Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-03-16
CLIMBING A CHIMNEY
The Way the SteepIejack Does
His Dangerous Work.
HIS APPARATUS IS SIMPLE.

A Couple Of Bo's'n's Chairs, a Trio Of
l Shaped Iron Pegs, a Heavy Ham,
mer and a Ball of Irvine Will Take
Him In Safety to the Summit.
In the climbing and repair of CHM
neys and steeples it is, as in so many
of the upward steps of life, undOubt-
eddy the first which counts, says the
New York Times. Once set your man,
with a ball of twine tucked in the
pocket of his coat, safely astride the
coping of the big brewery chimney
which rears it's bulk of brickwork per-
haps 500 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
the question.
There was a 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 it's 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 matter of time and pa
tience to pass a 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
a church, often took more than one or
two attempts. Moreover, there must
be fair wind blowing at the time
and 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
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.
The man who on this morning stands
beside US at the foot Of great shaft Of
brickwork towering skyward from the
very center of famous northern town
will fly no kite, nor does a 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
before him are two bo's'n's chairs,
or short planks. through holes at either
end Of which a rope is passed, forming
a loop by which the chair may hang.
Beside them lie three L 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, an(
that is all.
Taking a staple in his hand, he drive:
it into the chimney at a point breas
high above the ground. On this ht
hangs a chair and, mounting, drives ;
second peg two or three feet above tn
first On this the second chair is hung
The upright arm at right angle to tn
peg precludes all danger of the rop
slipping off. Nor do the chairs han
close against the shaft. for strips Q
wood projecting from each end insur
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 hi
is a peg. below another one. on whic
hangs q chair. Leaning aside an
down, he lifts this chair and hangs
above him on the tOpmost peg; lear
down and with a twist of his fol-
headed hammer wrenches out the pc
This is less dangerous or difficult tia
might at first be supposed. for the pc:
are never driven deeply in, having b1
the steeplejack's light weight to bea
and that only for few minutes at
time. while should the hammer or
peg slip from his hand it is easily r
covered by means of the ball Of twill
in his coat pocket and the watch
below.
Such is the systematic mere n
chanical repetition or the moVemen
Just described-Which has carried b
safely to the top Of many giant STAG
Arrived at the summit of the chimn
he will find holdfasts built into the
sonry-sometimes a massive bar
chain is stretched across the shaft
which a rope and pulley blocks can
made fast. This done. he can desce
and reascend at will, scaffolding can
slung and inspection and repairs
varied out.
At the Bargain Counter.
.hox tor ccl10d Miss Rpdnn