For bell ringing, archaic units are still used to measure the mass of bells. It comes from England hundreds of years ago when people could not understand large numbers. The bells are shown in hundredweight (112 lb), quarters (28 lb or two stone) and pounds. Three numbers. Our heaviest bell, 1629 kg, is shown as 32-0-4 which is 3588 lb - but that was an impossibly large number for most people to understand way back when, so three small numbers were used instead. Tradition is very hard to overcome, though occasionally in The Ringing World, and in some individual church bell web sites, bell mass is shown in kg.
We use stone, or, rather, stones, at the Washington National Cathedral, too. It's what the Cathedral is made of. Limestone blocks and carved pieces of limestone for the decorative parts. Carleton From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Henschel Mark Sent: Monday, April 08, 2013 22:08 To: U.S. Metric Association Cc: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:52649] RE: Germany: Thieves swipe 5 tons of chocolate spread I remember standing on a scale in England and being told I am 16 stone. I think I have gained a few kilograms since then, however. I remember something about an ounce of feathers being heavier than an ounce of gold, but just the opposite for pounds or perhaps tons. Maybe it is a pound of gold heavier than a pound of feathers and an ounce of feathers being heavier than an ounce of gold. I also remember the hundred weight not equalling a hundred pounds. Wierd. Also when we get to land measure. An acre being four rods by 40 rods, what sense does that make? Mark ----- Original Message ----- From: "John M. Steele" <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: Monday, April 8, 2013 5:28 pm Subject: [USMA:52641] RE: Germany: Thieves swipe 5 tons of chocolate spread To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Since we don't believe in stones, we consider a 100 lb hundredweight FAR more logical than a 112 lb hundredweight (which sounds like a trick question). That leads to a 2000 lb ton in the US. :) > > > > > _____ > From: Martin Vlietstra <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > Sent: Mon, April 8, 2013 5:48:41 PM > Subject: [USMA:52636] RE: Germany: Thieves swipe 5 tons of chocolate spread > > > > > > But they got their conversion wrong - 1 tonne is 2209 lbs and an ordinary ton is 2240 lbs (at least that is what I was taught in school in South Africa), or is something different in the United States? ;-) > > Martin Vlietstra > > > > From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John M. Steele > Sent: 08 April 2013 16:25 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:52629] Germany: Thieves swipe 5 tons of chocolate spread > > > > Amazingly, it is an AP article and they are metric tons. > > http://news.yahoo.com/germany-thieves-swipe-5-tons-chocolate-spread-10331613 7.html > > BERLIN (AP) - These thieves might really have sticky fingers. > Police said Monday an unknown number of culprits made off with 5 metric tons (5.5 tons) of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread from a parked trailer in the central German town of Bad Hersfeld over the weekend.
