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Show BOSTON'S GRAND OLD BELLS Old North or Christ church, first occupied oc-cupied about 1723, is said to be the oldest church still standing in Boston. After the completion of Its massive brick spire in 1T40, the rector determined deter-mined upon the purchase of a "ring" or chime of bells. Accordingly, arrangements were made with the foundry of Rudhall at Gloucester, England, which cast the celebrated bells of St. Martins in the Fields, London, and other famous "peals," to mold and ship a suitable chime of bells and a bond therefor In the sum of 1,100 pounds was executed. The bells were carefully and skillfully made, shipped and laid down In Boston Bos-ton in the early summer of 1745. There were eight bells In the set the smallest being a six-inch bell, while the largest weighed about 1,400 pounds. The bells were raised to their places in the great tower with a care extraordinary ex-traordinary lest some danger might befall them, and as their voices floated float-ed out through the spacious arches of their lofty belfry and filled the air with their tuneful and mellow sounds, great indeed was the gladness In the hearts of the officers and members of the church, for, In the slang of the present day, they were some bells. Although cast by hand before the advent of modern mechanical contrivances contriv-ances and advance chemical practices, these bells are of remarkable quality and the secret of their superior sweetness and the unusually great carrying power of their tones remains an unsolved mystery. These musical Dells kept company with one of the signal lights one April night, in 1775, when Paul Revere took his famous ride toward Lexington Lexing-ton to inform the populace of the movemei-t of British troops ; again, on that history-making June day of the same year they looked out upon the Battle of Bunker Hill across the Charles river, and in 1804 they narrowly nar-rowly escaped destruction when their tower house was wrecked by a storm. Luckily, however, although made almost al-most two centuries ago the first chimes cast for use in these United States they have come down to us in perfect condition, with a record unmatched un-matched by any other set of bells in this country in that for more than 175 years no public demonstration has taken place In Boston in which their harmonious voices have not mingled. |