Hail.
Never from that time until 1885 did
anything of importance happen that
was not announced by the ringing of
this historic bell It was ioyouslv runp
when the news came of the surrender
of Corvallis to General Washington,
! which ended the Revolution.
| The old bell is reverently preserved
II stands on the ground floor of In
dependence Hall, where il is viewed
daily by thousands Of visitors from all
sections Of this country
The Liberty Bell has been great
traveller in its day In fact, it has seen
more OF the United States than vast
majority of the people. In addition to
its wartime trip to Allentown. it has
made the following peacetime jour
neys:
july q. 1885: To New Orleans for
the Worlds Industrial Cotton Exposi-
ton
July rs, 1888. To the Worlds Col
urnbia Exposition at Chicago
October "a, 1885: To the Cotton States
and Atlantic Exposition, Atlanta.
Georgia.
Jan. 6, 1902. Interstate and West
India Exposition, Charleston, South
Carolina.
June Is, 1903. Bunker Hill Celebra-
ton, Boston, Massachusetts.
1904: Louisiana Purchase Exposition
at ST Louis, Missouri.
October Is, 1918: Historical Street
Parade, Founders Week Celebration,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 4, 1915. To the Panama Pacific
EXPOSITION at San Francisco, California.
George Washington very often heard
the ringing OF the Liberty Bell, due
to the fact that he spent more time in
Philadelphia than any other place. ex-
cept his home state Of Virginia He
first went there as member of the
Continental Congress. His next Off
cial visit was as the presiding officer
OF the convention which framed our
constitution. His longest stay in the
City of Brotherlv Love was as Presi-
dent of the United States from 1880 to
1897.
The history of the Liberty Bell, even |
before the American Revolution is an
interesting one. In the year 1851 the
Assembly of the Province Of Pennsvl-
vania decided that the State House
at Philadelphia independence HALL
needed a new bell A resolution was
passed, instructing the superintendent
OF the building to secure one The SUI
perintendents. Isaac Norris, Thomas
Leech and Edward Warner, wrote the
following quaint letter to Robert
Charles, the colonial agent at London.
Respected Friend. Robert Charles.
The Assembly having ordered US to
procure bell from England to be pur-
chased for their use. we take the lib
erty to apply ourselves to thee to get
us rood bell. of about two thousand
rounds weight, the cost Of which we
assume may amount to one hundred
pounds, sterling, or perhaps with the
CHARGES something more