Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-04-16
THRILLING SCENE.

i Gefu - IGt ~ alsd e.N 81 duI6E
THRILLING SCENE Es5..@ ,a'
Mr.. Thomas kingston, says the Cipt
cinpatti Enquirer, whoa for several, years
has followed the business of putting up
lightning rods which of course requires
steady nerves and a firm BRAIN met
with, an accident recently by which, but
for the most singular presence of mind.
or rather supernatural instinct. iheawould
have fallen from a dizzy height, and dashi
ed to pieces, Heis compelled 10 climb
roofs, over chimneys, and up spires, and
fix rod, with perfect GOODNESS and preeir
sion, hundreds of feet above the level Of
the earth. s5aigEs faaai a.ii 1adn, sia
On the occasion to which We refer,
Mr.. K. had ascended st. Paul's Cather
dral, whose spire is about 235 feet high,
near the head, of Broadway. /. and gone 10
the very top. were having left his ladder
below, he ,clungs by his arms and legs.
fastened the last foot of the rod, and att
tached its point-quite heavy piece OF
metal-securely as he supposed. tor the
cross surmounting the steeple. Hs,had
just completed this difficult and danger
Gus task. watched by number Of per.
sons in the street below, and while lookt
ing at, the work and experiencing that
satisfaction, which results from hazard
passed and labor accomplished, of sud-
den Something heavy struck him, and
m ad 7hies bsein7 7roel1 until haa canlde ehardly
see. Instead. of loosing his, hold at once,
as would seem to have been, the natural
and inevitable result, he iclung, with a
power beyond himself Ond aiWiIl superb
or to his own, closer and ipstiutiyelyto
the spire. He knew not what had oc.
cured, and to his confused senses it apN
peared that the steeple was tumbling. or
that some strange causeg was about 10
bring the vast structure TO the ground.
Some forty seconds--Rn9 age to him
must have, elapsed before he sufficiently
collected his scattered thoughts and SUBJ
!xerted conscionsness.to knowfbRt the en-
tire upper part oflthe rod had fallen upon
his head causing the blood to trinkle over
his forehead and nearly blind him. He
was in dreadful perpls8ity and most
dangerous position. He. feareh,!if he
moved, he would go cloaying the air TO
a terrible death upon the stony y,stTeeL bes
low-and at the same time he knew he
could. not in the sdisordered stale Of bis
nerves, and his increasing weakness, re.
tain his grasp, more the result fate. than
Of feeling, much longer. If,he stirred be
might fall; if he remaInded he, certainly
would, and So, dctermiHsd 10 make al
least an effort for his life, he put one fool
very cautiously, then his arms. and theu
the other foot; and after q half mipuIe o
exertion, and the greatest danger, be
touched tho topmost round Of the ladder
and in few seconds more was inside o.
the steeple and SAFE. ,sH3 hat3s
Then it was Mr., KS great courage and
strength forsook him; his nerves auC
muscle relaxed; he grew sick unto death
his knees gave way; bis vision swan. anc
he sank upon the platform motionless snC
insensible. He must have Ilaip ther'
half an hour before he could rise anC
walk, and he did not recover ItOmstb'
shock for more than q fortnight after
wards, s,g.r7a 4assai. fnmo7 ~ % ~,
The people gazing up at him from th'
street describes the scene as painful ana
exciting in; the extreme When the,
, observed The rod fall. a,thfll Of hOTrO
ran through their hearts, and two WOmeI
swooned away, for they expected be
r hold him the next moment dashed 4
pieces at. their feet.l Destiny had order
/ ed Otherwise, and Nj, III. isillr pursue
his dangerous ayocaidn; bat he AASs .
5 he were 70 live thousand years hsneS
] er would forget the intense horror Of thos
. century ike moments. when he SCENE
? to hang upon the air,moreItbantwo hHn
e dred feet above the-eartb,- and to be me
b merteraIy descending to . dreadfr
t. death eae1eJ disek 10 .7'ali