The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-05-24

saved from death by starvation or by
a fall to the pavement, 100 feet below
Lammert, who is employed in the
auditing department Of life insur-
ance company whose building is on
Broadway not far from Trinity church,
was at work checking up an Intricate
table at 10 o'clock in the morning.
The day had been unseasonably hot,
and the windows were thrown open
for the first time. There were perhaps
fifty men and girls at work in the de-
partment, but they were isolated from
each other by partitions, desks, cabi-
nets and files No one was paying any
attention to Lammert A gust of wind
suddenly swept the paper on which he
had been verifying the results and test
ing them according to the Office rules
and blew it out of the window.
Lammert made a grab for the pre-
cious paper which represented two
hours work, but it eluded him and
fluttered over the sill. The wind caught
it, and then a current Of air drove it
downward and it fell on a ledge only
few feet from the window, where it
remained. He decided to crawl out
and get it.
The ledge ran for eight feet straight
along the wall, then there was pro.
lection, around which Lammert sup
posed was another window. The
ledge was stone and about ten inches
wide. Lammert took the window pole
used for opening and shutting the
heavy windows, hooking it Oh to the
ledge of the floor above, tested it to see
if it would bear his weight and then
started to walk along the ledge, steady
ing himself with the pole. He got
along we'll until he came to the corner
and had to stoop down to get the pa
per. To do this he was forced to kneel
on the ledge, letting go his hold on the
pole, which swung back a little.
When he started to stand up he dis
covered that any movement toward
Strengthening up would throw him
down into the street He also realized
that the pole was behind him. If he
could get hold Of that he could strai ght-
en- up in safety. He tried reaching
upward with his left hand. but could
not reach.
For ten minutes he knelt on the
ledge, dizzy with fright. Finally he
remembered that there was another
window just beyond the ledge. He
could crawl forward, even if he did not
dare go back. He steadied himself
across the angle of the lodges and felt
around the projection. 1t was only
about foot wide, and on the other
side he found a hand hold-a small
iron pipe. His hand clinched around
the pipe, gave him renewed courage,
and he chung to it while, with infinite
caution, he edged his way, inch by
inch, out until he stood on the ledge
foot wide, sheer over the street
With a sudden movement he got both
hands gripped on to the pipe and
swung his body around to the other
side Of the projection and sat down on
the ledge, gripping the pipe tight with
both hands, exhausted by his efforts.
The full horror of the situation did
not dawn on him for perhaps a min
ute. He thought he was within few
feet Of window. Then he suddenly
realized that instead Of arriving at a
window he sat in a space three feet
wide between two such projections. It
was as if he were on shelf in a chin
ney which had one side open.
He sat numb with terror and despair,
except that at times he broke into
frantic crying for help. In the Office
nobody noticed that Lammert was not
at his desk for an hour. Then they
supposed he had been called into some
other department, and no attention
was paid to his absence. The next
morning his absence was noticed, the
fact Of his disappearance the previous
day was recalled, and he was marked
discharged for being away without ex.
cuse.
Night came on, and the chill crept up
from the bay and numbed Lammert.
He still chung to his giddy perch and
at intervals shouted for help. Day
break brought fresh hope. Hunger
revived him and spurred him on to
fresh attempts to escape. He waved
his handkerchief at the people be-
low. He spent the greater part Of
the afternoon writing notes OH envel-
opes and papers from his pocket and