The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-15
STEEPLE JACK AT WORK.
ROW WATCH ONE CLIMB q HOTEL
STAFF Is5 FEET From M STREET.

Climbing Done BY n Hand stirrun-ho"
Ho hcrnIrrd the Washington Monument.
From the Providence Journal.
Pcrched IA a boatswains chair at the top OF a
hagstaH on the Narragansctt Hotel, 40 feet
from the level of Weybosset street. Potter i.
Walgrech of Boston, commonly known as
'StccpIc Jack.," worked yesterday afternoon
with as great Indifference as IL he had been on
the ground. One after another the pnsscrs.hy
Oh eyho7'c' strcot stopped and looked until
crowds lined lAc sidewalk and watched the man
as after having sawed oil the top of the pole
and lowered ANA set the truck at the top. he put
in the gildcd bail TO top Off the pole.
The work wN- laborious from the nature Of
the position in which the workman was neccs.
sarily placed, NUt was completed in the after.
noon. lu-day hc viii paint tho iaRpolc OF the
PROVIDENCE Athletic Association, which has u
height OF nifty frnl, and will probably finish that
job in short order. After that he will return TO
Boston, unless he stops over to make some re.
pairs 10 other pp!cs In the city. He has worked
here before, and many Of the poles on top OF
buildings are in his regular charge.
Tho top of the pole had become rotten and 1t
was necessary to have 1t shortened sixteen
inches. After that the workman had to saw
two inches down the top OF the pole and Chise oil
of the surface TO set a lignum vitp truck, eight
Inches wide, on top OF the pole. The truck is tho
round wooden piece. looking like a dinner plate,
set on top OF all nagpoles. partly for protection,
partly for ornament.
The pole is spruce and Is tough. After saSing
the truck IL was necessary to make all ready for
reeving tho haliards. and to bore an eight inch
hole with the grain of the wood straight down
into the flag pole. This was TO make a place for
the shaft OF the new ball and was the worst lob
OF all, for Walgrecn was able to exert only the
.n..,, - .-- $500. 80. ~. " 10
his breast above the pole. The work was COM
menccd Thursday and was finished last night.
the last iob hrinr tho min which ,oor ohorI an
s snU r"'t 1 yoo oe,nS a"E io't' "n'rh 'ooN ABOUT an
inches in diameter aud was gilded yesterday.
/ The pole was climbed with a hand st]irruu. with
- ~. 80 "''' "a "p,"t'n
whlch ""lSrecn claims he can 90 up and down
n ninety-foot pole in seven minutes. The stirrup
is an adaptation of the prlncInIc of climbing
praCtlceu ny me Ma!lyS. ana is made by making
nplloe III raCP Gnu OF a piece oil rope, that on
oHS rnd being laisc anu The other small.
The rope Is put around the pole. the big splice
ncIhS s!ipltd through me smaller one. The
right hand is inserted IA the large splice, the
loit hand placed ON the back Of the pole, and tho
silrr4p Is showed up me polc with The lett hand,
the right hand following and pulling up the
nolN. In thls manner, showing the stirrup up
IA lnchcs each tlili". the climb Is quickly made.
or climbing stecpIeS INC process differs. To
ger, UP q wooden, stecpie The men usually 20 Hs
hish on Tue inside OF inc slccplc as they can get,
EehcrhlIy up TO the kihEriin, in which tho
N''' '"'S IS ~ - hN4O IL lllt boICu
through The side OF he stGep!e. and through this
/, hole a rope is passed and lowered to the ground.
diameter. An inch rope Is Inserted and the man
on the ground puts II bovine in it, ON which he
hook a tackle.
rms is hauled up. TO the hole in the steeple
with the rope previously PASSED through the
hole. The rope is then fastened with a block
attached to the king post inside the steeple
with "a !ashing., The stccple jack then goes out
side. and is hoisted up in "A hoatswain's chair.
he Is then within about IL feet OF the top Of
| the Stpeplc, TINS beng usually The distance of
A small block is dashed to a stick of the
length OF the distance between the height OF
the holo and the top of the stceplc, and the
b!oCS is then showed up with the pole and
hooked TO IN wGA.her Nnnr. The stceplc jack
the top. For safety he usually wears a belly
lashing. which consists al a halfinCh rope
holding him firmly to the st"rplc.
III the old days the men usually flew n kite to
which a small block and rolr hAd been attached,
regulating the flight of Tho Kite to get it tangled
In the stecplc. AS soon as il was firmly fastened
there they married or spli,"l a larger rope to
then rugged W. the hoa;swain's chair, which is
nothing more than q board held in two ropes.
N.algreen is original with him. and is II secret.
here the covering OF the 5 cvplo is Of slate
great care must he taken 10 secure the ropes. so
mat they may not Chafe end drop the man, rs
many stecpIe JACKS have been killed in this way.
II Is customary TO use wire ropes. and tho more
these. The chatting is caused by the sway ny
due 10 the Vibration uIrarent in everything
h'ehS' 'thh wv iStl rum INC. suIIdCc Vi! INV
earth. Stccplcs sway with this back and forth
In dIhhy fashion,
"Slrcplc Jack has climbed. he says. more
notable buildings than any other man in tho
business IN this country. Three years ago he
went TO- the top OF the Washington Monument
III " Washington and repaired HE damage made
by lighininS., The holt made a Jagged. and
crooked crack IN the stone. in places large
enough TO insert the hand. WaIGTccn put up
MS preliminary tackle ut night and completed
the job the nest day, putting n half barrel of
marble cement into the hole.
The crack was hut a short distance below the
cone on top of thC, monument, aud the job was
oNIrn haInrtous. The height Of the monument
IS 900 feet. the fullest structure in this country.
The tackle was put NJ al might IN order TO con.
C""l the method Of operation, WalSrcCn having
his own secret process of putting up tackle for
tai! buildings.
lie has also Climhcd the stceplc Of Trinity
Church In New York and gildcd the dome at a
height o. ~ ,cCi. aud has repaired the chimney
o. the Clork o.; \. I. thread works in Newark.
This Is the highest chimney in this co Jntry, be-
Ing -! feet above the -rUund. The chimney OF
the Fail River Iron W orkr is the second highest.
lie made u record of / hour and u minutes for
cIlmblnE ana painting the steel flag pole on the
.Ames building, Boston, last year. The building
has u height OF elb feet, ana the pole is 81 feet