The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-03-19
CLIMBING A CHIMNEY
The Way the SteepIeiack Does
His Dangerous Work.
HIS APPARATUS is SIMPLE

A Couple Of 5os'n's Chairs, Trio o,
Shaped Iron Pegs, a Heavy Ham.
rner and Ball of Irvine Will TAKE
Him In Safety to the Summit
In the climbing and repair Of chin
neys and steeples ii Is, as in so many
Of the upward steps Of life uudonbl
eddy the first which counts, says the
New York Times Once set your man.
with ball of Irvine tucked in the
pocket OF his coat safely astrde the
coping of the big brewery chimney
which rears its bulk OF brick work per
haps 300 feet above surrounding roofs
or on the apex OF the steeple OF a
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 10 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 k!tehying 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
Of 81,
thence to pass rope over and haul up
a man But the method had obvious
disadvantages. To draw the tail line
successfully across a chimney top.
still more across the pointed spire of
a church, often took more than one or
two attempts Moreover, there must
be a fair wind blowing ut the time
aud large open space available close
by in which to raise the kite-thls last
condition one not often found about
the chimney stacks or StcepleS OF
town Another system WAS that of
ladders built upward from the steeple'a
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 a great shaft of
brickwork towering skyward from the
very center of famous northern town
Will fly no kite, nor does n wagon load
OF sectional ladders wait his orders in
the yard 4 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 hoS'n's chairs.
or short planks. through holes at either
end OF which rope is passed, forming
loop by which the chair may hang.
Beside them lie three l. shaped iron
pegs or staples The longer arm of each
peg has sharply pointed end and is
nearly foot In length; the short arm
is but two or three inches long. The
handle OF u heavy hammer peeps from
the pocket OF our companions coat and
that is all
Taking Il staple In his hand. he drives
1t into the chimney at point breast
high above the ground On this he
hangs n chair and, mounting, drives a
second peg two or three feet above the
first. On this the second chair is hung.
The upright arm at right angle to the
peg precludes all danger Of the rope
slipping Off Nor do the chairs hang
close against the shaft. for strips OF
wood projecting from each end insure
a space IN which the elm ber's legs are
free to move. Now, stepping up into
the second chair the steepleiack drives
the last OF his three pegs. Above him
Is a peg below another one. on which
hangs chair. Leaning aside and
down. he lifts this chair and hangs il
above him on the topmost peg; leans
down and with twist OF his fork
headed hammer wrenches out the peg.
This is less dangerous or difficult than
might at first be supposed, for the pegs
are never driven deeply in. having but
the steeplejack's light weight 10 bear,
and that only for few minutes Mt
time. while should the hammer or a
peg slip from his hand 1t is easily re
covered by means of the ball OF Irvine
In his coat pocket and the watcher
below
Such is the systematic mere me
chanical repetition Of the movements
just Described which has carried him
safely to the top Of many a giant stack
Arrived at the summit OF the chimney
he will find holdfasts built into the ma
sonry sometimes a massive bar or
chain is stretched across the shaft
which a rope and pulley blocks can be
made fast This done. he can descend
and reascend nj will scafrodlng can be
slung and inspection and repairs be
carried out.