Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-08-09
The Longest Ladder In the world.

On approaching the roads Of James Town in
trsctcd by an enormous ladder, that extends
from the town beneath to fort directly over
the town, on the summit Of a hill 500 feet high.
On inquiry, found that scnt:nels were placed
both below and above, for the purpose of preven-
ting any one ascending or descending without
an order from the town major This regulation
was adopted in consequence Of the number OF
accidents, attended with fatal consequences,
that had occurred. Together with a compan-
ion, after dinner, rambled down 10 the guard
house, and having found the town major 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 III
breadth, firmly fastened in sides of great
strength. On either side is haud rail, OF such
a width that you can conveniently lay hand
on either side. The steps are upwards of Is
inches apart, and great numbers of them much
deoayed. At regular distances are small seats
FOR resting places. On one side, without the
ladder, a description of slide has been formed
along which pullies are fixed, for the purpose, it
would seem, of raising anything from the town
beneath, or lowering from the Fort above. Tie
face of the hill, against which the ladder is e.
rected, is extremely steep, 50 as utterly TO pre-
cludc the idea Of any ascent wi,hou; artificial
means 4; in places there are perfect precpccs,
the rocks completely over-hanging.
At the bottom we found no sentry, and so pro.
ceeded to ascend at once, but had not attained
heard voice hailing us, aud perceived a sentry
calling on us 10 return, who in his walk had
been concealed from us when below by an inter
venng projection. Down we had TO 90, and
having shown our pass, and satisfied the Cerbe-
rus, commenced our ascent again. At first we
proceeded rapidly, but soon found that not TO
answer, the height of each step caused consi-
derable exertion More slowly then we moved
along, attained the third resting place, where
we seated ourselves, and turned to view the
town beneath, with its narrow streets and con.
fined situation, covering, as it were, between
the two mighty hills that seemed to press it on
either side.
Aloit we turned our eyes, anxiously wishing
ourselves at the top, but we had the best part OF
the ascent yet to accomplish, and 20 our task
we once more went. AS we attained greater
height, we found the steps getting more and
more out of repair, in some places two or three
steps together broken so that we had to clam.
Der up the best way we could. On, on we
,pitl, ali fbo tha h,,
and shipping beneath gradually became more
minute, the moving bodies seeming al
most mites. When we reached within n hun
dred feet o! the top, the unusual fatigue almos
overpowered us; the dizzy height SO affected
us that we felt as it we could scarcely preserv,
ourselves from faIling-yet we pcrsevered, an,
did succeed in reaching the top
A moment later one human being would ha ",
passed into another world. My companion, who
was before me, had scarce passed the gate at the
top, when he tainted, completely overcome, an,
he atcrward declared to me, that for the las
hundred feet or SO, nothing prevented his ply
sica emery les from being overcome by the ia
tigue and position he was in, but the mmeda,,
prospect OF reaching place OF safety. Man,
lives have been lost on this ladder, particularly
those Of passengers, whom curiosity induced t,
attempt the ascent. The artllerymen and gar
rison Of the fort are not, however used 10 goin
up and down, exempt from casualties, and
was only the very week before my visit to 81
Helena that an artileryman was killed in at
tempting to descend the ladder against time 70
wager. Ladder Hill fort completely hang
over the bay; it is Of great strength, and CON
uiands the road stead beneath.
In the batteries are mounted generally egl
teen twenty-iour and thirty.two Founders, bu
there are some few guns of larger calibre. !
singular accident happened a few years prev
ous Oh this ladder. A passenger from one
the ships in the bay had ascended to the fort, an
looking from the ramparis of one of the bate
ries, perceived his vessel beneath, and thougi
he could reach her with a stone, but in his a
tempt 10 do so, overbaanced himself, and fe
from the awful height, being dashed literally
pieces in the fall. After passing IN hou. at ii
fort, we descended, but by the road, which
cut III zigzag manner in the side Of the hill
= From "reminiscences Of a Nine Year
TTdret," m The Liuerpooi Times.
A NEGRo's idea of love, as given by Pclhar
one Of the Ethiopian seranaders. .Ah, ngge