The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-17
A pERILoUs HOUR

d Ilaway to sea before nyitilne was OUT. go!
After some years of shocking about, / got
tired of a maritime life, and having married
and determined to stick to the shore, l. got
work with builder whose peculiar lineslay in
erecting tail chinneysi Il had always very
cool head, and could stand lon elevations that
made most mon dizzy and so / was soon a fa-
vorite handwith snfy master. 5raa b}fa
We. had on one occasiop to fasten light
ningscouduetor which hadesprung near the top
] of a very high chiulnex, and Mr.. Staining
chose myself and one James Colly to do it, as
| the. most daring of his men. About half a
dozen of went that morning with hand
cart, containing the necessary ropes, blocks,
the kite, and a box or cradle. Having flown
1.-The kite,i and dropped its line across the top
| of the chimney, we soon drew up arope, at the
end of'whch block; through which ran
the line whereby we were-to be drawn up.
4a Colly had only been married fortnight
and we stepped into the cradle, the man ban
teringly asked him if he hadn't a last dying
speech to leave for his wife; and then Mr..
Staining having shaken hands with US, and bid
us be cool and steady, we were drawn slowly
up. 1t was known all over the town that the
conductor was to be fixed, though as the day
was not named, I did not expect we should
have had many spectators; but we got high
er, and the view opened under our feet saw
that the streets were already thronged with
starers. Colly was very quiet; and when I
waved my cap to the people, he said snappish-
ly that this time for such folly, and
that he thought l might think Of better things
than now 10 amuse these gaping fools, who he
dared say, desired no better fun than to see us
meet with an accident
had come up in the best heart, thinking,
indeed, nothing about the danger we incurred,
but as we drew nearer and nearer to the top,
aud had nothing, as it seemed, belonging to
this world near to us but this straining rope,
began to see the perEo the undertaking.
What Colly thought of it, I don't know-he
sat at the bottom of the CRADLE never looking
out, though 1 told him he would do better to
keep his eyes about him, so that he might grow
used to the height ss r3tsia
Good ]Heavenl what was this2 Here we
were within a yard of the projecting coping,
and still they were winding away without slack
ing speed ia the least, I guessed in a moment
that they mistook our height, aud with the
great purchase of that windass the rope would
be broken when it came to the block. / sprang
up, and catching the rope, climbed hand over
hand to the coping. Colly, too, sprang up
aud followed me- He, too, got safe, still they
went on winding up, till the rope sung again
with the strain there was upon it. l =
Then it snapped, and cradle, hauliug-line,
aud the main rope with its block, fell down
Thus were we two poor men left in most des-
perate situation.
Poor Colly was completely dazed with
alright, and the moment he got on the coping,
which was only a foot and half broad, he
called out ssWhereS can pray; where can /
kpeel and pray 27ands so I said very solemnly
'sSit down .Jen, God will hear us If we pray
to him sitting down. aidssH 49,
Il The coler5of his face was OF a transparent
blue, and it was distorted and twitcking. as If
he was in a fit. His eyes were very wild, and
drawn into squint and he couldnt sit steady,
bat swayed backward and toward, SO that felt
certain he must ltoppls over
"Come. Jem, lad" said thinking to+takes
the alright off him, ".it's bad enough, but it
can be mended. Hitch up bit, and put your
arm r1und the rod-maybe bet will steady yon''
.sWhere,are you? and where is the rod n he
asked in az hollow voice though he was look
ing straight at me, and the rod was only a foot
or two TO his left. By this 1 knew that he was
gone blind with the fright, and selfpreserva-
tion said: Don't go near him, but then re-
meubered his new-wedded wife, and that ta-
king him all through, he was a very decent
fellow, and [ thought how should have liked
him to havesdone if / had been in his case, SO
/ determined to run bit of risk in his favor
Of course burst not get on my feet, but work
ing myself on my hands, got to him, and
him cheerily as 1 could to keep cool, I got him
with his arm round the rod It had, however,
sprung the staple for five yards down, and was
SO loose that it swayed with him, and expec-
ted any minute to see him falling head and
heels down, and the rod tearing away with him.
There was great hustle down below, people
were round the yard and pushing to get in, as
yet there were but some score of men at the
and, by close looking, Isaw them put
on board, and carry him gently
away to the engine house. Oneof them walk
ed after with hat in his hand, thenI knew
that somebody had been hurt by the falling
cradle and that it must be poor Mr. Staining,
as none of wore hats Not a face
was turned up to US. learned afterwards that
our men were so taken up with sorrow that so
good man and kind master should be killed,
that for a while they, never thought about US, |
and the people outside imagined that we had
come down with the cradle, so thus we were |
left in total isolation for full twenty minutes.
While 1 was watching them below, feeling |
very sorry for my poor master, was startled
by wild laugh from Colly, who began making
and yelling as if he was possessed
Then knew of course he was gone mad.
Even now tremble when think of that
lime; it was horrible to peer. down the shaft,
black and sooty and yawning, and of pigeons
sweeping round at considerably less height
han We were. Then Colly-thanked God, he
was so dazed he could not see me--called my
name three times, as 1 sat fairly cringing in
Tread that his sight might clear, and with a.
chastity grin, and chewing with his mouth, he
,egan working himself towards me. Il worked
way from him as noiselessly as could, with
very hair of my head standing on end. He
ollowed me twice round that horrid coping,
making most hideous noises, and then beng
ome second time to. the rod, he got an idea
n his muddled head that / was, fallen over, for
lie never lost sense or where he was all
through this trying time Then he tried to
ret on his feet, but at the risk of my own life
could not let the poor fellowsrash on certain
eath without one more effort, and / cried for
i'm to set down, and he covered down like
shipped dog all trembling / suppose it had
een put into his head that was a dead man