The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-11-21
A PLE-CLIMBER'S ADVEN-
TURE
Narrow Escape from a Terrible
Deaf.

But once, sir, / was frightened. and |
aln't afraid to acknowledge it, | was
working on "a church which had spire
OF shape that Is not common. w hat
kind Of architecture it is [ have been
told, but forgotten. LII goes up ever so
straight, and ends with kind of swell,
like an union Or a turnip, and [ had to
work on the under side. The party as
was repairing the church wasn't paid
what the job was worth. by the congre-
CATION, and things were being pared
down fine. [ wanted a scafold, but
they wouldn't stand the two or three
extra day work it would have cost to
rig it up, so | thought | would do it
with only a rope. 1t was the stating as
had been badly done, and the wind was
a ripping them off, SO that the work had
to be patched up at once 1t was
mighty high up and as tough a job as
l most ever worked on. | studied it
up, as | mostly does all the jobs | have,
aud [ was obliged to work from The top
down, and crawl under the lower part.
| let myself down with new inch and
quarter rope, and, getting my feet
against the largest part of the round,
pushed off little, lowering myself some
SIX feet, SO that when [ swung In
4
when | would get clutch and hold on
to couple of big iron bands and get
secure footing. Though a ticklish lob [
had done the same before, and so | got
all right after the first trial Well. |
worked away steady, taking out the old
slate and putting in new, mailing down
those that were loose. [ must have
been at work about two hours. when [
wanted to go up for more nails, SO |
commenced TO haul away, kicking my
self from time to time clear of the swell
of the dome. So far so good When
was almost half way up [ thought I'd
stop just minute TO take breath, as it
was a hot snltry day, and warm even as
high as | was. My toe was on a level
with one layer of slate, when | thought
| was lowered an inch or so, when it
stopped then ii began again, and [
went down most eight inches then
stopped again for minute, and lower
went by half course of slate. I was
thoroughly alarmed OF course | reas-
oned, 1t could only arise from one of four
things-elther the rope was stretching,
and that wasn't possible, or the double
hitch had given the rope around the
head of a staircase was slipping. which
again, too, wasn't possible, it being con
case was getting pulled out, which
wasn't likely, or, what was worse. and
which struck me must be the fact, the
rope was cutting, and | settled on that.
! watched to notice if their was any ia
cInatlon TO twist the rope, bnt couldn' t
see it. Now, [ knew that if | made anv
violent motion, | might increase the
damage. | clutched all | could to the
sides OF the states, trying to take advan-
tage even of nail that might be stick
ing out. but | couldn't get more hold
than again glass. | was now under the
largest part Of the swell of the dome.
with hundred feet clean under me-
To get below to where [ had been work
ing was impossible | was afraid to
swing out on the rope now, which would
have caused jerk. 1t was of no use to
holler, for no one could have heard me
and there was no use of making signs,
as | was on the side away from the street,
and nobody could hear me Up must
go, and maybe, | thought, if the rope
will hold, | may get up yet. Slowly |
went up, with steady pull 1t was
about shutdown, and as | got up. inch by
inch, | saw the sun shine on bit of
jagged tin, about twenty eight feet above
me, and | saw it was that which had
been cutting slowly but surely into my
rope With the strain | had given il.
three or four of the strands looked as il
they had been cGt through with a sharp
knife. and | was hanging now by maybe
a strand. Al along | had held on tC
my tools; now | let so my hammer
first, aud then some twenty states, and
/ heard them smash With clatter be.
low on the tamnstones Slowly | crepl
up, nearing the point little where the
rope was cutting. Just then | got my
head over the top of the round. | hac
pretty strong knife in my pocket, so
iabbed in between the edges of the
slate, until ii took hold of the wood
work, and | braced my heel against it
If had bad two knives, could have
managed tirst-rate; using one for one
foot and the other for the other, so as tc
take the strain off the rope. [ tried al
I could to throw the rope off the tn, bu
seeing it was still under a strain, Will
my heft to it, | couldn't bulge it. Well
| never should have known to this day
how [ would have pulled through, if i
had ut been for woman who just theu
stuck her blessed old head out of lit
tie window in the church below me
Mister. says she. don't you know
your trade better than to be a throwins
down slate and things that way Ant
my child came as near as could be hay
ing his head split open with a slate, anc
I'm the sexton wife, and see if l don