The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-05-20

ones balance. l could never have be
lieved, neither. that such Jacobs
Ladder of scaffold poles could have
been built up to stand without crush
ing and swapping those at the bottom
like SO many reeds or tobacco-pipes;
but / suppose them as builds them
knows best what should be done; and
what they'll bear. But though l did
not like it much, took good care not
to mention it to my lass, for knew
she'd have been on the fidget all day
if had told her.
By degrees l got to stand it all
pretty well, and We began to feel
| settled in our one room. Not that
we much liked it, but then it was
very pleasant to 60 in the crowd on
pay day and draw your weeks wage,
good wage too, jest as l had seen it
when settin' in my own place at home
| We still called it home, for we could
| not get to feel that we were at home
in London. and Polly said she never
| should. after having a little house of
her own: but. as there was only our
two selves, we made things pretty
| comfortable.
The big hotel was getting on at
| tremendous rate, for there was
strong body on US at work, and it
used to make me think Of the loads
upon loads of stuff the hotel swallow
up, and how much more it would take
before it was finished. One day when
was bricklaying up at the top
don't know how many feet from the
ground, and [ never used 10 care to
look to see, for fear of turning giddy,
one day Ii came on to blow regular
gale, and blew at last SO hard that the
scatfold shook and quivered, while,
wherever there was a loose rope. it
ratified and beat against the poles as
if it was impatient of being tied there,
and wanted to break loose and be off
1t blew at las: s. VERY hard, that L
should have been precious glad of an
! excuse to get down; but [ couldn't
we'll leave my work, and the old hands
didn't seem to mind it much, SO |
kept at it. Whenever the wind blows
now, and | shut my eyes, can call it
back again. the creaking and culver
ing of the poles, the rafting Of the
boards, the bowling and whistling of
the gale as it swept savagely by, in a
rage because it could not sweep us
away.
A high wind is pretty hard to deal
wite. on the ground; and have seen
folks pretty hard drived to turn a cor
ner. So it may be guessed what sort
of fun it is right up on spidery scat
fold, where man is expected to work
with both hands, and hold on by
nothing, and that, too, where single
step backwards wonld he-there, it's
thing as allus makes me- nervous to
talk about
II was getting to be somewhere
about half past three, and was work
lug hard, SO as to keep from thinking
about the storm, when all at once |
happened to turn my head, and see
that the men was a scnffling down the
ladders as hard as they could go. And
then, before l had time to think. there
was loud crash, and large piece of
scaffolding gave way, and swept with
it poles, boards, and bricks, right into
the open space below.
l leaped mp at pole which project
ed from the roof above me, just above
my head, and aung suspended, just as
the boards upon which L stood gave
way, and fell on to the next stage,
twenty feet below Tightly clasping
lhe rough r,pole, l clung for life.
Think | did think. | thought
hundreds of things in few seconds,
rs L shut my eyes and began to pray,
| for felt as | could not hold on long,
and | knew as | should fall first on the
stage below, when the boards would
either give way, or shoot me off again
with spring, and then | knew there
would be crowd round something
on the ground, and the police coming
| with strecher
Creep out, mate and come down
the rope" cried voice from below.
l turned my head. so that | could just
see that the pole was hanging to had
a block at Che end, through which ran
a rope for drawing light things
up and down to the scaffold. For an
instant / dared not move; then. rails
| ing myself, l went hand over hand to-
wards the pulley, and in another in
slant should have grasped it, when
| heard rushing sound, and the
creaking of wheel, as the rope went
spinning through, and was gone: the
weight of the longer side having drag
ged the other through. As l hung, l
distinctly heard it fall, perhaps hun
dred aud fifty feet.
As the rope fell, and l hung there,
| could hear regular shrek from
those below; but nobody stirred to my
assistance, for was beyond help then !;
but seemed to grow stronger with
the danger. though my arms felt as it
they were being wrenched out of
their sockets. and my nerves rs If they
were torn with hot irons. Sobbing
for breath, l crept in again till l was
over the stage first; then close into
the face of the building; and there l
hung. Once | tried to get some hold
with my feet, but the smooth bricks
let my toes slide over them directly.
Then tried to get leg over the
pole, SO as to climb up and sit there;
bnt the time was gone by for that L
had hung too long, and was now
. | Sio"ihS ohCi ONCly 'hothCLl-
| can't describe what | felt. All
know is, that it was horrible, and that
long afterwards 1 used to jump mp in
bed with scream: for so sure as
was a little out o sorts, came dream
of hanging to that scaffold pole, ex
pectlng every moment to be ones
last
L can't say, either how long hung
but feeling at length that l was go
. ing. / made one last try for it. |
thought of my poor lass. and seemed
to see her looking at me in a wild
, der's cap; and then 1 clenched my
teeth hard, and tried 20 get on t.
where the end of the pole was fasten-
ed. got one hand over the hard
bricks, and hooked my fingers. and
; ! holH thap I rnt tho o{har ho "a