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Show SnoNToF LIBERTY BELL? What Is Believed to Be Its Last Ringing Is Said to Have Recently Taken Place at Philadelphia. "What may prove to be the last ringing ring-ing of the historic Liberty bell took place in Independence hall at Philadelphia Philadel-phia recently. It was decided to transmit the tones of the bell across the country to San Francisco over the recently completed transcontinental telephone line, partly fulfilling in a literal sense the prophetic prophet-ic words cast on the bell, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof." The bell was struck three times with mallets at intervals of five seconds. By an arrangement ar-rangement of three very sensitive transmitters, which were suspended beneath it on rubber bands, so as to exclude all foreign vibration, the tones were caught and clearly heard over the telephone wires on the Pacific Pa-cific coast. At the same time a phonographic pho-nographic record was made of the notes so as to preserve them for posterity. pos-terity. This is the first time that the great bell has been sounded since it was cracked in 1S35 while tolling the death of John Marshall, the first chief justice jus-tice of the United States Supreme court The reason that it may never again be rung is that a new crack, more serious than the old one, has developed de-veloped in it. It has been found that the bell Is afflicted with the "disease of metal." This is partly responsible for the appearance ap-pearance of the latest fissure and has made it necessary to support its weight on padded props in order to relieve the stress which has gradually been pulling it apart. The new crack is now plainly visible, vis-ible, while only a short time ago it was microscopic. It begins at the upper up-per part of the ordinal fracture, extending ex-tending from the letter "P" in ths "Philadelphia," diagonally a quarter of the way around the circumference, to the letter "y" in "Liberty," near the top. It is believed that the new crack might not have occurred had the bell been allowed to remain at rest after it was fust broken, it has. however, been shipped on different occasions to New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Charleston, Boston and St. Louis. That it is actually suffering from a malady known as the "disease of metal," Is the description of its ailment in the technical phraseology of the metallur gist, aud is not a popular figure of speech. The reason for this distemper Is to be found in the history of the bell's casting. It was originally made by Thomns Lester nt London, in 17;2, nnd shipped to Philadelphia. When it was hung to try the sound it was cracked by tho clapper. At first it was Intended to return it to England, but subsequently two workmen, Pass and Stow, neither of whom was experienced in the nit. undertook tho recasting in Philadel phia. Obviously the bronze was too brittle, and in order to toughen it. they added approximately ten per cent of copper to the original metal. When the bell was later reining It was found that too much copper had been used, and, to tho chagrin of everyone, the fono wns destroyed. The same 'men again undertook the work, and this time are supposed to have added tin tc restore tho tone. The third bell iv a a accepted, but too much tin had Been used, and the tones were so highly high-ly resonant that It was seldom rung-. Popular Mechnnlcs. |