The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-16
4 PBRIL0US OCCUPATION
The Many Dangers Which Sur
round Il Telegraph Lineman.
Narrow Escapes From Serious In
jury OF Sudden DCHtE Frequent
= Broken Point on Climber
May Mean the Loss of n Life


jury or Sudden Dcuth Frruurnt-
= Broken Point on Climber
May Mean the Loss of Life
The crowd that gathered to watch a
telegraph linemau at work near the top
of a sixty-foot pole had to tilt their heads
far back to see him. His climbing irons
were securely fastened into the pole and
the end Of Il rope around his waist was
tied to a cross-arm. He was WELDING
saw with energy. using both his hands,
and making the sawdust fly but with
only the thin belt of rope about his waist
he seemed to be most foOlishIy TiSkiug
his life A slip of the knot would land
him in eternity or q slip Of his climbing
irons might do it-=yet ne made no at
tempt to ensure his safety by leaving
one hand free, but kept eneTgeticaIly at
work with both
In Il few moments he finished his job,
/ ana with monkey-Itke GuiCkncss he
cIarnbered down the pole. almost sliding
down. and landed u->on terra fiTma, with
out even giving sis 2 by sigh that he
was glad to have a perilOus task over.
1t may be dangerous, and guess it is,
for men get killed at il if they are not
careful" he said when he was asked
about the perils of his occupation He
stripped off his steeI-pointed climbers re-
marking: AS long as these stay by me
I am not mUcn afraid It is when you
lose one OF those points that you are in
tiCkIish place ! had that happen to me
once, and ( don't want it 10 happen al gain.
1t was when ! was a young one at the
business. and I had got my climbers from
d man second hand. ] had climbed to the
top Of big pole and was just coming
down, when the point Of my left climber
( broke of short. and there / was, in mid
air with only one leg, 50 to speak For
tuEateiy, ] had my rope with me, and by
tying it around myself and the pole I
managed to get down easy q bit at
time But it was a narrow escape and
Gon't want TO repeat it.
Seating himself in the shadow Of a Iun-
Der pile close by, an taking out his
lunch, the iineman continued:
There are plenty Of professions in
which a man risks his life but none il
which he mas SO many things to guard
/ against as he has in pole climbing. The
steeple jack who has a great reputation
tor being daring man goes up pretty
nigh, II IS true, and he has to tackle
SEeat many difficult propositions but af-
! GeT all l don't think there Is much choice
( between falling sixty feet or u hundred
! feet or over i fellow is likely to be
! killed by either. or to be famed for life
AS rEle the steeple jack can De pref
/ " sure that the thing he IS climbing IS
/ not going to fall down with him, and tat
: is mere than the pole -fuber IS ever Ger
! tain Of. If the Stee- jack makes d
slip he is likely to find 90 .sething to catch
hold of to stop him tzso:+ he reaches the
ground, but slip On pole u@ans d fall
/ 10 certainty wita nothing between you
/ ana me haFd edTt}E. The men who work
+ on the steel skei-JrT.s Of the big build
/ lngS get plenty of praise for their daring
/ but they don't risk az much as We DO
Putting up poles is only the easiest
/ part OF It, and putting in new wires Is a
/ lazy job It IS not often that you have
any d1iEculty in getting u9 a new pole.
for the surface Is hard and viii hold your
/ climbers. The thing is not likely TO tumble
( for 1t has been put up 10 stay In "A deep
/ hole, with plenty OF rocks and DIRT lamp
/ 90 around IT, and sometimes a concrete
/ socket put in
The tlcklish poles are the old ones. and
/ they have to be approached carefully.
! Zach Is a problem in itself, and you have
/ To watch them all A good part of the
telegraph Hnesrnan's work nowadays, Is
/ on oid poles, for the city ordinances have
! required in nearly all cities of any size
that wires strung overhead. shall be put
/ IN underground cOndUitS- Consequently
/ nearly all telephone. electric light, and
/ telegraph COMPANIES are getting down
/ their cid wire supports, and d great many
! OF them are very old indeed
1T is difficult to tell what is the life Of
/ 4 pole and while some may stay in the
! ground ten years or more and not be
/ rOtted- others may be gone to pieces in
half that time, depending upon the treat
ment they have received and the condi-
/ lions that surround them So We IuemeH
/ have nothing to go upon and though We
! may test each one. sc have precious lit
{ tie TO tell US If tree is safe not
/ We have to take q good deal Of 1t on
/ faith and it IS by faith that We are saved.
[ ] suppose for considering all things, ac-
/ CidcutS are not over frequent
Not long ago LiDeman McMann was
/ killed through the falling Of a pole. He
/ had the most disagreeabIe Job and the
most risky one that q Hneman could get,
: cutting wires away from an old pole pre-
( DarafOTy TO pulling II down There Il
/ where the most faith has 10 be used. You
I can test and you can pull ana You can
/ examine. but you cannot tell now much
I the pole Is standing because OF support
/ from the wires on it nor how likely 1t is
! to tumble when the wires are cut away
! When il begins 10 fall YOU have but small
chance Of getting out OF your experience
. alive If you are on the right side YOU can
/ jump. but II you are on me wrong side you
I have not even that chance OF escape. and
must expect to be crushed.
/ The newest danger in a Ineman's life
. is from electricity Twenty or more years
/ ago when there were only telegraph lines
/ on poles. you did not hive 10 look out for
the Juice. put you nave 20 % on me
/ watch all the time now, whatever kind
{ Of pole you are If you are cutting out
. wires. your clippers are likely to dig into
/ the insulation of = conductor that Is car
rying several II usand volts Of current
and especially il it is a vet day you VIII
get the whole Of it through you and land
in another country before you have an idea
of what struck you
"A Iineman always wants to be quite
sure Of the wires he is going among. but
! the exact information is not always pos
sibIe. Sometimes, too. telephone or
telegraph strand which has been aban-
doned for some time win be crossed by
/ q sa gging electric light wire on which
the Insulation has been worn through
/ II IS woe to you If you happen to be the
/ one to make the circuit. for the shock
/ win surely be enough TO loosen your hold
on the pole, and il means a fan with
( fatal termination If there are no other
| wires To catch you
1T is not every man who can take up
the lineman's business. as you can i'm
agine. ANY inclination to dizziness or
any tiTnidity about going up heights is
enough to disbar at the outset. A fellow
has to be strong and fearless Quite a
number OF the men VINO become IInGnen
are sailors who have grown tired Of the
sea and want shore work
Now that all wires are being put
underground ! suppose our profession viii
be taken away from Us. There is less
and less work for US each day and be
fore long an old-time lineman viii be Il
rare thing"
MRS. HAINES COMMITTED.
Woman Charged With the Murder
of Her S1ePdauEhter-