InsaneJournal

The Glorious Tone Of The Ships Bell
The ship bell is a part of the nautical culture that is rooted deeply in tradition. There were many original uses of the ships bell, such as: timekeeping, alarming the crew of danger, warning nearby ships, observing order, and in religious ceremonies. The many uses of the ships bell made it a mainstay among the United States Navy.

The first metal ship bells originated in the Bronze Age. China was one of the first countries that learned how to make high quality ship bells from metal. In 1485, the British ship, Grace Dieu, was the first recorded ship to use a ships bell. The ship bells Grace Dieu carried are known as "wache bells".

Soon, it became commonplace that the ships bell be used during times of heavy fog to warn other ships of their presence. Notifying other ships in the area of one's presence was easy thanks to the loudness of the ships bell. It eventually became maritime law that all boats have a functioning ships bell at all times. In the Revolutionary War, the American settlers also made use of the ships bell in the same way the English did. In fact, the USS Constitution, the oldest surviving ship in the history of America, had been equipped with a 242 pound ships bell.

Furthermore, the ships bell helped the American Navy excel during the War of Independence. The Jamaica Fleet, lost in fog, sounded their ship bells to avoid hitting other ships in the area, but ended up attracting the Americans to their location. The biggest prize catch of the War of Independence took place that day thanks to the Jamaica Fleet's use of the ship bell. The number of prizes and cargo aboard the Jamaica Fleet earned the Americans about one million dollars (adjusted for inflation).

Further uses of ship bells were to capture the attention of the crew during an emergency. The ship bell's loud ring swiftly captures the crew's attention. In case of fire, the ships bell was rung for five seconds, as hard and as loud as possible. The following rings informed the crew of the fire's location. If the fire was in the front of the boat, the bell was rung a single time; if the fire was in the center, the bell was rung twice; if the fire was in the rear, the bell was rung three times.

The ships bell is still used for timekeeping, sounding alarms, and ceremonies in the modern age. Several historical ship bells are displayed at the Naval Historical Center. The historical significance of the ships bell leads many museums to ask to use them for a display, or to research an old US Navy ships bell. The ship bell's use is profoundly prolific, and it still rings loud and true even to this day. Can you, or would you want to, picture a ship without a sounding ships bell?

Because of its history, the ships bell is a nautical decoration that many people collect. You can find many authentic ship bells at online model ship retailers. If you pride yourself a nautical enthusiast, then you should have at least one ship bell in your collection.

Ships Bells Make Fantastic Music
The Rich Past Of The Ships Bell
The Key Is The Ships Bell