Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-06-07

TRUSTING LIFE TO a ROPE.
Walking Backward Over n Gin and
Down lts Face.

A fowler of the sencoast may be in lit
tie danger of losing his life while walking
the cliffs, for he is sure footed. iron ncry-
ed, hardy and resourceful, but it must be
a creepy business to watch, as it surely
lis to read about. To see Il man walk
backward over the top of u cliff between
800 and 400 feet above the waves break
( ing at its base: to see him go steadily
! down, down, saved from falling as it
seems. by n mere thrcuti; to see hundreds
of birds circling about his head, filing the
air with their discordant cries. while he
swings to and fro like pendulum--to see
this must send thrill m the spine.
/ Yet nowadays such climbing is carried
on Systematically and. according tn
writer in .Chums," with every precaution
suggested by the lessons of the past
1 Each pnrty consists of four men. who be-
gin operations by driving an iron crow
bar into the top of the cliff. To this is
/ fastened what is called the guide rope.
/ the end of which hangs loosely down the
! cliff and is used by the climber for con
I trolling his movements. signaling and so
on. Then the inan who is to descend,
| wearing something like n sling round his
waist and thighs, to which is securely at
tached the end of another rope. walks
backward over the cliff and down its
| face.
His body is inclined outward, and its
weight is mostly borne by the rope. which
he holds by both hands. The other end
! Of the rope is under the control of n com
,oanion, who SITS on the top, his feet firm
lily planted in holes. The rope is passed
round lis waist, which is protected by a
strong leather belt. and he gradually pays
\ it out, bearing the weight of the climber
upon his loins.
Down the CLEANER goes. sometimes for
4 40 or SO yards or even n greater distance.
Then. if he is an expert, he works him
| self to the right or the left This is n
preeaution Of the first importance, for n
stone dislodged above by the rope will.
straight line, and ii the climber should be
4 there to intercept it h. runs the risk of
having his skull cracked.
i However, snch accidents as take place
/ in egg gathering are alarming rather than
tragic. They rarely do more than cause
4 anxiety. y an instance happening
which occurred last season on the north
seacoast OF Scotland will do as we'll as
! any.
One day after a climber had been over
4 the cliff for some time the man on top
could not feel him. His weight was
not pcrceptiblc. This circumstance made
his companions apprehcnsive that m ac-
cident had hefallen him, and when the
minutes sped on and no signal came from
below they became very uneasy. So at
last they tried TO pull up the rope, only.
4 however. 10 fail. They could not get it in.
4 On this one of the party Went along
the top till he could command a view OF
the face. Much TO his relief he SAW the
climber sitting on a ledge calmly smoking
4 his pire.
What had taken place? Simply this:
The rope had slipped into crack. This
being 50. the r;ltherer had climbed W
The guide ronc and settled down as com
fSrtably rs possible till his companions
should discover the position of affairs.
Ter bodies have so far been recovered