The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-02
HE KEPT HIS NERVE
econ" Sullivan Tells How He Was
Jerked Aloft by a Run
away Cable.
He Kept His Pipe in His Mouth
on His Thrilling Aerial
Voyage.

"Con' Sullivan was the foreman of the
construction crew which erected the tall
est electric light mast in the world in the
center of Bridge square twenty years ago.
The mast was 267 feet in height and it
was the ambitious dream of its projectors
to illuminate the entire city of Mime
apolis from a central point With thirty
or more high power arc lights in a cluster
at such an elevation they actually made
the council believe that it would be posi-
BILE thus to operate o bunch of lights which
would almost rivel the noon day sun in
brilliancy. AS it turned out, the scheme
was far less effective than the present
moon light schedule, but that's not the
story that interests Con-"
| He likes to tell of the memorable day
soon after the mast had been put in place
that he was jerked suddenly skyward on
the end Of a rope and forced to dangle
nearly 800 feet above the pavement until
| by the superhuman strength born Of des-
peration he managed to clutch the mast.
And a thrilling adventure twas.
| Inside Of the mast was counter weight
of 1000 pounds which worked up and down
the center by means of pulleys. When
| this weight was on the ground the cluster
| of lights was at the tip top of the mast.
| and when the lights were lowered up went
the weight But it took strength to con-
| troll the weight which was pulled up by a
| MINDLESS. In letting it down the crew
| usually LOOK n1IcHeS IN the. WIRE caDle SO
as to prevent it from sliding thru their
hands. They were in hurry on this par
ticular day and neglected to do so. The
result was that before they knew it the
seven men who grasped the cable lost
| control of it. The cable began to run
rapidly thru their hands: decorating them
badly, and then Con- sprang to the res
cue. He wrapped the fleeing cable twice
| around his right arm, taking hitch in
it as he ran, and then he was off the
earth.
"You see,'' said "Con.'' "there was only
ITO pounds at my end of the rope and it
had no effect on the 1900 which was
rapidly coming down the line. So 1 went
up. Before I knew it was fifty feet
above the pavement-too high up to risk
;. a, drop, so decided to go the limit. Fast
as l was going upward, I was thinking
on an even quicker schedule 1t flashed
across my mind en- route that if I staid
with the cable until it got to the top it
would be all off with me because my hands
would be ground into the pulley at the
top. would have to make connections
elsewhere, and quick, too. l was rapidly
{ nearing the top, and there wasn't the frac-
ton Of second to lose. So as / swung
in toward the mast again / grabbed for
one of the rails of the track on which the
cluster of lights travelled. This rail had
a 2k Inch f1ange, just enough for me to
3 / get a good grip with my left hand. 1 had
: the reputation in those days of having
/, la champion grip and it stood me we'll in
e hand then, for when I cast off with my
: right hand there I hung, scarce nine
+ feet from the wheels above, contact with
which would have hurled me thru space
I'll to sure death. Then / got hold of the
d Trail with my right. and down goes hand
8 under hand until could connect with q
Il ladder which had not been built to the
s top of the mast. Then took my time
4 about going down below
r. L Con- didn't tell how he had kept his
( pipe in his teeth during his perilous voy-
E age. He forgot also to tell how he hat
|, coolly relit the same when he made a safe
: landing. Nor did he mention the way the
: awe struck crowd below cheered his ex
= hibition Of nerve as he deliberately mad.
his way earthward.