Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-08-08


up, shall say no more about the matter to-
night, but try 20 90 to sleep"
'And to my astonishment and gratitude"
writes Caudie, ''she kept her word"
The Longest Ladder in the World.
On approaching the roads of James Towa,
In the island of st. Helena, your attention is |
attracted by an enormous ladder, that extends
from the town beneath to fort directly over
the town, on the summit of hill 500 feet
high. On inquiry, found that sentinels were
placed both below and above, for the purpose
of preventing any one ascending or descend
! ing without an order from the town ma OIL
This regulation was adopted in consequence
of the number of accidents, attended with ia
tai consequences, that had occurred. Toge-
Their with a companion, after dinner, rambled |
down to the guard house, and having found
the town ma or there, we obtained an order to |
permit our ascent.
The ladder is composed Of steps more than
three feet in width, and some four inches in
breadth, firmly fastened in sides of great
strength. On either side is hand rail, of
such width that You can conveniently lay a
hand on either side. The steps are upward
Of Is inches apart, and great numbers OF them
much decayed. At regular distances are small
seats for resting places. On one side, with
out the ladder, description of slide has been
formed, along which pulies are fixed, for the
purpose it would seem, of raising anything
from the town beneath, or lowering from the
fort above. The face of the hill, against which
the ladder is erected, is extremely steep, so as
utterly to preclude the idea of any ascent with
out artificial means; In places there are per-
feet precipices, the rocks completely over
hanging.
At the bottom we found no sentry, and so
proceeded to ascend at once, but had not at
, tanned above the height of one hundred feet
when we heard a voice hailing US, and per-
celved sentry calling on us to return, who
in his walk had been concealed from Us when
below by an intervening projection. Down
| we had to go, and having shown our pass, and
satisfied the Cerberus, commenced our ascent
0 again. At first we proceeded rapidly, but soon
found that not to answer, the height OF each
: step causing considerable exerion. More
n slowly then we moved along, attained the
u third resting place, where we seated ourselves,
1t and turned to view the town beneath, with Its
! narrow streets and confined situation, cover
q ing, as it were, between the mighty hills that
L. seemed to press it on either side.
~ AIoft We turned our eyes, anxlously wish
" ing ourselves at the top, but we had the best
u part of the ascent yet 10 accomplish, and to
. our task we once more went. AS we attained
u greater height, we found the steps getting
70 more and more out of repair, IN some places
II two or three steps together broken, SO that we
IS had to Chamber up the best way we could
l. On, on we went, with alternate rests; the
u town, the bay and the shipping beneath g:a
- dually became more minute, the moving bo
DC dies seeming almost mites. When we reach
!" ed within hundred feet Of the top, the unu
i" suaI fatigue almost overpOWered us;-the dlZ
III Nv height so affected us that we felt as if WI
y could scarce preserve ourselves from falling
> vet we persevered, and did succeed in reach
y ing the top.
T. A moment later one human being would
have passed into another world. My compan
ion, who was before me, had scarce passed
~ the gate at the top, when he tainted complete
tly overcome. and he afterward declared to me
II that for the last hundred feet or so, nothin!
W prevented his physical energies from bein!
" overcome by the fatigue and the position 1T
~ was in, but the immediate prospect OF reach
'' inc place of safety. Many lives have beer
% lost on this ladder, particularly those of pas
sengeIs, whom curiosity induced to attemp
o. the ascent. The artillerymen and garrison o
:" the fort are not, however, used to going VI
. and down, exemptfrom casualties, and it wa
'u only the very week before my visit to St. Hell
eha that an artileryman was killed In attempt
d inc to descend the ladder against time for
wager. Ladder Hill fort completely hang
a" over the bay; it is of great strength, and com
II mands the roadsteaG beneath.
~ In the batteries are mounted generally L
I'll twentv-lour and thirty-two Founders, but Their
, are some few guns of larger caIlbre. sir
g gular accident happened few years PreVIou
IS on this battery. A passenger from one of til
Us ships in the bay had ascended to the fort, an
~ looking from the ramparts of one of the bate
-. ries, perceived his vessel beneath, and though
-. he could reach her with stone, but In his a
-. tempt to do so, overbalanced himself and te
,'o from the awful height, being dashed LITERAL
We to pieces in the Cal. After passing an hol
'e' at the fort, we descended, but by the roa'
"" which is cut in a zigzag manner in the side
~ the hill From .'Reminiscences 9t Nj
''' Years Irarei," an the liverpool Times.