The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-30
HARRIS'S NARROW ESCAPE.
CAUGHT ON TEE TOR OF A 1ss-Foor
CHIMNEY

Ths Tee sset,o- % His Ladder cave wsy
sss ne Couit Not Uss It-Thers wss
Tee Mech Csc 60 90 Dova Husiss the
stsek-Finsiy cot Dewn % His Rope.
Joseph Harris. a professional repairer Of tall
chimneys. came very near losing hs life on
Wednesday afternoon while working on the
105-foot chimney Of the Domesti Sewing Ma
chine Company at High and Warren streets.
Newark. n. J. Harris seems TO take his es-
cape ss matter OF course. although he admits
that IL was the closest shave he ever had.
He saw Jack Phillips the scotchman who IL
known as "steeple Jack" repair the top Of
the Clark o. N T. Thread Company's chimney.
which is $50 feet high. about q year ago. and
at once went into the business
The top Of the chimney at the Domestic
works has been orumblinR away for some
time. and Superintendent q. A. Davis has
been turning over In his mind half dozen
schemes for repairing It without putting out
the fires. which would mean a shutdown.
One day last week Harris came along and
said he would like TO nx that little pipe" as
It looked bad on top. The Superintendent told
him to go ahead. and on Monday Harris. with
the assistance OF helper. commenced making
lot OF twelve-foot ladders out OF light wood.
Then he had fashioned q lot OF iron hooks
He placed ladder against the wall and drove
some OF the hooks In between the bricks.
fastening the ladder TO the hooks by ropes
bound around the runss. On top OF that lad
der he put another and fastened II in the same
way. He kept climbing In that way. and By
Tuesday nlght he had reached the top ,oi the
pairing early H on Nv eGassdsy f morning. tS na Ms TO
had fallen out and enclose ali with four heavy
again. All day "Wednesday he travelled up. and
down bis ladder carrying materials with him.
which he had fastened to the top OF the stack.
AZ o'clock the whistle TO shut down was
ana bs the ms he was ready ao
down almost overy body had gone. He gathered
his things teTether and lot them down TO the
over the. edge and began his descent.
He had taken but few steps when he mo-
loose. and wabbled .suspiciously. He hastily
scram bled back, and managed to get his arm
. grip on. the inside edge. when the topmost
hook holding the ladder came nearly out. leav-
n Esl hS admits : ;Sst s CAV. few
damned that and * around for other G
lie tried the IRON ladder on the inside of the
chimney. thinking to go out Of the door st its
feet when he began to feel very giddy from the
eject OF the gases He got back to the top as
T There he re rested Tor little while thinking It
over. finsy ne s Looked ed, 81 his rSps which was
top. tied the strands together at intervals.
He dropped 1t over the edge and began his
way down he managed to swing In close
enough to catch the ladder. and finished the
rest OF the journey on that.
During the whole proceeding his actions
were Witnessed by Q crowd that continually in
creased in numbers, and which cheered Wildly
work yesterday on account OF the rain. az he
said he wanted to tx that topmost ladder in
clear weather.
He was seen last night By q Sun reporter.
and said regarding his narrow escape:
Why, that's nothing to some OF the escapes
the Scotchman's had. Why. amt In It with
him."