Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-11
SMOKE STACK JOHN
John Phillips Progress Up the
Lofty Chimney.
READY FOR THE SUPREME EFFORT.

Every Ladder in Place Except the One
An Account of His Manner of OPERA
tion-He Views the Country from The
Great ColIar-Ingenious Method of Fix
Ing Bolts in Brick Work
NEW YORK. April ll-Nervy John Phil.
lips, the chimney climber, who is ascending
the great smoke stack of the Clark Thread
works at Newark, N j., is getting along
rapidly, considering the perilous character
of his work. Wednesday he was at work
by a. m, and at that time twenty two
ladders were in place, and the top of the up
per one seemed to be within five or six feet
Above this ladder stout spike was driven
into the masonry, and from it depended a
tackle block and rope.
How He Climbs the Ladders.
Mr.. Phillips wears safety belt around
his waist In the front of this belt is a stout
hook, which he attaches to rung of a lad
der while at work, thus giving support to
the body and permitting him to use both
hands freely. When ready 20 go up the lad
ders, Phillips fastened the end of the pulley
rope to the hook in his belt and one OF his
two helpers took hold of the other end of the
rope and gathered it in, hand over hand, as
the climber assembled, putting on strain
enough To make the climbing easy, but not
enough To hft Phillips whole weight When
Phillips rested the helper stopped pulling,
and he rested several times bsfore reaching
the dizzy height at which he was to begin
his davis work
standing on the Collar.
He examined the ashngs of the last lad
der and then sIgnalled for another, which
was quickly sent up 10 him 1t was a short
one, but like the others lie secured it with
six spikes. and dashed nearly half It's leng
to the twenty-second ladder. 1t projected
above the collar few feet, AMI, securing it
firmly, Phillips mounted it, and, passing be-
hind it, stood for few minutes on the broad
ring of brickwork which encircles the chin
ney, and which is Clipped off in two places
by the lightning Now came the beginning
of the climbers most difficult work.
An Ingenious Fastening.
Hollow drills ma lie of case-hardened pipe
with serratei ends, were sent up TO him.
and he began drilling one-inch holes in the
masonry. In these holes he drove pieces OF
steampipe. On the inner end of each OF
these pipe bolts was tapering plug, and on
the outer end a nut through which a rod
passed to the tapering plug. This rod ter
minated in ring to which the ladders were
dashed. After the pipe bolts were put in
place in the brickwork a few turns of the
nut expanded the inner end of the pipe and
made it secure in the masonry Phillips put
one of these bolts in the wall of the engine
room the other day and twelve men ON a
rope could not pun it out.
Ready for the Last Ladder.
1t was slow job afiixing the lower pair
of thess bolts, and Phillips did not get his
twenty-fourth ladder up until 1890 o'clock,
at which time a storm blew up, and he de-
scend,d until it was over, when he reascend-
ed ana resumed his work. The ladder which
he was attaching did not lean out ward
much, for he had concluded not to try the
ascent of the bell with single ladder II
ran nearly half way up the fiaring brick
work and stood slanting outward, but near.
IL perpendicular. At 2:30 o'clock he pro
nounced it secure, and sent for the twenty
five-foot ladder, which was to be the last
wooden one used. At 5 O'Clock he had this
in place, and was suspended from it by his
knees and waist belt while he was putting
in the middle bolts At 8 o'clock he was
still clinging like caterpillar TO a twig, and
putting on he lasbings which secured the
ladder tn the last pair of spikes
The job Nearly Completed.
The iron ladder with which he is to sur
mount the iron cap stood against the wall OF
the engineroom Its sides are made of iron
one and half inches wide, and the rungs
are made of half-inch gas-pIpe 1t is six feet
and eight inches long. 1t weighs forty
pounds, and would lie fat against the car
but for two strips of wood which Phillips
will lash to the under side. Putting on this
ladder will be the work of few minutes
and then Phillips task will be almost com
pIeted. After getting his supper, Phillips
made an attempt to put up the iron ladder,
but he was compelled to desist on account OF
the high wind and the approaching darkness.