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| | October 26th |
 | | The poet furnished an inscription (by no means a brilliant specimen of his genius) to Sir Godfrey's monument in Westminster Abbey, for the erection of which the latter himself bequeathed the sum of £300. |
 | | Officially, the bell was to have been named 'St. Stephen;' but a random sobriquet used in the Times, 'Big Ben,' caught the taste of the public; and in October 1857, it was known all over the country that 'Big Ben was cracked.' There then ensued another series of disputations, accusations, and counter accusations. |
 | | In October 1858, it was raised into its place, a task requiring very perfect appliances; for the weight, raised to a height of nearly 200 feet, was not less than 25 tons, or 56,000 pounds including bell, cradle, chains, and tackle. |
| www.thebookofdays.com /months/oct/26.htm (3249 words) |
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