The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-09-28
How &c Felr Mhile rallinr mo Fest.


EVILS MASON. boilermaker
r and ironworker. says that a
fall of no feet isn't so bad.
Mason tumbled 10 feet
down the smokestack of the American
Sugar Refinery at New Orleans, La.
and fifteen minutes later was Complain
ing because the nurse wouldn let him
smoke a cigarette.
It's all bluff" declared Mason.
this thing people tell you about not
thinking or feeling while you are fall
ing. l thought about a lot of things
and knew everything that was doing.
No, | didn't think of death 1t never
occurred TO ME that was going TO die.
Mason, says I 10 myself. the first see
ond of the journey. you've always
been lucky dog; you win be now
You are going to escape and did. l
hit the bottom on a coil of rope and
then l went to sleep for fifteen min
utes.
we had put up the big iron smoke
stack at the American Sugar Refinery.
The seaffolding and stay work were
on the Inside of the pipe-not the out
side.
Il was up 40 feet. working with
steel poker OF course the ledge was
narrow and a man had to watch his
balance, but being accustomed to it
the height never bothered me. 1
worked up there just the same as on
the ground
In this case l was putting a good
power in the hand rod and was lean
ing over considerably off a perpendic-
ular. Suddenly the poker came out
and lost my balance.
Thu first sensation was the only one
of fright ! had. After the first instant
/ was never frightened. l made one
grasp at a rope but missed it. l knew
then l would go to the bottom of the
shaft. There was plenty of time to
think and | reasoned everything out.
The first was-were there any cross
boards near me- No | replied to my
self, they are all out That relieved
me- l felt pretty good. l knew l had
a long fall. but l reasoned that had
always been lucky, and why not now Z
That was another consoling thought.
two; no boards and always lucky. l
thought it all out just as l am telling
it now.
The black sides of the smokestack
We're whirling by. Have you ever gone
down in an elevator very fast? Wei,
Just imagine you are going a little fast
err and you have an idea of it,
when about half way down had
reasoned it all out and was satisfied. |
crossed my arms tightly. determined.
if possible, to fall right side up. Then
the sides of the big stack began TO ring.
The din was frightful | thought a
million wagons were running over
iron crossings. l was not doing so
much thinking now. The noise changed
to booming cannons. They beloved
and roared, | thought the whole thing
was moving. and that [ was gracefully
floating 10 the air. sailing in an airship.
with the objects moving about me.
Nothing hurt me. l must have still had
my reason. for l remember distinctly
whats happened One very bright
thought come to me, and l wondered
why l had not reached the bottom 1t
seemed that l had stopped en- route.
Then | wondered if [ had slipped by
the coil Of rope and was not going to
stop there at all
'"The sensation was growing more
pleasant just as l thought to myself
how f.t1 I
tiful light broke in upon the darkness.
There was a green lawn and some boys
playing tennis. SO far as I know per-
sonally never hit the bottom. | Went
to sleep-a beautiful sleep-as the pic
ture flashed upon me. That must have
been when | struck, but l never felt
anything.
Fifteen minutes later l opened my
eyes as they were carrying me to the
ambulance ] pulled up a leg, then al
arm, and knew l was still alive. |
said to myself. Mason. you're luck is
with you Somebody asked me if 1
knew what had happened. and re-
piled that Of course 1 knew; that | had
fallen down the smokestacS. l felt a
little pain in my back as they carried
me in the hospital
''In the hospital-I've got no use for
'em-they won't give you anything to
eat and they won't let you smoke and
roll on the grass. They treated me like
an invalid, and only gave me milk
toast and some other soft things. SO
when the nurse went out of the room |
jumped out of bed, got all my clothes 1
could find and left the place"
Mason is twenty-four years of age.
weighs 40 pounds and stands FIVE feet
eight inches in height
There is only one day l didn't
work, said he. The day l fell"
An Exciting Canoe Run.
Now, before us, says a writer in