The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-06-24
SteepIe Jack.

hamsaoer, the famous "stecple
jack, is in town. The business of
his high calling does not bring him
here, but his mission is to wreck the
Pacolet river. Though quiet, aim
able little fellow, who never touches a
drop OF blood-fring liquors, though in
40 way an iconoclast, it has for four
years been q pastime with Ramsauer
to wreck church spires. His SUCCESS
in such ventures has brought him to
the attention of an Atlanta firm, which
has sent him to Paeolet to perform
some of tho feats which have marked
his performances as the wizard of the
steeple tops.
In wrecking the Pacolet river, it is
not Ramsauer' 8 object tc inaiot some
kind OF chastiscment upon that turbu-
lent brook, for the lawless fury which
carried destruction, ruin and death
through the hills of Spartanburg. His
is more commonplace mission. BY
"wreckiDg church spires is meant
the removal in business like man
ner Of towers of churches which are
TO be torn down.
The work on which he will be en-.
geged along the Pacolet will be of q
new-order, but his genius will mani
S'eat.itselein restoring some kind of
(iSyape to the confused mass Of wreck
hge The principal object Of his ef.
forss will be to save as much cotton as
's9ssible. There is q great msss of
achinery piled in the side Of a bank
oflthe Paeolet river, and he will try
to remove this in the best shape DOS.
sible. just here he reports remark
able fact. The spokes of the giant
fly wheel which drove the machinery
OF the mills were broken hy the sheer
force of the pressure of the water.
When the bales Of cotton have been
secured from the debris, they will be
tioated down the river to Paeolet,
where they will be offered for sale un-
less the Hit Salvage Company, by
which he is employed should decide
to put up drying plant aud to save
the cotton for the mills in that way.
During the food the impression pre-.
vailed that bale Of cotton would rot
absorb much water, as the folds ,f
cotton were packed so tightly. Ram
sauer said yesterday that he had seen
q bale weighed at Pacolet, snd it tip
ped the scales at $500 pounds.
Ramsauer knows his business. That
is evident from the numerous news
paper clippings and magazine articles
which have been published detailing
some of his most thrilling deeds.
Three years ago he painted and put a
roof on the standpipe at Chester with.
out tho use of a stick Of scaffolding
after another mat had fallen and had
been killed. This is the ninth lob he
has completed after the man original.
ly on the job had had an awful death.
One Of his most perilous undertak.
lngs was the removal of spire 225
feet in height from Methodist church
In Atlanta. This was taken down
piece by piece without tho use of scaf-
folding, and there was an area of but
10 feet undert tower upon which to
lower the debris. He did this with
out accident and in record breaking
time.
Time is matter Of which steeple
jacks are proud. ~ can climb to the
top of any stosple without the use Of
scaffolding within 15 miuates," said
Ramsauer last night.
The wrecking of chimney OF a
manufacturing plant is one OF tho
most scientific and most remarkable
piaces Of work Of steeple jask. In.
stead Of beginning at the top and pull
ing the chimney down in sections, the
steeple jack bores four holes of eaua,
size under the CORNERS of the chimney
and file these. holes with dynamite.
These charges are, fred simultaneous.
ly by battery with the result that
the entire bottom Of the smokestack
is blown out evenly aud the chimney,