Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-01
CLIMBING A CHIMNEY
The Way the steepleiack Does
His Dangerous Work.
HIS APPARATUS is SIMPLE.

HIS APPARATUS is SIMPLE.
A Couple Of Ho's'n's Chairs, Trio of
1 Shaped Iron Pegs, Heavy liam
ner and Ball Of Irvine Will Take
Him In Safety to the Summit. "A
In the climbing and repair Of chin
neys and steeples it is, as in so many
of the upward steps of life, undoubt
edly the first which counts. says the
New York Times. Once set your man,
with a ball of Irvine tucked in the
pocket Of his coat, safely astride the
coping of the big brewery chimney
which rears its bulk of brickwork per-
haps 800 feet above surrounding roofs
or on the apex of the steeple of
church. his arm around the weather
vane's vibrating pole, and you have
the means by which ropes. ladders,
scaffolding and all the necessary
structure for examination and repairs
may be brought into place. To get the
first man to the giddy summit--that is
+ q aI4 & q
the question.
There was day when this was not
infrequently accomplished by what at
first sight might appear the some
what frivolous method Of kitefying. A
kite having a goodly length Of string
attached to its tail was raised in the
usual manner and gradually coaxed
over the steeple or chimney under
treatment, then drawn down until the
tail string lay across the top. 1t was
then merely a matter of time and pa
tience to pass rope over and haul up
a man. But the method had obvious
disadvantages. To draw the tail line
successfully across chimney top,
still more across the pointed spire Of
church, often took more than one or
two attempts. Moreover, there must
be a fair wind blowing at the time
and a large open space available close
by in which to raise the kite-this last
condition one not often found about
the chimney stacks or steeples Of a
town. Another system was that Of
ladders built upward from the steeple's
base, exceedingly cumbrous and, In
the opinion of many modern steeple-
jacks, highly dangerous. VI.
The man who on this morning stands
beside us at the foot OF a great shaft Of
brickWork towering skyward from the
very center OF famous northern town
will fly no kite, nor does wagon load
Of sectional ladders wait his orders In
the yard A small man. sinewy and
lean faced, Is he. and all the tackle that
he needs to take him safely to the cop
ing sixty yards above our heads has
travelled to the scene Of action in his
pockets or his hands. On the ground
bssAre him are two bo's'n's chairs,
or snort planks. through holes at either
end Of which a rope is passed, forming
q. loop by which the CHAIR may hang.
Beside them lie three Il shaped iron
pegs or staples. The longer arm OF each
peg has a sharply pointed end and Is
nearly a foot in length; the short arm
is but two or three inches long. The
handle OF a heavy hammer peeps from
the pocket OF our companions coat, and
that Is all.
Taking staple in bis hand, he drives
It into the chimney at point breas3
high above the ground On this he
hangs a chair and, mounting, drives 8
second peg two or three feet above thl
first. On this the second chair Is hung
The upright arm at right angle to thu
4 peg precludes all danger Of the ropt
slipping off. Nor do the chairs hang
close against the shaft, for strips o.
wood projecting from each end insure
a space In which the climbers legs ar,
free to move. Now, stepping up int
the second chair the steeplejack drive
the last Of his three pegs. Above hin
is peg. below another one, on Whicl
hangs chair. Leaning aside ant
down, he lifts this chair and hangs
above him on the topmost peg; lean
down and with a twist of his forl
headed hammer wrenches out the peg
This is less dangerous or difficult thai
might at first be supposed, for the peg
are never driven deeply in. having Blu
the steepleiack's light weight to beal
y and that only for a few minutes at
time, while should the hammer or
peg slip from his hand 1t is easily re
covered by means of the ball Of twin
In his coat pocket and the watche
below
Such is the systematic mere me
chanfcaI repetition Of the movement
just describe which has carried hir
safely to the top Of many giant stacl
Arrived at the summit Of the Gimme
he will find hoidfasts built into the mi
Z sonry -sometimes massive bar {
chain is stretched across the shaft
which rope and pulley blocks can b
made fast. This done, he can descen
and reascend at will, scaffolding can
~ slung and inspection and repairs b
carried out.
At the Bargain Counter. &
SHAT sharp tongued Miss Redper
has been saying some mighty mea
things about you and your wife
q fsWhat, for instance r.
Says you picked her up at q ba