The Jersey City news., 1906-07-31
CAUGHT HIGH IN AIR
Workmen Left Marooned on Top
of Chimney by Fall of In
terror Scaffolding.
SAVED BY THEIR CLOTHES.

Tear Up Garments to Make String
For Purpose of Raising Life Line.
Use Shoes For Plumb - Slide $50
Feet Without Stitch of clothlns-Ex-
hausted by Exposure.
New York, July 31.-Conried Brille
of Elizabethport and Harry Tome of
Elm Park were sent to the top of
$50 foot chimney recently completed at
Mariners Harbor. Staten Island, to
knock down the interior scaffolding.
They loosened keypiece and the $50
feet of scaffolding below them settled
ten feet. In the jam the aperture was
closed and the men above were left
without means of escape
Several of the workmen narrowly es-
capped being crushed when the scaffold-
ing settled. The 500 men below dis
cussed means of rescuing their COM
rades, who were shouting for help
through megaphone.
When two hours had passed Captain
Martin of Hook and Ladder No. 105
axes and ladders to the chimney
Looking up essaw light through the
mass of tangled timbers. With a
megaphone he yelled to the men above,
"Cut your clothing into strips and
make rope"
The two men at the top Obeyed and
asked what should be done next.
"Tie shoe on the end and lower the
rope" Captain Martin megaphoned.
Shoe Used as Plumb.
The shoe was lowered to within fifty
feet of the foot of the chimney The
makeshift rope would reach no fur
ther. Captain Martin worked one of
his sectional ladders into the chimney's
mouth, an opening five feet high and
two feet wide. The ladder reached up
twenty-five feet. A fireman wriggled
himself through the timbers at the
bottom and tied cord to the shoe
The shoe was drawn up. On the end
Of the cord was tied a half inch manila
rope. This was drawn up, as was
second and a third The third stuck
fast in the splintered timber.
Make the rope fast, throw it over
the top and slide down." Martin Or
dered. The ends of two ropes soon
fell to the ground.
Then came hopeless cry from up
among the beams at the chimney top
1--WE can't get over thses top to slide
down.
"They will starye up there before
they risk sliding down. said Martin.
1--WE will have to try something else"
He ordered that the scaffoldlng be
cut out from the bottom piece by piece.
What if the scaffolding should sudden
ly drop? some one asked. Martin was
equal to this emergency. He ordered
his men to keep the two ropes taut.
Riggers from the yard We're called.
After chopping at the mass of timber
the jam settled, sometimes an inch,
sometimes a foot and sometimes five
feet. Darkness came on and made
work in the black hole at the bottom
of the chimney even more dangerous
At 1880 O'Clock the jam had settled
only few feet. 1T was apparent that
the task would take hours. Captain
Martin took the megaphone
Told to Slide Down Rope.
TRY sliding down the rope" he
begged the two again.
There was another long silence.
Then the two megaphoned;
Send stouter rope
Two one-inch haWsers were found.
and the men dragged them to the top
of the chimney
While the breathless crowd of work
men watched below the nude work
men climbed to the top of the Chin
ney. Men below held the ropes taut,
and the two men began to slide. The
descent, slow at first, became faster
and faster. As they neared the ground
hands were stretched to catch them
Both were exhausted from their long
Imprisonment, and their palms were
torn by the ropes.