West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-11-20
THE "SrEEPLE JACK"

How Church Spires Are Taken Down bE
Expert Members OF the Craft.
How a "steeple Jack fixes the ropes
by which to reach the dizzy height of a
lofty spire, and now he wends his aerial
way with ease and safety to the top.
are matters little known To the dwellers
on the earth. Various methods. differ
ing in their degrees of ingenuity. have
been practiced by different members Of
the "steeple jack craft. and not the
least interesting or ingenious is that of
Charles Aubin. q French Canadian.
who has recently taken down the spires
OF the German Reformed Church and
OF the Reformed Episcopal Church at
the corner Of Washington Boulevard
and Carpenter Street. Aubin, who j. a
tlttle, thin, rather shriveled-looking
man OF about five and thirty, has had
considerable experience among the
steeples of St. Louis, ST. Paul. Troy.
Albany and Fitchburg, Mass. He sets
a high value on his profession. and is so
jealous of his trade secrets that he only
fixes his climbing ropes by night. when
no sneaking interloper will be present
to pirate his patent.
10 n reporter. however. Mr.. Aubin
contded yesterday a few of the mys-
teries attending his ascent to the top IF
st. PauIS Reformed Episcopal S%tecplc.
wh'ch explain pretty much how his
work IN general is accomplished. The
total height of the Steeple from the
ground was two hundred feet. the spiral
portion which rose from the tower being
one hundred and twenty-five feet.
Ilacing his block and tackle and his
swing-stage i'm a convenient position on
the ledge OF the tower. he climbed To
the highest possible point i'm the inside
OF the spire from which he could gain
an exit TO the open air. Emerging
from the interior, he winds n rope three
tunes around the spire in n mysterious
and unexplained manner. and fasteus
the two ends together. He then winds
another rope once around the spire.
fastens its ends together, and attaches
thereto n belt which is bound around
ms body. This part of the apparatus is
designed TO keep his body from falling
back, and afford general steadiness i'm
the ascent. lie then grasps the lower
COL OF the triple rope with one hand
ana the higher with the other, and
walks along the center rope, changing
mt every step his hand grasps on
the other ropes. He thus winds his
way around the spire. getting higher at
every step, steadied meanwhile and
kept In position by the rope To which
the waist-belt is attached. As he
gradually gets higher the D rope
tends to get loose, and this is remedied
by drawing on it by the buckles
OF the waist belt. When n height
IS reached where the spire is Suf-
hciently narrow to permit the climber
to grasp IL around with his arms he lets
go his hold on the ropes and Chambers
to the top. Once there, by means of a
small clothes line he lets down a ham
mer, the claws of which seize the block
and tackle on the tower below. and
both are then raised to the top. A de-
scent is then made for the swing-staoe.
which is attached to- hook Of the block.
and the steeple-iack is now ready TO be-
gun work. He starts in to remove the
boards OF the wooden spire about eight
or ten feet from the top, and then saws
on IN sections the posts above. The
same process is carried on in the descent
by block and tackle, until after a weeks
work the steeple is c thing of the past.
-Cht0uQO Tribune.