On the eve of July 4, which is an obviously appropriate time, the D.C. Council announced a search to find the citys missing Liberty Bell. <\/p>\n
It is only a replica of the original Liberty Bell, which is an icon of American independence and is on display in Philadelphia. <\/p>\n
But it is a big bell, it is or at least it was our bell, and it is lost. It is equal in size to the original, the council said, and it weighs a ton. Literally. <\/p>\n
According to the council, the 2,000-pound bell was given to the city by the federal government on July 20, 67 years ago. <\/p>\n
It was presented in recognition of exceeding the sales goals for U.S. savings bonds. Apparently every state, every U.S. territory and the U.S. Treasury Department were given one of the bells. <\/p>\n
At first, the D.C. bell was on display at the top of the steps of what was then the District Building, now the Wilson Building. <\/p>\n
Later it was moved to a small park in front of the building. <\/p>\n
Then, as beautification work on Pennsylvania Avenue got underway, it became necessary to move the bell. Several other small monuments also required temporary relocation. <\/p>\n
The other monuments were all eventually returned to their original sites, according to the council. <\/p>\n
But not the bell. On Monday, atop its announcement, the council urged: Help Us Find the Liberty Bell. <\/p>\n
The bell was at its site on April2, 1979. But, the council said, by July 30, 1981, it had been declared missing. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it can not be concluded that the bell was hidden in plain sight. The council said the Liberty Bell it seeks is NOT the double-sized replica in front of Union Station. Nor is it the replica between the Treasury Building and the White House. <\/p>\n
No tip is too small, the council said. Those with information can contact Josh Gibson at 202-741-0897 or jgibson@dccouncil.us<\/a>. <\/p>\n As to where the bell might be, the value of the metal in it probably ought not to be ignored. Current prices for scrap brass or bronze are about a dollar per pound. At such prices, the bell, at least in theory, could bring about $2,000 in cash. <\/p>\n However, melting away the inscription on the bell would seem almost sacrelegious. The words come from the book of Leviticus, and read: <\/p>\n Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excerpt from:<\/p>\n Missing: The District's Liberty Bell, lost since the early 1980s - The ... - Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On the eve of July 4, which is an obviously appropriate time, the D.C. Continue reading