The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-09-15
4 PerilOus Achievement.

Directly opposite the Winter Palace,
in St. Petersburg, and one of the most
conspicuous objects on the whole line of
the Neva, is the citadel, or old fortress,
in reality the foundation of the city
the golden spire of its church shooting
toward the sky and glittering in the sun.
This spire, which rises tapering till it
seems almost to fade away into nothing,
Is surmounted by large globe on which
stands an angel supporting a Cross
This angel, being made of perishable
materials, once manifested symptoms of
decay, and fears were entertained that it
would soon be numbered with the fallen
Government became perplexed how to
repair it; to raise scaffolding to such
a height would cost more than the angel
was worth.
Among the crowd which daily assem-
bled to gaze at it from below was
a roofer of houses, who. after long and
silent examination, went to the Govern
ment, and offered to repair it without
any scafolding or assistance of any kind.
His offer was accepted, and on the
day appointed for the attempt, provided
with nothing but coil of cords, he as
cended inside to the highest window,
and looking for a moment at the crowd
below and at the spire tapering away
above him, stood on the outer ledge of
the window. The spire was covered
with sheets of silded copper which, to
beholders from below, presented only a
smooth surface of FURNISHED gold; but
the sheets were roughly laid, and fasten-
ed with large nails which projected from
the sides of the spire.
He cut two pieces of cord and tied
loops at each end of both, fastened the
upper loops over two projecting nails,
and stood with his feet in the lower;
then clinching the fingers of one hand
over the rough edges Of the sheets of
copper, raised himself till he could
hitch one of the loops on higher nail
with the other hand. He did the same
for the other loop, and so he raised one
leg after the other, and at length ascend
ed, nail by nail and stirrup by stirrup,
till he clasped his arms around the spire,
directly under the ball.
Here it seemed impossible to 60 any
further, for the ball was ten or twelve
feet in circumference, with small and
glittering surface, and no projecting
nails; and the angel was above the ball,
as completely out of sight as if il were
in the habitatiens of its prototypes
But the daring roofer was not disheart-
ened. Rising himsel: in his stirrups, he
encircled the spire with a cord which be
tied round his waist, and, SO supported,
eaned gradually, until the soles of his
feet were braced against the spire, and
his body fixed almost horizontally in
the air. In this position he threw q
cord over he top of the ball, and threw
~ ~ Coolly duu SklliluIiy, Luat on tne
first attempt it fell down on the othel
side, just as he wanted it. Then ht
threw himself up to his original posi-
tion, and by means of this cord climbed
up the smooth sides of the globe, and il
few moments, amid thunders of ap
Plause from the crowd below-which a
that great height sounded only like
faint murmur-he stood by the side o
the angel. After attaching cord to it
he descended, and the next day carrie,
up with him ladder of ropes, and ef
fected the necessary repairs.