The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-09-10
MADMAN AND HERO.
A Maniac, Liquor-Wild, Saved
From An Awful Death.

The corner of Chestnut and Thirty
third streets, Philadelphia, was lately
the scene of thrilling incident. For
some days past workmen have been en-
gagged in building a wooden steeple on
the eastern tower of st. James Catho-
lie Church, which stands ON the north
east corner. The tower, like the
church building, is of unhewn marble,
and rises to a height of about seventy
five feet above the sidewalk, its top be-
ing circular and fifteen feet in dame
ter. Above this four stout uprights
have been put in position, in pyramid
shape, reaching an additional height of
thirty feet The tops of the uprights
are Joined around the base of wooden
cross, which extends fifteen feet still
higher in the air. The whole abric is
mere skeleton yet, and the fearless
workmen who are building it climb
about the timbers with the.agility and
self-posession of squirrels. They have
been seen and admired by people for
blocks around, and at least one lady in
the neighborhood watches them from
her window all day long, in confident
expectation that she will see one OF
them fall.
The other morning, however, there
was scene enacted on the skeleton
spire that thrilled the watching lady
and hundreds Of other people with hor-
ror. A few minutes before seven
O'Clock, as workmen were approach
ing the church to begin their days
work, they were amazed to see man
climbing nimbly and rapidly up the
cross-pieces which had been nailed on
the outside of one Of the uprights to
serve as ladder. He was clad only
in trousers and shirt, his feet being
bare and his head without hat. The
workmen knew in moment that ht
was not one of their number, and theil
amazement was speedily succeeded by
utter CONSERVATION and alarm. By
this time the strange. actions of thu
man on the steeple had attracted th,
attention of people in the vicinity, ant
they, too, realized that he was not
workman-that a terrible tragedy wa
before them-and they came in crowd
4 to witness it.
While they gathered silent and awe
struck in the street below, the man ii
the air above them had climbed to tn
top of the upright and now stood witt
his arms about the base of the cross
He seemed utterly unconscious that h
was watched, never looking down for
moment, but always up to the top Q
the cross, as if measuring how far h
i had yet to go to reach the end of hi
perilous journey. There was many
quick heart-throb in the breasts of th
Mortified watchers below, but appal
emily no means of saving the man ha
4 suggested itself to any of them fo
hardly word had been spoken exceI
few short CALCULATIONS of alarm. Th
i workmen, who were brave enoug
Il when they were in his position, no
II that they saw him there were absolutel
\ Bpeechless with fear.
Up to this time, as has been said, th
climber had not looked down; but nov
as he stood with his arms around th
cross, he turned his head and saw th
crowds of people staring up at hin
l The sight appeared to infuriate hin
for, uttering cry that almost froz
the blood of those who heard it,
sprang up the straight stem of Il
| cross, climbing with frantic haste as
trying to escape peril, instead of seel
ing it. There was no longer a dou
| as to who he was: the man was lun
tic, and that fact added another horr,
to the scene. just as a few men in Il
crowd regained enough self-possessic
to talk coherently of some way to re
\ cue him, the superintendent of I'll
4 workmen arrived. He was the vel
n man for the occasion, for he took in Il
II situation at once and issued his orde
Il with GOODNESS OF one accustomed
i danger. By this time the madms
II had reached the arms of the cross, al
n was now astride them, gazing belo
him with every appearance of the will
II est fear.
Id The imminent peril of his positit
may be appreciated when it is remer
p bered that there is no scaffolding
any description around the steeple
i the only means of reaching the poi
to which he had climbed being L
CROSS pieces nailed to the tall uprigl
N How was he to be brought down
II safetyp That was the question eve
4 anxious watcher asked himself.