The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-23
NpB REJECTS SHELTER FOR
 LIBERTY BELL
BY FRED ". JONES United Press Stan COrrespOndent)

Philadelphia. Dec. 23-CUP) -- Inc Liberty Bell, symbol of Amer san Freedom apparently will go unprotected for the duration of f war because of wartime priorl- An appeal to the War Produc- isn Board for the release of nec- ,esary materials to construct an rr derground fire -bomb-proof s!.eltcr for the bell was turned tTn.
 "A second appeal to the WIPE Ads not even been answered. ac- -clding to Mayor Bernard Samuel. City officials condemned WIPE recommendation that the bell be projected by sardbags or a concrete rt.he built ill Independence Hall t-ere tkc bell stands as "imprac- tical and unworthy of conSidera- tion." They expressed the opinion that a national shrine should have more than sandbags for protection.
 Material On Hand
 George Wharton Pepper Jr, the architect who desigrrd the under eound vault for the Liberty Bell, added that the WIPE had refused priority ratings to the project even though 1t was 10 be built Of scrap ma eriai already on hand.
 The York Safe ana Lock Co. which would have built the vault, had tic necessary material he said
 Pepper explained that If board a1proval ever is obtained the vault will be constructed under the site where the bell now stands facing inc south entrance Of Independence Hail.
 Removing the bell to the vault iu the event of an emergency would ta simple he said. The bell and is original black walnut frame and atandard rest on a platform cleya- OF that could be lowered into the gound.
 Would Slide On Tracks
 As the bell descended a section -f corerete flooring would slide over he shaft opening sealing 1t from ne uprrr levels When the bell rsaehed the bottom of the shaft, it would slide over underground tracks .nto the vault under the room in which the Declaration of 1ndepen- lence was signed"
 sixteen inches Of concrete and steel would then protect the Liberty geG against anything except the heaviest bomb hits Pepper said.
 The cost of building the vauli lad been presented to the City ol Philadelphia by the Insurance Com any cG North America in commem- ration o[ it's 15Oth anniversary
 At rha presentation ceremony john A. Dlemand president of the aonIsany. sad. This historic bel. 5 q rich heritage i'ft 10 Americans o safeguard sacr.dly. There is im- mediate necessity to protect prop ,rly this most sacred of all relics oi our nations early struggle for free ion, We feel that 10 amount oi sympathy or explanation could ever compensate the American people for any damage to this outstanding symbol of American freedom and liberty
 Been Moved But Once
 Should enemy air raids force the moving of the Liberty Bell, 1t would oe only the second time in the na- ions history that such a step was made necessary.
 During the Revolutionary War, on Sept. IT. TIT, when the British irny was about to occupy Philadel- phia, the Liberty B'.ll was removed rom the State House and taken to Allentown. Pa. It was hidden in Zion's Church there until June 27, l778. when it was returned to Phil sdelphia and rehung in the tower Of Independence Hall.
 The bell remained in the tower until September. 1885, when 1t cracked while tolling requiem for the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall. Shortly afterward 1t was placed on it's present mounting.
 Now cracked from lip to crown, the Liberty Bell which had pro claimed liberty through all the land to all the inhabitants thereof is doomed to silence but remains a perpetual shrine to American freedom and independence.