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Show The Larges Bells. "Great Paul," the bell of St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, weighs nearly 17 tons and is nearly 30 feet around. The first "Big Ben" of Westminster was cast more than 50 years ago and weighed more than 14 tons. But "Big Ben" had a crack and was cast over, losing some weight, and the clapper was made smaller, now being about 600 pounds instead of a ton. The great bell, "Peter of York," cost $10,-000. $10,-000. weighs about 13 tons and is 22 feet tn diameter. The largest hanging bell in the world is in the great Buddhist monastery monas-tery near Canton. It is 18 feet in height and 40 feet in circumference, being cast of solid bronze. This is one of the eight monster bells that were cast by command of Emperor Yung Lo about A. D. 1400. It cost the lives of eight men, who were killed in the process of casting. |