Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-07-22
PerilOus Ascent Ofa Cathedral
Spire 222 Feet High.

Spire xxS Feet dt0h.
We gather the following account Of q
wonderful performance and marvellous
exhibition OF nerve. which lately took
place in Cincinnati, from the Gazette of
that city:
Yesterday, two brothers named
Rodriguez, Spaniards, as their names in
dicate, came to Father Edward Purcell,
and asked leave to put in order the light.
ming rod that runs up the tall spire of the
cathedral ut the corner Of Plum and
Eighth streets. The Father told them
the insulatorB on the rod were broken,
and other repairs to it, no one could tell
how much, were needed, but he bcsought
them to put up scatfolding in order to get
at the rod which was TO be repaired.
Having been commission cd to do the
work, they proceeded to the execution of
it without delay. To the pas;ers along
the thorughfarcs the sight OF two men
threading their way up the outside OF the
spire was full of interest Coming out OF
the spirc ut one of the Louvre windows
just above the dial face of the tower, the
men swung ladder partly by rope
dropped down from n narrow aperture
just below thc'base OF the spirc, and part
ly by its own hooks caught upon the stone
molding around The next story above the
tower. Upon this pendulous ladder one
of the men clambered, hanging To tn @
rung like parrot on its perch. On the
ledge OF the molding the hooks Of the
ladder hung 10 WAS good base OF opera
tions. 4 half dozen ladders were pro-
vidcd One was taken up and planted on
the new base, and lashcd in place, both mt
the top and bottom. The top touched
the last ledge OF the molding in the ascent
from the base of which the tower arose.
On the streets for squares distant along
Plum, in both directions. and along Eighth
castwarlly, witnesses watched the ascent,
while near the scene the pavcmcnts were
lined with spectators. The two brothers
were on the scene by this time and the
ascent up the spire proper had been com
menced The first ladder oi the final
series rested on the base of the spire and
WAS lashod to it, both at the top and bot
tom, by ropes passing around the spre.
Two men carried one up 10 this one.
lashed tho bottom of the former 10 the top
of the latter. The next thing was to
secure this last addition OF climbing APP
paratus One of the brothers elm bed il
while the other held its base. Up in tina.
dizzy height = rope was thrown around
the spre, and the top Of this last Ladder
secured by it, until five or six ladders
were strung in the series, the topmost
ladder reaching within two or three feet
Of the base Of tho cross, which terminates
the spirc ut height of wo.hundred ie ct
above the base OF the Cathedral.
When the line OF splccd ladders had
crept up the eastern face of the spire 10
this portion, ladder with hooks at the
top was carried up and hooked upon the
cross. One Of the brothers ascended this.
took position and then stepped up and
stood erect upon the very top OF the up.
right portion of the stone cross. Stand
ing there he unscrewed the top of the
lightning rod and tossed it to the ground.
Several variations OF the performances
took place about this time. Once both OF
The brothers stood on the opposite arms of
the cross. The standing upon the top of
the cross, and the climbing about lis arms
continued for some time, when they de-
scended, leaving their ladders for a con-
,inuation Of the performance to-day.
The crowd chcercd when the top of
the cross was reached, that is, the boys
in the crowd checrod. The men were
sober observers. One strong fellow
turned from the sight with the re-
mark that it was too much Tor his
nerves. Others shuddered audibly, and
wished aloud for the men TO come down,
but still they continued TO look. Men
who had passed at four o'clock, when the
work began, returned and saw it COM
pleted at sundown. Everybody express
cd relief when the men came down, and
many gave vent to regrets that the peril
Gus work would be continued to-day"