OCR Text |
Show f Liberty Bell 1 Had 1 1 Stormy 1 1 History --llE history of the Liberty fC3J Bell, which now reposes in 8 V aD honored spot In Inde-CJL'' Inde-CJL'' pendence hall, in Phlladel- Vi i'2 Iinia' is 0 stormy one- n was in January, 1750, that t-Z XS the order for a bell to hang In the state house In Philadelphia, Phil-adelphia, first was placed by officials of that institution. The bell was purchased from a firm in London, England, but when It arrived ar-rived in this country an error in the inscription was discovered and the bell Itself cracked when first tested, in August, 1752. The bell could not be transported back to England, and two Philadelphia Philadel-phia men named Pass and Stow attempted at-tempted to cast a new one, but it also was discovered to be Imperfect The bell was finally accepted in June, 1753, and put in its place in the tower of the building. Included in Items of expenses for making and hanging the bell, historical histor-ical documents show, were potatoes, beef, hams, mustard, pepper, salt, butter, cheese, limes, bread, wood, earthenware, and beer and rum, the whole amount costing about $28. Pass and Stow were paid about $300 for casting the bell. The Liberty bell was not always treated with the reverence shown it now. One petition signed by residents of Philadelphia complained against Six $ f ; 'teawm'i , rhtt Liberty Bell. the frequent ringing of the bell, calling call-ing it a "dangerous inconvenience." The bell was first rung July 8,. 1776, to call the citizens together to-hear to-hear the reading of the proclamation of the adoption of the Constitution. The Liberty Bell was intimately associated as-sociated with the continental army. The bell was taken to Allentown for safekeeping when the American forces were about to evacuate Philadelphia Phil-adelphia in 1777. The Liberty Bell announced the surrender of Cornwallis, welcomed Washington, proclaimed victory and peace, mourned Washington, welcomed wel-comed Lafayette, and mourned Franklin, Frank-lin, Adams, Jefferson, and then Lafayette. Lafay-ette. All the great actors In the drama of independence had passed from the siage when the great bell rang for the last time. July 8, 1835, 59 years to the day after the time of Its historical first ringing, the Liberty Bell tolled for the last time and cracked half way up its side during the funeral of John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme court of the United States. The bell was removed from Its steeple in 17S1. Today It is enclosed in a case in Independence hall, hanging from a heavy yoke supported by two bronze uprights. The case is of white oak, with plate glass panes, and the whole stands on a movable platform which can be run out of the building In cas of fire. The' Liberty Bell Is 12 feet In circumference cir-cumference around the lip and 7 feet, 6 inches around the crown. It Is 3 Inches thick in the part near the lip and lYt inches thick In the thinnest part toward the crown. The clapper is 3 feet, 2 inches long, and the entire weight Is 2.0S0 pounds. The bell is girdled by 15 narrow-ridged narrow-ridged rings, and the edge is mutilated muti-lated by the hacking of souvenir hunters in the days before the bell was put In the case. On its side is the long crack which distinguishes it from any other bell in the world. |