THE LAST STROKES OF BIG BEN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10819, 9 December 1902, Page 6

THE LAST STROK ES O F BI G BEN.

On'^ctobef* 1 !, 1«59-,' rßig^Bed,*" tl.e clock of the New Palace of Westminster, struck the hours of toe -day fdr the last time, and then became dumb for ever, whe,n it was discorerecjr that ttjs magnificent ,i>eeoy»e"g^o|e^Joßefe|sly cracKa tUaa its OTfedßcej§ot.i 'Bbe^rec>ding day was wil<T aitd stormy; a*A the wind drove the rain- in- f.J^Uds i^^te^t througji tfre aEer^uies'of Hhe!cbaa&spti]l the mpisture , trickled vdowh (the. <|fdis oi the great/^bd, f«u«, qi^rter bellsfW-Tittle atreanv? T k *£»^exedn connectejf.^ritii-, i be worj^p happened t« .\ie<ani th^«m^ttef m the bells .wpre. striking, Utujdboitr^- and "was surprised- to| 'pproeive mja^^rows.o^ -bivbbles spring v from^|he' side' at every ij'tro^a'qf^h^Chaininer.'>,lfc-yaa tlien. easy j»r^eiyg, thwe .bub^feftf yrere thrbwn up ( bythe'*ir and water "within two vertical cfac%i j»th«ri»etal'vftrated ! under jthe strokes. When the hammer i ceased -to Btrikerf.aqd. 4he>m^l -}^«*1 intp- repose, these cracks-. bectfme invisWe, and it was. only by, minute inspection that tljey", cQuld be ascertained 4»< eocwt: : -T&ey were both pn the side of the be 11, opposite tp the ppint frani which the, Rapper felK .Th.ey werc-^-about tw^> ieet apart ?-• oue>-of .them' being loin, the, other- 'Mi. long.ar.d j extended from sound bow-ito'tJiftjlrp. Though th us, wndered. valueless it must, not ,be -pupppsed that- the bell had. -ti^eome soundless, or that the tone '.of -the -bell had become .Unbearable ; 'oh the contrary, •the hours' were-etllt struck, .anoLi4he jbell gave forth an- ample and, not. unpleasant volume pf sound;.- in fact, these wa^i no ,such impression^upon the auditory. nerves a* $0 forre ou ; tlie listeners the conviction that a great misfortune had occurred. circumstance wns<:d«ly fept&eiiLrftte the authorities, who, finding .upon" inWstigaiiyn thai the- --crocks. seeißfed -th extend, directed that the striking should 'be discontinued. No, peculiar fatality wQs-iat-do these .failures, show that belt-foundiilg has degenerated'; . on .the. contrary, .it appears tjiat f ailnre" be^is but a small'proportion to success. The ""Great -.Bell"' of Moscow was never ragged from ,the base of its mould, and is, it is believed, imperfect, and another great Russian hell .was cracked in "cooling," No doubt the greater number of these have .escaped notice, .but ye have Jiad preserved , to^ us^rceosds of several' .moQsferl of ,t]|fc. £&,* ghowjiig the great difficulty attached tp the found.ing'and other manipulations of immense bells. Notrp D^ime was repast .thxectimes ; St. .Paul's at 'least Vt^ieel 'Tn?Wen,ton bell of? Montreal, cast in 1843, was soon returned cracked; and "the Great Tom of Lincoln," after a^png^pefiod of fame, became crocked upon Christmas Day, 1807. The architect, iounder, and all the people concerned with the casting and tuning* of "Big Ben" were at. variance as to the cause of the mishap. • ' > '

AGES If* FOR SAFDOW.

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