Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-08-09
ABOUT TALL CHIMNEYS.
TWO REASONS FOR BUILDING
1THEA TO SUCH GREAT
HEIGHT.


VALING THE PRODUCTIONS OF
ANCIENT GREECE-N TABLE
STRUCTURES.
"Why are factory and other
chimneys to bear off smoke from
great furnaces built tail I" asked
one of II group of men standing by
and observing the work progress.
ing on the chimney Of the water
works house on Harrison street.
That's easy enough to answer"
replied a tall fellow from Blue Is.
land avenue; "it's to lift the smoke
up above the houses and tn e
streets, SOS not to foul the air we
take into our lungs.
That may be, so Tar as 1t relates
to the chimney, but not altogether
either, for the higher it Is the
stronger the draft. There's chin
ney at Glasgow, the talIest iu the
world, 44s4 feet high, belonging to
a chemical works factory, where
the elevation is required iu order
TO keep from poisoning people with
the gases constantly escaping. 1t
is also of first Importance where
much quicksilver or arsenic enters
into the fumes. If the
chimneys were low in the former
case all the people would be sail
waited, and in the latter case arse
mic poisoned, which is worse"
"Then," sad the reporter, who
was standing by, "tall chimneys
are built for the double purpose
Of carrying smoke or other object
ionable matter off above the houses,
as well as to afford plenty of drafts
for the furnaces
fhe knowing man assented, aud
iu few moments the nan of the
pencil SAID, meditatively: sit must
take decidedly level headed fell
low to do the work those fellows
are dong up there.
BY way of explanation 1t may be
stated that the chimney under
consideration was about 130 feet
above ground, and had twenty
more to be added to 1t. The men
at its top laying bricks looked like
dwrafS.
"lour error 10 common one,
said the knowing man IN reply to
the reporter. "One reads ever and
ad0n about the periIs OF lofty
climbs aud how imperative 1t is
that masons who build high walls
shall kEOw 10 snch thing as dlzzl-
ness, but possess nerves OF steel.
that's a deluslOn and snare. A
contractor or boss would scarcely
send man alOft who Is subject to
frequent attacks of epilepsy, but
any ordinary fellow can begin work
upon a wall, and as it ascends day
by day, grow accustomed to it,
until height of 1000 feet would
be no more to him than an ordinary
stone fence would be to you. I've
no doubt the fellows on the Tower
of Babel walked around It's upper
wall as fearlessly on the day of
confusion of tongues as they did
when they LAID its foundation
stones. Men get used to anything.
I've no doubt they would grow ac-
customed to dying in very short
time, if they could go through the
experience every day. la any
event, take 100 bricks or stone ma.
sons and ninety-nine OF them can
face any sort OF altitude il it is
necessary"
"But one does take a tumble
once in a while"
"Rarely," replied another of the
party. "We have put up fifteen
tall chimneys here IN Chicago ahd
around 1t, and we're had no acci.
dent of any kind. There are acci.
dents when scaffolds are built too
weak
"ChicagO mas no such tall chin.
neys as that mentioned at Glasgow
or the one at Kearney, n. j., which
is 33j feet high; still It has one
which, for beauty of design and
the success Of having placed upon
It's top a solid iron casting weigh
ing I 200 pounds, gives to it very !
enviable distinction, although It is
a tIife under 100 feet in height"
"Thls was said by the knowing one,
who continued "You ought to see
it. 1t is at the Murphy Varnish
company's factory, corner Of twen-
ty.secOnd and Butter6eld streets,
and is without exception the most
handsome chimney in America, If
not in the world. 1t is absolutely
in plumb, and the diminishing OF
the diameter in two feet from the
foundation to the top Is as faultless
as the work done by tue skilled !
masons of Greece when they shap-
ed the marvellous columns which
adornen the AcrOpois.'
"Iave they done away with
scailoldings altogether in chimney
building!" asked the reporter, who
observed that the masons above
him were working from within.
GAS rule, yes, when there IS
room enough it being less expen-
slye and less dangerous. You
will observe that but two masOns
are at work there aud one laborer,
] n,bo attands to tha mortar and |