The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-04-19

| IH9uuOuS rate, Tor LIl6T0 was SCrOuS DOU
or us at work. and it used to make m
think and think of the loads upon loads Q
stuff the hotel swallowed up, and hoy
much more it would take before it wa
finished. One day as | was bricklaying u
at the top--I don't know how many fee
from the ground, and | never used to car
to look to see for fear of turning giddy-
one day it came on to blow regular gale
and blew so hard at last that the scaffolC
shook and quivered, while, whenever tier
was loose rope, it ratified and beat agains
the poles, as if it was impatient of bein!
tied there, aud wanted to break loose ant
be off.
1t blew at last SO very hard, that
should have been precious glad of an excus
to get down, but couldn't well leave m,
work, and the old hands didn't seem to min(
it much; so | KEEP at it. Whenever thu
wind blows now, and l shut my eyes, cal
call it back again; the creaking and culver
ing of the poles, the rafting Of the boards
the howliLg and whistling of the gale as i
swept sayagely by, in rage, because i
could not sweep us away A high wind il
pretty hard to deal with sometime, on tn,
ground; and / have seen folks pretty hare
driven to turn a corner So it may bt
guessed what sort of fun it is right up on
spidery scatfold, where man is expected tt
work with both hands and hold on by moth
ing, and that, too, where single step back
wards would be-there it's thing as allus
makes me nervous to talk about.
TWAS getting to be somewhere about
half past three, and was working hard
30 as to keep from thinking of the storm,
when all at, once | happened to turn my
head, and see the men was scuffling down
the ladders as hard as they could go. And
then, before had time to think, there was
a loud crash, and large piece of the scatf
Gliding gave way, and swept with it poles.
boards and bricks right into the open space
below | leaped up at pole which pro.
jected from the roof above me- just above
my head, caught it and hung suspended,
just as the boards upon which | stood but
an instant before, gave way, and fell on to
the next stage, some twenty feet below
Tightly clasping the rough firm pole,
chung for life
Think, did think. l thought hundreds
of things in few seconds, as l shut my
eyes and began to pray, for felt as l could
not hold on long, and | knew as should
fall first on the stage below, when the
boards would either give way, or shoot me
off again with spring, and then | knew
there would be crowd round something,
upon the ground, and the police coming
with stretcher. ~ -..s3-
Creep out, mate, and come down the
rope, cried voice from below | turned
haoI3 that I could II IL
pole | was hanging to had block in the
end, through which ran rope for drawing
light things up and down the scaffold For
an instant | dare not move; then; raising
myself, l went hand over hand towards the
pulley, and in another instant should have
grasped it, when | heard rushing sound,
and the creaking of wheel, as the rope
went spinning through, and was gone; the
weight of the longer side having dragged
the other through. AS hung, distinctly
heard it fall, perhaps hundred and fifty
feet. I5 .asit..g aa.
As the rope fell, and hung there | could
hear regular shrek from those below; but
nobody stirred to my assistance, for | was
beyond help then; but seemed to grow
stronger with the danger, though my arms
1OlC do IL ChSJ WCAO OUT OF
their sockets, and my nerves as if they were
torn with hot irons. Sobbing for breath,
crept in again until was over the stage
first; then close into the face of the building
and there l hung. Once | tried to get
some hold with my feet, but the time was
gone for that. | had hung too long, and
was now growing weaker every moment.
/ can't describe what felt. All | know
is, that it was horrible, and that long after
wards | used to jump up in bed with a
scream; for so sure as | was little out O.
sorts, came a dream Of hanging to that scat
fold pole. expecting every moment to be
ones last. | can't say either how long [
hung, but feeling at length that was 60
ing made one last try for it. I thou ght
of my poor Lass, and seemed to see her
a-looking at me in a Widder's cap and then
| clenched my teeth hard, and tried to get
on where the end of the pole was fastened.
l got one hand over the hard bricke and
hooked my fingers and held on; then l got
tie other hand over, and tried to climb up,
as cheer from below encouraged me but
my feet and knees slipped over the smooth
bricks, and in spite of every effort they
hung down straight at last, and felt a
sharp culver run through me as slowly,
slowly, my hands opened my fingers
Strengthened, and with eyes blinded and
bloodshot, | fell. q az /. isf55a ls.s.aIs s
Fell what seemed to be an enormous dis
lance, though it was only to the next
stage, where boards, bricks and tools, sha.
ken by the sconcussioD, went with crash
below. The deal planks upon which Law
still KEEP in their places, but with their ends
jolted so near the edge that it seemed to
me that the least motion on my part would
make them slip, and send me off again. |
was too exhausted and frightened to move,
and | lay there for some time, not knowing
whether was much hurt or not The first
thing as recalled me to myself was the
voice of a man who came up ladder close
at hand and could see that he had a rope
and pulley with him, which he soon had
hooked on to the ladder
Hold on, mate, he says If | throw
you the end of the rope, can you tie it round
you? 'f-.9'l y1a"e1 dA-o
I'll try,'5I says. So he made moose, and
pulling enough of rope through the block,
he SHES it at me, but it wasn't far enough
SO he tries again, and at last managed te
catch hold of it. But now, as soon as
tried to move it seemed as if something
stabbed me in the side, aud, what was
more, the least thing would, found, send
the boards down, and of course ME with
them. r
Tell them to hold tight by the rope,
says I; and be passed the word, while got
both arms through the moose, and told hin
to tighten it, which ne did by pulling, fol
| could not have got it over my head with
out making the boards slip.
Now them he says, are you ready p
'All right says family, for l felt as
everything was a swimming round me but
l heard him give signal, and felt tn,
snatch of the rope as it cut into my ARM
above the elbows, and then l swung back
wards and forwards in the air; while, witt
a crash, away went the boards upon which
l had been lying. a
couldn't see any more, nor hear am
more, for | seemed to be sent to sleep bu
suppose l was lowered down and took t.
the hospital, where they put my broker