Bona Uze Uve “Eyona Wotshi Inkulu”
XA UMLILO watshabalalisa iBhotwe laseWestminster ngowe-1834, iinkokeli zezopolitiko zakhuphisana. Ngubani owayeza kuza neyona plani intle yesakhiwo sasePalamente? Eyaphumelelayo yayilibhotwe elinobugocigoci likaMhlekazi uCharles Barry, elinophahla olutsolo nenqaba eyayinewotshi macala omane. IOffice of Works yathi “Iwotshi Enkulu yeyona inkulu kwezakha zabonwa ehlabathini.”
Le wotshi yenye yezinto ezaziwayo zaseLondon yaye indlela ekhala ngayo yaziwa ehlabathini lonke. Igama layo yiBig Ben—nangona elo gama libhekisela kuphela kwintsimbi yayo enkulu. Le wotshi idumileyo yenziwe ngobuchule.
Umsebenzi Onzima
Ukwakhiwa kwale nqaba eziimitha ezingama-96 kwaqalisa ngowe-1843. Emva kweminyaka emithathu kwafunwa ingcibi eyayiza kwakha iwotshi echane kangangokuba yayingazi kuba phambili okanye emva ngaphezu komzuzwana kwiyure nganye. Lo msebenzi wawunzima. Kwinqaba ephakamileyo, evulekileyo amasiba ewotshi ayeza kubethwa ngumoya, ikhephu nomkhenkce—kuquka namahobe ahlala phezu kophahla! Oko kwakuza kuphazamisa ukubetha kwamasiba ewotshi rhoqo nto leyo ebalulekileyo ukuze igcine ixesha. Ngoxa iingcali zazisashukuxa indlela enokuconjululwa ngayo le ngxaki, ingcaphephe eyenza iiwotshi uEdmund Beckett Denison weza neplani yewotshi eyayifuneka yaye oyena menzi wewotshi unkqenkqeza phambili wanikwa umsebenzi wokwenza iwotshi.
Emva kweminyaka emibini iwotshi yayisele igqityiwe kodwa yahlala kwindawo yokwenza iiwotshi kangangeminyaka emihlanu ngoxa kwakusagqityezelwa ukwakhiwa inqaba. Ngelo xesha, uDenison wenza isixhobo sokukhusela amasiba angaphazamiseki, eqinisekisa ukuba iwotshi iza kubamba ixesha.
IBig Ben Iyenziwa
Njengokuba iwotshi yayisele igqityiwe, kwakuza kwenziwa iintsimbi. Indawo ekunyityilikiselwa kuyo izinyithi okanye iglasi ekumntla-mpuma weNgilani yenza intsimbi eyayiza kukhala emva kweyure. Yayinkulu yaye yayinobunzima obungaphezu kweetoni ezili-16! Le ntsimbi yayinzima kangangokuba yonakalisa amazantsi enqanawa eyayiyithwele iyisa eLondon. Ekuhambeni kwexesha le nqanawa yaya kufika. Xa yayikwizibuko intsimbi yathwalwa yasiwa kwikhareji elenziwa ngokukhethekileyo elalitsalwa ngamahashe amhlophe ali-16. Emva koko yaxhonywa ngaphambili ePalamente ukuze kubonwe enoba iyasebenza kusini na.
Iintsimbi ezininzi ezinkulu zinamagama yaye le ntsimbi inkulu yathiywa kwathiwa yiBig Ben. Ngoba? Akukho mntu uqinisekileyo ngesizathu soko. Abanye abantu bathi le ntsimbi yathiywa ngoMhlekazi uBenjamin Hall, indoda esisigantsontso eyayisebenza ePalamente. Abanye bathi yathiywa ngoBenjamin Caunt, owayeyimbethi manqindi eyaziwayo ngelo xesha. Enoba lalivela phi igama elithi Big Ben—elingasabhekiseli kwintsimbi ekhala emva kweyure nje kuphela—ngoku libhekisela kwiwotshi nakwinqaba.
Intlekele Yehla Kabini
Ihamile yeBig Ben yayibonakala ikhaphukhaphu ngoko kwenziwa enye enkulu eziikhilogram ezingama-660. Noko ke, emva kweenyanga eziliqela kujongwa enoba iyasebenza na kwehl’ intlekele. Intsimbi yaba nethanda yaye lalingangcibeki. IBig Ben kwanyanzeleka ukuba iqhaqhwe. Intsimbi yanyibilikiswa yaye kwenziwa enye intsimbi enobunzima obuziitoni ezili-13.7. Abantu abaninzi bathontelana ukuza kubukela njengoko intsimbi entsha yayiziswa kwiZindlu zasePalamente.
Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa inqaba yagqitywa. Amaqela abantu asebenza nzima ukuze aphakamise le ntsimbi ayibeke phezu kwenqaba. Ekugqibeleni, le ntsimbi inkulu yadityaniswa nezinye ezine ezincinane nezaziza kuvakala emva komkhono. Emva koko kwabekwa newotshi enkulu. Ekugqibeleni “Eyona Wotshi Inkulu” yayikulungele ukusetyenziswa.
NgoJulayi 1859 iBig Ben yaqalisa ukukhala emva kweyure. Kodwa olo vuyo lwaba lolokwexeshana. Ngasekuqaleni kukaOktobha, intsimbi enkulu yaba nethanda kwakhona. Yayingazi kukwazi ukususwa le ntsimbi phezu kwenqaba. Kunoko abantu ababesebenza bayijika le ntsimbi besenzela ukuba ihamile ingabethi le ndawo inethanda. Ukuze kungabikho enye intlekele kwafakelwa ihamile engasindi kakhulu. Kwiminyaka emithathu iBig Ben yaphinda yasebenza. Ithanda lahlala likhona yaye lilo elibangela ukuba le ntsimbi ikhale kakhulu.
Izinto Ezibalulekileyo Kwimbali
Ngowe-1924 iBBC, iBritish Broadcasting Corporation, yafakela isandisi-sandi kwiwotshi ekwinqaba yaza yaqalisa ukusebenzisa ixesha leBig Ben. Emva kweminyaka esibhozo, abaphulaphuli baMazwe Anobudlelane neBritani axokonyezelwa yaye sithethanje iBig Ben ikhala kamnandi ehlabathini lonke kwiBBC World Service.
Nangona iwotshi neentsimbi zasinda xa kwakuqhushumbiswa ngemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini, ngowe-1976 ukurusa kwentsimbi kwabangela ukuba iwotshi ingasebenzi kakuhle. Noko ke, intsimbi enkulu ayizange iruse yaye kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa yaphinda yasebenza. Kwathatha iinyanga ezisithoba ngaphambi kokuba kulungiswe le wotshi.
Kangangexesha elide, iBig Ben ibiyeyona wotshi inkulu ehlabathini yaye iseyeyona ilibambayo ixesha nangoku. Iiwotshi ezincinane nezinkulu zamazwe amaninzi zikhala njengayo. INgilani nesixeko sayo esilikomkhulu siyaziwa ngenxa yeBig Ben. Eneneni “Yeyona Wotshi Inkulu”!
[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 18]
IGCINWA IBAMBE IXESHA
Kangangezihlandlo ezithathu veki nganye igcisa linyuka kwizinyuko ezingama-300 ukuze lijije le wotshi ngesandla. Eli gcisa liphinda lijonge ukuba iwotshi ilibambile na ixesha. Usiba olude oluziimitha ezine luyashukuma emva kwemizuzwana emibini. Ngakungqameko ngasentla kukho iingqekembe zakudala. Ukuba iwotshi isemva, igcisa longeza enye ingqekembe. Ukuba iphambili, lisusa ibe nye.
[Umfanekiso]
Iingqekembe zinceda ekubambeni ixesha
[Inkcazelo]
Winding clock: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis; coins on ledge: Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]
Intsimbi enkulu eziitoni ezili-13.7 (iBig Ben) ibetha emva kweyure
[Inkcazelo]
Popperfoto/Getty Images