Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-08-04

REMARKABLE for its spire, the loftiesfof
st. Petersburg, is the church of st. Peter
and st. Paul. An annecdote connected
with this church, and not known, be-
lieve, out of Russia, is worth telling. The
spire, which rises
Lofty, and light, and small"
and is probably represented in an engrav.
ing as fading away almost into point in
the sky, is, in reality, terminated by a
globe of considerable dimensions, on which
an angel stands, supporting large cross
This angel was out of repair; and some
suspicious were entertained that he de-
signed visiting, uninvoked, the surface of
the earth. The affair caused some un-
easiness, aud the government at length be-
came greatly perplexed. To raise scat
folding to such a height would cost large
sum of money; and in meditating fruit
lessly on this circumstance, without know
ing how to act, some time was sutfr red to
elspse.
Among the crowd of gazers below, who
daily turned their eyes and their thoughts
towards the angel, was mujik called Te-
louchkine. This man was roofer of
houses Ia slater, as he would be called in
countries where states were nseO and his
speculations by degrees assumed more
practical character than the idle wonders
and conjectures of the rest of the crowd.
The spire was entirely covered with sheets
of gilded copper, and presented to the eye
a surface as smooth as if it had been one
mass of FURNISHED gold. But Telouchkine
knew that the sheets of copper were not
even uniformly closed upon each other,
and above all, that there were large nails
I sed to fasten them, which projected from
the side of the spire.
Having thought on these circumstances
till his mind was made up, Telouchkine
went to the government and offered to
repair the angel without sceffolding, and
without assistance, on condition of being
reasonably paid for the time expended in
the labor. The offer was accepted.
The day fixed for the adventure arrives
Telouchkine, provided with nothing more
than coil of ropes, ascends the spire i'll
the interior to the last window. Here he
looks down at the concOurse of the peo-
pie below, and upat the ghttt ring needle, "
as IL is called, tapering far above his head.
But his heart does not fail him; and step
ping gTavely out upon the window, he
sets about his task.
He cuts a portion of the cord in the
| form of two large stiTups, with loop at
each end. The upper loops he fastens
upon two of the projecting nails above
his head, an places his foot in the others.
Then digging the fingers of one hand into
the interstices of the sheets of copper, he
raises one of the stiIrups with the other
hand, so as to make it catch a nail higher
up. The same operation he performs on
behalf Of the other leg, and so on alter.
nately. And thus he climbs, nail by nail,
step by step, and stirrup by stirrup, till
| 20 Cd
! the golden surface, and the spire dwindles
in his embrace till he can clasp it all
round.
SO far, so well. But he now reaches
the ball-a globe of between nine and ten
feet in circumference. The angel, the oh.
ject of this visit, is above this ball, and
concealed from his view by its smooth
round and gitteIiug expanse. Only fancy
the wretch at this moment, turning u[
his grave, eyes and graver beard, to an OBJ
stacle that seems to defy the daring and
intrepidity of mani
But Telouchkine is not dismayed. He
is prepared for the difficulty; and the
means he used to surmount it exhibits the
same remarkable simplicity as the rest OF
the feat.
Suspending himself in his stirrups, he
girds The needle" with cord, the ends
of which he fastens around his waist anC
so supported, he leans gradually back, til
the soles of his feet are planted agains
the spire. In this position he throws, by
a strong effort, coil Of cord over the ball
and so coolly and accurately is the ain
taken, that NJ the first trial ii falls in the
required direction, and he sees the enc
hang down on the opposite side
To draw himself into his original posi-
ton, TO fasten the cord firmly around th'
globe, and with the assistance of this aux
iliary to climb TO the summit, is now al
easy part of his task and in few minute
more Telouchkine stands by the side o
the angel, and listens TO the shout tina
bursts like sudden thunder from the con
J course below, yet comes to his ear onl,
like faint and hollow murmur,
The cord, which he had an opportunit
of fastening properly, enabled him to dc
scend with comparative facility; and tn
I next day he carried up with him ladde
} of ropes, by means OF which he found
I easy TO eject the necessary repairs.