The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-03-07

came on to blow regular gale, and blew at
least so hard that the scaffold shook and
quivered, while wherever there was loose
rope, it ratified and beat against the poles
as if it was impatient of being tied there,
and wanted to break loose and be off
1t blew at last so very hard, that |
should have been precious glad of an ex-
cuse to get down but could mt well leave
my work, and the old hands did MT seem to
mind it much, 50 | KEEP at it. Whenever
the wind blows now, and l shut my eyes,
can call it all back again; the creaking and
quivering of the poles, the rafting of the
boards, the bowling and whistling Of the
gale as it swept savagely by, in rage be-
cause it could not sweep us away.
A high wind is pretty hard to deal with,
sometimes, on the ground; and h ave seen
folks pretty hard driven to turn corner.
So it may be guessed what sort of fun it is
right up on spidery scaffold, where a man
is expected to work with both hands, and
hold on by nothing, and that, too, where a
single step backards would be-there, it s
q thing as allus makes me nervous to talk
about.
It was getting to be somewhere about half
past three, and was working hard, SO as
to keep from thinking about the storm,
when all at once happened to turn my
head, and see that the men was a-scufiing
down the ladders as hard as they could 60
And then, before had time to think, there
was loud crash, and large piece Of the
scqfolding gave way, and swept with it
poles, boards. and bricks, right into the
open space below.
l leaped up at pole which projected
from the roof above me, just above my
head, caught it, and hung suspended, just
as the boards upon which I stood but an
instant before gave way, and fell on to the
next stage, some twenty feet below. Tightly
clasping the rough fire-pole, chung for life
Think? l did think. l thought hun
dreds Of things in a few seconds, as 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 q stretcher.
"Creep out, mate, and come down the
rope" cried voice from below. / turned
my head, so that l could just see that the
pole was hanging to had block at the
end, through which ran rope for drawing
light things up and down to the scafiold.
For an instant dared not move; then, rails
ing myself, went hand over hand towards
the pulley, and in another instant should
have grasped it, when I 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 q hundred and fifty
feet
As the rope fell. and hung there, could
hear regular shrek from those below:
but nobody stirred to my assistance, Tor
was beyond help then; but seemed to grow
stronger with the danger, though my arms
felt as if they were being wrenched out Of
their sockets, and my nerves as if they were
torn with hot irons. Sobbing for breath, l
crept in again till was over the stage first:
then close into the face of the building; and
there hung. Once tried to get some hold
with my feet, but the smooth bricks let my
toes slip over them directly. Then tried
to get leg over the pole, so as to climb up
and sit there; but the time was gone by fol-
that. I had hung too long, and was now
growing weaker every moment.
l can't describe what felt. All I know
is, that it was horrible, and that long after
wards I used to jump up in bed with a
scream for so sure as l was little out O.
sorts, came q dream of hanging to that scat
fold-pole, expecting every moment to be
ones last.
can't soy, either, how long hung; but
feeling at length that | was going, made
one last try for it. l thought of my poor
lass, and seemed to see her a-looking at me
in widder's cap; and then clenched my
teeth hard, and tried to get on to where the
end of the pole was fastened. I got one
hand over the hard bricks, and hooked my
fingers, and held on; then got the other
hand over, and tried to climb up, as a 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 sharp CULVER
run through me as slowly, slowly, my hands
opened, my fingers Strengthened, and, with
eyes blinded and bloodshot, fell.
Fell what seemed to be an enormous
distance, though it was only to the next
stage, where boards. bricks, and tools.
shaken by the conclusion, went with crash
below. The deal planks upon which lay,
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 l
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 . man who came up ladder close at
hand; and could see that he had rope
and pulley with him, which he soon had
hooked on to the ladder.
"Hold on, mate" he says. off throw
you the end Of the rope, can you tie it round
you!"
"l'll try" says. So he makes moose,
and pulling enough rope through the block,
he SHES it to me, but it was mt far enough.
So he tries again and again, and at last
to ketch hold on it. But now, as
soon as tried to move, it seemed as if
stabbed me in tie side, and, what
was more, the least thing would, found,
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