Telegram-herald., 1890-06-26
STEEPLEJACKS.
Their Methods OF Scaling Seem
tngly Impossible HslghtA-

tngly Impossible HsLghts-
There are many curious trades and
prOfsesl0ns bat ssw more 50 than thai
81 a steeple-iA iAck, a nan whose business
.t II ~ ascend y places which apparent
J. nothing bat bird could hops TO
reach. and when there - 81 al kinds Of
EOrk a spice Of danger L. held - lend
. charm o. An Occup4 ion III this ID
really -, tho WORK Of . steeple-1ack
1nCsl b. one Of the most attractive IN
existence, for Of danger IL has no lack.
The most usual jO5 these adyentur-
Gus men aro called upon 70 10 Is the TO
pairing u chimney sh4fts Chimney
c4eSs" would really be better Aane for
thea than ''steeple- ilcks;- but pre-
sulnabiy the business began before the
great chimneys one sses about nova
days were known. Very often they
manage % get - the top OF chimney
by he help " a kite: not an ordinary
sohOolbOy's Kite, but one measuring
sight or ten feet by six or eight and
made Of the strOngest canvas. Such a
kite weighs from Ehirty - forty poundS,
HILA cos . the best part OF three pounds
without counting tho line IL carries,
which may Be thousand yards
IN length From each OF the four
corners OF the kite. lines run, and
they ara iosned about twelve feet
ar SO A~ay from l. After an
interval about twice as great, the
''dO~n-alI" iOsn. tho main line. Tho
'-down-an' Is made Of thinner rope than
the principal cord, and need not be
abOyo = hundred yards long. Its use
becomes apparent when the steeple-
tack's Assistants manage 20 make the
kite sail over the chimneys mouth. for
Sho instant TINS happens the man who
s. handling no down ALI gives jerk,
which has the result OF making tha
kite fall oger, so that the main line
lies across he sop Of tho chimney. The
monster kite Is manipulated in just tho
same way asa boy nzasges bis cOmpar-
tivetv snail one Of course tho direc-
ton is lakes IS not left 70 chance, IL
tais were -. it would rs rule be
long rma before he line lay over the
chlaney's mouth. Tho uan In charge
of the cord bcoouse By constant practices
VERY clever at stoeHng tho great
kite, and provided th9: tho wind helps
them. guide IL In ss1ch n manner THAT
ft seems as though 10 were endowed wi th
reasoning powers. aad were as anxious
as any OF thon 70 bring the job to IA
voratIc termination wikd the least pos
sible delay.
Once the cord occupies tho desired po-
sftion. &c Is OF course IN easy matter to
attach strong ropes 10 tho original line
and iix ap blocks aRd gear, by which
chains are drawn up over the mouth OF
the chimney. and finally . cage from
which = man can woFk-
Is may easily DO believed, q great
seal depends upon tho man who has
hold of sae ''down-all." IL DO fails 70
make his .erk % the right moment, all
nc succeeds in doing is to bring the ki oe
down With o run. when there Is the
bother of carryis,g It back from the
place 40 which 10 started and making
Rn0;hor try. Only q steady, reliable
ma Is given tho Cd argo OF tho down
all Che trouble involved In working
tho bltc until Sc trails tho line right
over tGs shaft is FAR too great for any
Eisbe e. be run when l. - in tho proper
pos. ion.
Tho kite fs generally started about
-four or fvo hundred yards away from
RE chimney. and oncs It IS of. all de-
ponds Upon The wind. S.ecp4a-isclzs
like nice fresh steady breeze. the
steadiness Is tho g-a. point, for any
littls variation in g.. means that tho
careful guiding q $50 Kite 50 far mas
been of uo use. and q az is must ali BE-
Fiu over a-ain. If CLIO wind il as favor
S6'e as possible and staepie-iacles are
AZ .o s~er thas So iert 0ieen 80 when
the 1lvo work Ia hlndl. lucky gang
81 ass ss1ts na7 g.. the whole thing
ove- n an hour or but her. on tue
otber hand. they m1r be three or four
da7s trr. .-r il ga n t' COX sho lire over
The -ai-ney Nos evca tAe cnptsin of .
bceof med sailing vessel Ions = FOR ID steady
b-rocc roro taan q master stceple- jack
does vlan he bas a chimney repairing
ioh and halfa der'u mon 90 pay all
tbe -me that is bein- LOST He does nos
wan tc0 mgch wind for bis work. a
strong breeze makes such bag kites as
De uses quite unmanaEsable a light
Wind -sn's ssron- enough 20 carry ono Of
them and a wind which chors nd
changes about "a tho ono that a
worss - all Whom ono Of Tho last
named kind r. blowing it is bcst %
leave che slte alone and get cut the lad g.
de-s ~ once.
Iadio-s arr what steepls-iacks use
when it "a a question - repairing a
steerie. a suire or round chsmner
Most chirne7s erc bulls square. and IL
a. far square chimnevs thas the kite
comes into use Many os our readers
have prceabl7 seen = STRING ~ ladders
up ths side - a spire AMI have Won
deret hoe rteT were srran<el strairh g
,r-e~ th, f-, ~ r-a a-e-har Tt f.-Er
a. .hough ls would - 3is1cuit pfecs
% work IN build ri,er, az; hus it -
uuipe a simple matter onca ore Knows
ho~ Be- is f7ne Tn sue arss pla-e. an ori +
nary sdder twenty OF thir-v feer ie- =
fs placed szaiast the side 80 che hui q .- z
which has - be asceutee BE- III chimney.
steerIe or sufre A mar mounts this
e. che greatest hetvht a. WI loh be can
conveniently Eors. AMI drives into rhe
hriczvcrS ar fror rin. whlca 81 -aliei q
"dcr tirra3 r-h --aeL 81 ss -o