Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 280, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1914 — Bell Threatened Destruction [ARTICLE]

Bell Threatened Destruction

An alarming occurrence took place ■when the congregation at St. William’s church, Rochdale road, Manchester (Eng.) were assembling recently for service. During the ringing of the bell, which is said to weigh about fifteen hundredweight, a dull, heavy thud was heard in the vicinity of the belfry. An examination showed that the bell, the tone of which had been suddenly hushed, had broken

away from its bearings, and was resting upon a wooden beam, which prevented it crashing through the roof into the church. The church was quickly cleared, and the fire brigade was summoned, with a view of restoring the bell to its fastenings, and so remove the threatening danger. With the aid of the fire escape they reached the belfry, but were unable to render the services sorght, noth withstanding

that the merit spent considerable time on the task scaling the steep roof and adopting other methods of reaching the bell.