"Some of the bells of the church were lying where they fell at the time of the fire, and others were hung upon timbers a few feet from the ground, where they could be rung as in the olden time. Our guide told us an interesting story about the way these bells were made and given to the church.
"Soon after Panama was founded, the Queen of Spain invited the ladies of her court to come and bring whatever money they could afford, for the founding of the Church of San Domingo. She gathered a large amount, which was used for building the church. When the time came to prepare the bells, people of all classes were invited to make donations, and witness the operation of casting. They came in great crowds; the queen threw in handfuls of gold, the ladies and gentlemen of the court did likewise; the poor contributed silver or copper, and so the amount of metal in the crucibles increased. Then the queen threw in the golden ornaments that she wore; her ladies did the same; the excitement became great; rings, bracelets, and other valuables—many of them precious relics or family heirlooms—were contributed to the pious work, and thus the bells for the church in the New World were made. Their tone was said to be of the purest, and they are held in great reverence by the priests who have them in charge. High prices have been offered for these bells, but invariably refused."
RUINED CHURCH.