Smyrna times., 1905-12-27

Learn the Dangerous Trade.
\ skillful ship rigger never strikes
Come good times or bad, the supply of
volunteers for this most desperate of
occupations never falls below the de-
mand. The ship riggers are to be seen
along the water fronts of all great
ports perched high in air like great
spiders busted with their strange archi-
lecture They work in all sorts of
weather, both by day and night. No
other calling demands such a combina.
ton of skill and courage and the abil-
ity to work quickly in the face often
of appalling danger
There is no eXaggeration in the state
ment that the rigging of ships, espe-
cially those requiring repairs after
long seryice is the most dangerous of
occupations.
According to reliable statistics, fully
20 per cent of all regularly employed
ship riggers are manned, often very
seriously, every year. The proportion
of riggers seriously injured in a life
time is about 80 per cent. The greater
number of accidents are caused by
falls from aloft or by being struck by
falling objects, such as blocks or spars
or pieces Of heavy rigging, falling
from great heights. Serious knife
wounds come next in order. The rec
Ords of such accidents, as evidenced
by the books of any hospital in a great
seaport, are long and grewsome.
A rigger must be steeple climber,
a sailor, tight rope walker, something
of u trapeze artist and an experienced
Shipbuilder rolled into one. He must
be literally u jack Of all trades and a
master at least OF several of them
The ironworker who balances himself
on steel girders ON a great bridge or
skyscraper, the trapeze artist in the
circus or the "steeplejack" actually
works in far less danger of his life.
The danger to the latter class of
workers is more familiar and has been
the more widely advertised. But a ship
rigger must keep a perfectly cool head
in the face of dangers which might
stagger a Nelson or a Dewey. Your
"steeplejack" may be perfectly self
possessed at high attitudes, but then
he works with the assurance that his
support at least is stable The struc-
tural iron worker feels that he can de.
pend upon the solidity of the steel
beams beneath him, while the most
daring trapeZe performer never ven.
lures on ropes which have not been
thoroughly tested and rarely without a
net beneath him.
But the rigger knows no such safety
in his support The fact that his serv,
ices are required aloft means, of course,
that the complicated rigging is faulty.
The masts or spars may be rotten to
the breaking point, the ropes may part
at any instant. 1t is just this uncer-
tainty which renders the rigger's life
extra hazardous. He must mount with
the agility of q cat and work quickly
in a network of rigging which may
part at any instant. 1t would be diff
ferent If he could even choose his owl
time and weather, but the rush insep
arabic from such work allows him NJ
choice. Rain or snow or ice greatly
increases the danger by rendering thu
spars or ropes treacherous TO the han(
and foot. Then, again. when the worl
goes forward by night the binding
rays Of the searchlight to a man deli
cately balanced on Icy ropes make
extremely difficult to judge distances
and positions.
The most experienced sailor, no mat
ter how much at home he may feel il
the rigging in any weather, will Otter
balk at the work of the rigger. Th
sailor is at least reasonably sure of tn
strength of his rigging If his ship b
seaworthy. Then. again. if sailo
slips or falls the rolling of his ship
likely TO throw him overheard into tn
water, where his fall is partly broker
1t is different with the rigger, who
he falls must come down on the bar
boards. The ship rigger must, besides
often work with the masts and spar
practically denuded of their riggin
without the safety which full rigge
ship lends to an experienced sailor
The wages of the skilled ship rigge
may seem high in comparison wit
those of the ordinary sailor or even
ships officer. Considering the acc
dents which every rigger meets inahi
daily life, the work is of course on
for which no amount of money ca
really compensate. A first class riggt
commonly receives 81 for a days worl
For all extra time the rate is doubl
Much OF the work is of course don
under the usual pressure of tim
When an accident occurs to a me
chant ship, for example. which is du
perhaps with a perishable cargo ;
some distant port, every hour econ
mized in making repairs counts again
serious loss. A great part of the wol
Of rigging IS therefore done at nigh
the gangs of riggers relieving one a
other continuously until the ship
again ready for sea.
The ship rigger whose experience
skill does not enable him to do Il
most important work earns from
to $3.50 a day, with the same agre
mont for ovorffr1a nnrfOO fbp bTil