The Lincoln County herald., 1870-05-26
A Perilous Adventure Daring Exploit
Of Two Spaniards.
From the Cincinnati oa.ette.1

Two brothers nan ed Il odrlguez, Span.
iards, as their names indicate, cau,e 10
Father Edward Purcell aud asked leave
to put 10 order the lightning rod that ran
up the tall sprc of the cathedral, al the
corner Of Plum and Eighth streets. The
Father told them that the insulators on
the rod were broken and OF er repairs TO
it, no one could tell how much, were
needed, but he besought them to put up
scaifolding, in order to get at the rod,
which was to be repaired. They having
been commissioned to do the work, pro.
ceeded to the execution of it without
delay.
To the passers along the thoroughfares
the sight of two men threading their way
up the out side of the spire was full Of
interest Coming out of the spre at one
Of the Louvre windows, just abo.e the
dial faces of the tower, the men swung
ladder partly BY rope dropping down
from a narrow aperture just below the
base Of the spire, and partly by its hooks
caught upon the stone moulding around
the next story above the tower. Up the
pendulum ladder one of the men clam.
bered, hanging to the rungs like parrot
to its perch. On the ledge Of the mould.
ing of the hooks the ladder hung to was
good base of operations. A half dozen
ladders were provided. One was drawn
up and planted on the new base, and
lashed in place, both at the top and bot
tom. The top touched the last ledge of
moulding IN the ascent, the base OUT Of
which the tower arose.
On the streets for squares distant along
Plum, in both directions, and along
Eighth, eastwardly. witnesses watched the
ascent, while near the scene the pave
ments were lined with spectators. The
two brothers were on the scene by this
time, and the ascent up the spire proper
had been commenced. The first ladder
of this final series rested on the base Of
the srire and was lashed to it hoth at the
top and the bottom, by ropes passing
around the spire. The two men carried
second ladder up to this one, lashed the
bottom of the former to the top of the
latter The next thing was to secure this
last edition Of climbing apparatus. One
Of the brothers climbed it while the other
held its base. Up that dizzy height
rope was thrown around the spire, and
the top of this last ladder secured by it,
until five or six ladders were strung in
the series, the topmost reaching within
two or three feet of the base of the cross,
which terminates the spire at height of
two hundred and twenty two feet above
the base of the Cathedral. When the
line of spliced ladders had crept up the
Eastern face Of the spire to this position,
ladder with hooks at the top was carried
up and hooked upon the cross. One Of
the brothers ascended this, took position
first upon an arm Of the cross, aud then
stepped up and stood erect upon the very
tip top Of the upright portion Of that
stone cross Standing there he unscrewed
the top Of the lightning rod and tossed 1t
to the ground. Several variations Of the
performance took place about this time.
Once, both the brothers we're on the op
posite arm Of the cross. The standing
upon the top Of the cross and the climbing
about its arms continued for some time,
when the men descended, leaving their
ladders for contin iaton Of the perform
ance to-day.
The crowd cheered when the top Of the
cross was reached-that is, the boys in
the crowd cheered. The men we're sober
observers. One strong fellow turned
from the sight with the remark that it
was too much for his nerves. Others
shuddered audibly, and wished aloud for
the men to come down, but they still con
tinucd to look. Men who had passed at
four o'clock when the work began, re.
turned and saw it completed at shutdown.
Everybody expressed relief when the men
came down, and many gave vent to re.
grets that the periIous work would be
continued to day.
L. Ala dahato In .Ao II 8 uauao al