Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31
Romance of the Skyscraper
Cur0sities and PeriIs In7o/ved IN tie Construction
Of Americas 7o7verimg Skeletons Of Steel and Stone

bowels of the earth, preparing foundations, what
shall be said of daredevils who waltz nimbly along
steel beams few inches wide three hundred feet
above the roaring cty-and that wi hout any pro-
lection level American head and brave
desire earn four dollars day for wife and chill
dren? In these steel workers we have entirely
set of artisans called into beng-another illus
tration of the amazing adaptability of growing
America to changing conditions. Anyone may
watch these nerveless giants climbing monkeywse
up swaying column in a stiff winters gale, and
reaching the top you will him squat grimly
waiting for the next beam to be swung over to him
and temporarily bolted in its place.
Many cruel falls to sudden and mercfu death are
recorded in the history of these great steel Skeletons
and it is little wonder the insurance companies exact
the very highest of special premiums from men en-
gagged in such dizzy work Perhaps one of the most
heroic stories this connection is the following:
skyscraper of eighteen stories is going up at
this moment in San Francisco. John Harding,
master iron worker, crawled out on all tours mar
row steel beam seventeen stories high, and suddenly
lost his footing He slipped and fell with sothered
He remained suspended few moments
with frantic fingers gripping narrow ledge: What
followed took barely three seconds. His mate,
Dave Curtis, ran with the impetuous steps of tight
rope walker across the BEAM fell knee, and
grabbed Harding by the coat collar just the latters
finger tips gave way. and he swung dizzily into
space with closed eyes and blanched face.
A Perious Position
ODDLY enough these were the only two men so
~ high up, and Dawes passionate cries for help
went utterly UNDECIDED Evidently his comrade had
tainted, and swung tremendous dead weight
the mans right arm. The rescuer fairly sickened
when he heard an ominous crack two, as though
his mates ragged working coat was giving way.
How he maintained his balance those few
inches of steel that quvered in the high wind Curtis
knew. 1t seemed an age before startled voices
rose up from below showing that the desperate
plight of both men was noticed and help was at
hand Curtis wondered whether the tattered jacket
of his mate would hold out many moments longer,
or even if it did, whether he himself could maintain
his incredibly cramped position and support the
tremendous weight of Harding, who dangled this
way and that in the furious gusts
1t seems century since builders stopped short
of the sixth story, since would climb
higher at any rent; and the passenger elevator was
as much in the future the commercial flying
chine is with at this moment. That elevator
solved the problem 1t first clumsy
hoist moved by hand windlass. Then steam
power, and finally the water balance, smooth and
swift though at first entailing serious disasters
But with the elevators swift rise came simultaneous
soaring of rents and prices for lots, while mems
hopes went higher still.
A SO called high building was finished in New York
in 1868 and suite the top floor was rented
at eight hundred and fifty dollars year. The
following season the figure raised to twelve