Big Joe (bell)
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 37,000 lb (16,818 kg) |
| 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 that hangs 125 feet (38 m) into the bell tower of Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The endearing moniker Big Joe is a combination of the names of Joseph Beddeke, the largest donor of the project, and Big Ben, the great bell in the iconic Palace of Westminster clock tower in London.[1]
Measuring 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and with a diameter of 9 feet (2.7 m), the bell is the largest swinging bell ever cast in the United States.[2] It was cast by the Buckeye Bell Foundry in 1895.[3][4]> 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 in January 1896, its sound startled the Walnut Hills neighborhood and could be heard for 15 miles (24 km).[5] The resultant E♭ shattered nearby windows. The 640-pound (290 kg) clapper was never used again; today the bell is rung only with a small hammer tapping its rim.[6][7]
References
- ^ http://thecatholicbeat.sacredheartradio.com/2012/03/20/treasures-st-francis-de-sales-bells/
- ^ http://thecatholicbeat.sacredheartradio.com/2012/03/20/treasures-st-francis-de-sales-bells/
- ^ The Marion Star, Marion, Ohio, October 21, 1895
- ^ Logansport Journal (Indiana), November 20, 1895, page 7
- ^ http://thecatholicbeat.sacredheartradio.com/2012/03/20/treasures-st-francis-de-sales-bells/
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://thecatholicbeat.sacredheartradio.com/2012/03/20/treasures-st-francis-de-sales-bells/
- Wecker, David (2000-01-18). "Meet Big Joe". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 2004-06-21.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help)
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
 | This article about a Catholic Church in the United States church building is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |