Big Joe (bell)
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 37,000 lb (16,818 kAg) |
| Diameter: | 9 feet (2.7 m) |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Yoke: | unknown pounds (unknown kg) |
| Clapper: | unknown pounds (unknown kg) |
| Location: | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Casting Date: | 1895 |
| Musical note: | E♭ |
Big Joe is a bronze bell which hangs in the steeple of Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The bell is the largest swinging bell which was ever cast in the United States. It was cast by the Buckeye Bell Foundry in 1895 [1] [2]. The bell was hauled by 12 horses up Gilbert Avenue, then down Madison Road to St. Frances de Sales in what is now East Walnut Hills.
When first rung—it took six men to swing the clapper—the resultant E♭ shattered nearby windows. The clapper was never used again; today the bell is rung only with a small hammer tapping its rim. [3]
References
- ^ The Marion Star,Marion, Ohio, October 21, 1895
- ^ Logansport Journal (Indiana), November 20, 1895, page 7
- ^ Dwyer, Jim, ed. (1989). "Once Was More Than Enough". Strange Stories, Amazing Facts of America's Past. Pleasantville, New York/Montreal: The Reader's Digest Association. p. 12. ISBN 0-89577-307-4.
- Wecker, David (2000-01-18). "Meet Big Joe". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 2004-06-21.
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External links
- BIG JOE "Largest swinging bell in the world. Presented to St. Francis de Sales's congregation by the late Joseph G. Buddeke."
- St. Francis de Sales Church
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