|
LONDON, Aug. 21-- Britain's most famous bell, Big Ben, fell silent at noon on Monday as hundreds of people gathered in London's Parliament Square to hear the bongs one last time. The bells in the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament will not be heard again for four years, apart from rare special occasions, unless there is a change of heart. Before the last chimes sounded, local media, residents and tourists held video recorders or smart phones, waiting for the moment. "It's like a memorial day," one visitor from Bristol, Maria Droulias, told Xinhua, "It's really sad to know that it's not going to chime for four years. Big Ben is such a monumental part of Britain, no matter where you go, you can usually see it or hear it in London. And now all of a sudden that will be stopped and it's sort of really weird feeling." The bell mechanism was switched off to enable essential repair and restoration work to take place to the clock tower, seen as one of the great symbols of Britain. Steve Jaggs, keeper of the Great Clock, said: "This essential program of works will safeguard the clock on a long-term basis, as well as protecting and preserving its home, the Elizabeth Tower." The Great Bell weighs 13.7 tonnes, is 2.2 meters high and 2.7 meters in diameter. The hammer that strikes the bell each hour weights 200 kg. Officials at the Houses of Parliament say the bell mechanism has to be dismantled for health and safety reasons because of the risks of damage to hearing if workers are exposed to constant chiming of the bells which ring every 15 minutes. The ear piercing gongs measure 118-decibels. | 
