out
110 feet from the ground the square form of the tower terminates, and a
massive but graceful octagonal spire rises to a height of 174 feet. At
the base of this spire is a narrow gallery enclosed with a stone
balustrade, from which a fine view of the city and the surrounding
country is obtained. The visitor may, however, climb within the spire to
a point nearly two hundred and fifty feet from the street. Here is a
small wooden platform, and about four feet above it are four small
windows through which one may look out upon the magnificent view spread
out below him. The eye can range over the entire city, and take in
Brooklyn and its suburban towns as well. To the eastward are Long Island
Sound and the distant hills of Connecticut. To the southward stretches
away the glorious bay, and beyond it is the dark blue line of the
Atlantic. Sandy Hook, the Highlands, the Narrows, and Staten Island are
all in full view. To the westward is the New Jersey shore, and back of
Jersey city rise the blue Orange Mountains, with Newark, Elizabeth,
Orange and Patterson in full sight. To the northward, the Hudson
stretches away until it seems to disappear in the dark shadow of the
Palisades. From where you stand, you look down on the habitations of
nearly three millions of people. The bay, the rivers, and the distant
Sound are crowded with vessels of all kinds. If the day be clear, you
may see the railway trains dashing across the meadows back of Jersey
City. The roar of the great city comes up to you from below, and beneath
you is a perfect maze of telegraph wires. The people in the streets seem
like pigmies, and the vehicles are like so many toys. You know they are
moving rapidly, but they seem from this lofty height to be crawling. It
is a long way to these upper windows, but the view which they command is
worth the exertion. The tower is open to visitors during the week, on
payment of a trifling fee to the sexton.

The chimes are hung in the square tower, just above the roof of the
church. The bells are nine in number. The smallest weighs several
hundred pounds, while the largest weighs several thousand. The musical
range is an octave and a quarter, rather a limited scale, it is true, but
the ringer is a thorough musician, and has managed to ring out many an
air within this compass, which but for his ingenuity would have been
unsuited to these bells. The largest bell, the "Big Ben," and several
others, are connec