Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-03

!, half-past three, and l 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
scutling down the ladders as hard us they
could 20. And then, before l had time IL
think, there was a loud crash, and a large
piece Of the s~catfJlding gave way, and
swept with it poles, boards and bricks,
right into the open space below.
[ leaped up at a pole which projected
from the roof above me, just above my
head, caught it, and hung suspended, Just
is the boards upon which l stood but an
instant before gave way, and fell on to the
next stage, some twenty feet below,
Tightly clasping the rough tr-pole, l
chung for life.
Think? I did think. l thought humid
reds of things in Ii few seconds, as | shut
my eyes and began to ray, for 1 felt as I
could not hold on long, aRdI knew Is |
should fallfrst On thestage below, when the
boards would either give way, or shoot me
OF again with Il spring, and then l knew
there would be q crowd round something
upon the ground, and the police coming
with Il stretcher.
Creep out, mate, and come down the
rope cried Il voice from below. l turn-
ed my head, so that l could Just see
that the pole l was hanging TO had a
block at the end, through which ran a
rope for drawing light things up and
down to the scatiold. For an instant l
dared not move; then, raising l went
hand over hand towards the pully, and in
another instant | should have grasped it,
when l heard a rushing sound, and the
creaking of a wheel, as the rope went
spinning through, and was gone; the
weight Of the longer side having dragged
the other through. As l hung, l distinct
ly heard it fall, perhaps u huNdrsd and
fifty feet.
As the rope fell, and I hung there, l
| could hear a regular shrek from those be-
low; but nobody stirred to my assistance,
for 1 was beyond help then; 6ut l seemed
10 grow stronger with the danger, though
my arms felt as if they were being
wrenched out of their sockets, andSmv
nerves as if they were torn with hot irons.
Sobbing for breath, l crept in again till l
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 smooth bricks let my toes
slip over them directly, Then l tried TO
get a leg over the pole, so as to climb up
and sit there; but the time was gone by
for that. l had hung too long, and was
now growing weaker every moment.
I cant describe what l felt. All l know
is, that it was horrible, and that long af-
forwards l used to jump up in bed with a
scream TOR so sure Us | was a little out
9 sorts came u dream of hanging to that
scafold-pole, expecting every moment to
be ones last.
1 can't say, either, how long I hung;
but feeling at length that l was going, l
made one last try for it. 1 thought of my
poor lass, and seemed to see her a-looking
at me in a widder's cap; and then l
clenched my teeth hard, and tried to get
on to where the end of the pole was fast
ened. l got one hand over the hard
bricks, and hooked my fingers, and held
on; then l got the other hand ever the
and tried to climb up, as a cheer from be-
low 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 l felt a sharp culver
run through me as slowly, slowly, my
hands opened, my fingers Strengthened,
and, with eyes blinded and bloOdshot, l
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 a
crash below. The deal planks upon
which l lay, still KEEP in their places, but
with their ends jolted so near tine 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 l was
much hurt or not. The first thing us re-
called me to myself was the voice of u
man who came up Il ladder close at hand
and l could see that he had Il rope and
pully with him, which he soon had hooked
OIL to the ladder.
Hold on, mate, he says. IF l throw
you the end Of the rope, can you tie 1t
round YOU? p
"In try" l says. So he makes a moose,
and pulling enough rope through the
block, he shes it 10 me, but it was mt far
enough. So he tries again and again, and
at last l manages to catch hold on it. But
now, as soon as 1 tried TO move, it seemed
rs II something stabbed me in the side,
and what was more, the least thing would,
l found, send the boards down, and of
course me with them.
'Tell them to hold tight by the rope,
says 1; and he passed the word, while l
got both arms through the moose, and told
him to tighten it, which he did by pulling,
for l could not have got it over my head
without making the boards slip.
"Now then, he says, "are you ready ~
"All right" l says, family, for l felt as
if everything was a-swimming round me;
but heard him give a signal, and felt the
snatch Of the rope as it cut into my arms
above the elbows, and then l swang back
wards and forwards in the air; while,
with a crash, away went the boards upon
which I had been a-lying.
l couldn't see any more, nor hear any
more, for seemed to be sent to sleep but
l suppose l was lowered down and took
to the hospital, where they put my broken
ribs to rights in no time, and it wasn't so
VERY long before l was at work once
more; though it took a precious while be-
fore l couldg get on to a high scaffold again
without feeling creepy and shivery; but,
you know, use is second nature"
Polly showed me the stocking tother
day, and l must say it has improved Won
derful, for wages keep good, and works
plenty and as for those chaps who or
ganize the strikes, it strikes me they don't
know what being out o work is like. But,
along o that stocking, one feels tempted
very much to go down in the country
again, but don't like to, for fear O things
not turning out we'll; and Polly SAYS,
"Iyat we'll alone. Bill So kepDS on