Woza Uzobona Futhi Uzwe “INkosi Yamawashi”
LAPHO iSigodlo SaseWestminster sisha singqongqa ngo-1834, kwavuka ukuncintisana phakathi kwabaholi bezombangazwe eBrithani. Ubani owayezovela nomklamo omuhle kunayo yonke wokwakha iPhalamende elisha? Umklamo owanqoba, owenziwa uSir Charles Barry, kwakungowesigodlo esiwubukhazikhazi esiklanywe ngendlela yamaGoth esinombhoshongo wewashi onezinhlangothi ezine. UMnyango Wezemisebenzi KaHulumeni wayala ukuba kwakhiwe “iNkosi Yamawashi, okuyiwashi elikhulu kunawo wonke ake aba khona emhlabeni.”
Leli washi lingesinye sezakhiwo ezidume kakhulu eLondon, futhi izinsimbi zalo ezinomsindo ohlukile zaziwa emhlabeni wonke. Libizwa ngokuthi iBig Ben—nakuba ekuqaleni lelo gama lalibhekisela ensimbini yalo enkulu. Leli washi elidume emhlabeni wonke liyisimangaliso sobunjiniyela.
Umsebenzi Onzima
Umsebenzi wokwakha lo mbhoshongo wewashi ongamamitha angu-96 ukuphakama waqala ngo-1843. Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu kwafunwa unjiniyela owayengakha iwashi elinembe kangangokuthi lalingalahla isikhathi ngomzuzu owodwa kuphela ihora ngalinye. Lona kwakuwumsebenzi omkhulu. Embhoshongweni ophakeme ovulekile, izimpondo zewashi zazizochayeka emoyeni naseqhweni—kanye nasemajubeni afuna ukuhlala kuzo! Iziphazamiso ezinjalo zazizophazamisa uthi lwewashi, ukushaya kwalo njalo okwakubalulekile ukuze ligcine isikhathi esinembile. Nakuba ochwepheshe babephikisana ngokuthi zingaxazululwa kanjani lezi zinkinga, umklami wamawashi u-Edmund Beckett Denison wavela nomklamo owamukelekayo, futhi umakhi othile wamawashi owaziwayo wanikwa umsebenzi wokwakha leli washi.
Ngemva kweminyaka emibili iwashi lase liqediwe, kodwa lahlala eshabhu eminye iminyaka emihlanu kusaqedelwa umsebenzi wombhoshongo. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uDenison waklama umshini owawuvikela uthi lwewashi ukuba lungaphazanyiswa yizinto ezingaphandle, okwakuzoligcina linembile.
Ukwakhiwa KweBig Ben
Njengoba imishini yewashi yayisiqediwe, isinyathelo esilandelayo kwakuwukwenza izinsimbi zalo. Ishabhu lezinsimbi enyakatho-mpumalanga yeNgilandi lenza insimbi eshaya njalo ngehora. Yayinkulu kakhulu kunalokho okwakulindelekile futhi inesisindo esingaphezu kwamathani angu-16! Le nsimbi yayisinda kangangokuba yalimaza umkhumbi okwakufanele uyithwale uyilethe eLondon. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lo mkhumbi wakwazi ukuthatha lolu hambo. Lapho ifika echwebeni, le nsimbi yagcina isithuthwe ngekalishi elenziwa ngokukhethekile elalidonswa amahhashi amhlophe angu-16. Yabe isilengiswa phakathi kohlaka olwaluphambi kwePhalamende, ukuze ihlolwe.
Izinsimbi eziningi ezinkulu zinamagama, ngakho le nsimbi enkulu kwathiwa iBig Ben. Kungani? Akekho owaziyo. Abanye bathi kungenzeka le nsimbi yethiwa ngoSir Benjamin Hall, isiqumama esasisebenza ePhalamende. Abanye baveza ukuthi le nsimbi yethiwa ngoBenjamin Caunt, usondonzima owaziwayo wangaleso sikhathi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi leli gama elithi Big Ben lavela kuphi—okungaselona nje elensimbi eshaya njalo ngemva kwehora—manje selibhekisela kuwo wonke umbhoshongo newashi lawo.
Kugadla Inhlekelele Kabili
Kubonakala sengathi isando sokuqala seBig Ben sasilula kakhulu, ngakho kwenziwa isando esikhulu esingamakhilogremu angu-660 esathatha indawo yalesi. Nokho, ngemva kwezinyanga kuhlolwa leli washi, kwagadla inhlekelele. Le nsimbi yaqhekeka futhi kwakungenandlela yokuyilungisa. Kwadingeka ukuba iBig Ben iqhaqhwe. Insimbi yancibilikiswa futhi kwakhiwa enye enesisindo esingamathani angu-13,7. Izihlwele zaphinde zagcwala emigwaqweni njengoba kudlula ikalishi elalithwele insimbi entsha eya ePhalamende.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, umbhoshongo wawusuqediwe. Amaqembu ambalwa amadoda asebenza umshawushile ukuze alengise iBig Ben futhi aqedele umbhoshongo. Ekugcineni, le nsimbi enkulu yaboshelwa endaweni yayo nezinye izinsimbi ezine ezincane ezazizoshaya njalo ngemva kwemizuzu engu-15. Kwalandela imishini yewashi esindayo. Ekugcineni “iNkosi Yamawashi” yayisikulungele ukusebenza—noma-ke kwakubonakala kanjalo.
Ngo-July 1859, iBig Ben yaqala ukushaya insimbi njalo ngehora. Kodwa leyo njabulo yaba eyesikhashana. Ekuqaleni kuka-October, insimbi enkulu kunazo zonke yaphinde yaqhekeka! Yayingekho indlela yokukhipha le nsimbi embhoshongweni. Kunalokho, izisebenzi zaphendula le nsimbi ngama-degree angu-90 ukuze isando singashayi endaweni eqhekekile. Khona-ke, ukuze kuvinjelwe izinhlekelele esikhathini esizayo, kwafakwa isando esincane. Phakathi neminyaka emithathu iBig Ben yaphinde yasebenza! Umfantu awuzange uvaleke, futhi yilokho okwenza le nsimbi ikhale ngendlela ehlukile.
Izenzakalo Eziyingqopha-mlando
Ngo-1924 i-BBC, uMkhandlu Wezokusakaza WaseBrithani, wafaka umbhobho embhoshongweni wewashi futhi waqala ukusakaza umsindo wokukhala kweBig Ben njengophawu lokushaya kwewashi. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-8, izilaleli kulo lonke elaseBrithani nazo zaxhunywa, futhi namuhla umsindo omnandi weBig Ben usazwakala kuwo wonke umhlaba uma kungena izindaba ze-BBC World Service.
Nakuba iwashi nezinsimbi zalo kwasinda lapho kuqhuma amabhomu ngempi yezwe yesibili, ngo-1976 ingxenye enkulu yegumbi lewashi yacekeleka phansi lapho kuwa izinsimbi zewashi esezikhathele. Nokho, insimbi enkulu ayizange ilimale, futhi ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa, yaphinde yasebenza yashaya njalo ngemva kwehora. Kwathatha izinyanga ezingu-9 ukuvuselela leli washi ukuze lisebenze kahle.
Kwaphela isikhathi esithile, iBig Ben iyiwashi elikhulu kunawo wonke ake aba khona emhlabeni, futhi liseyiwashi lomphakathi eligcina isikhathi kangcono kunawo wonke. Njengoba sekwake kwenziwa amaningi afana nalo, umsindo walo omnandi ungezwakala emawashini amancane namakhulu emazweni amaningi. Yingakho iBig Ben iwuphawu lweNgilandi nenhloko-dolobha yalo. “IyiNkosi Yamawashi” ngempela!
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 18]
UKUBAMBELELA ESIKHATHINI ESINEMBILE
Kathathu ngesonto, unjiniyela ugibela izitebhisi ezingu-300 ezimazombezombe eyowayinda indophi ebambe insimbi eyenza imishini yewashi isebenze. Lo njiniyela uhlola nokuthi iwashi linembile yini. Uthi olungamamitha amane ubude lushaya njalo ngemva kwemizuzwana emibili. Onqenqemeni oluncane olungaphezu kothi kunezinhlamvu ezindala zopeni kanye nezitebela. Uma iwashi lisilela, unjiniyela ubeka olunye uhlamvu. Uma liphambili uyalususa.
[Isithombe]
Openi basiza ekulawuleni ukusebenza kwewashi
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Winding clock: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis; coins on ledge: Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament
[Isithombe ekhasini 19]
Insimbi enkulu engamathani angu-13, 7 (iBig Ben) ishaya njalo ngehora
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Popperfoto/Getty Images