Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-07-15
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
ner and a Ball Of Irvine viii Take
Him In Safety to the Summit.

L Shaped Iron Pegs, Heavy Ham
uer and a Ball Of Irvine viii Take
Him In Safety to the Summit.
In the climbing and repair OF chin
neys and steeples It is, rs in so many
Of the upward steps Of life. uudoul--
edly the first which counts. says tho
New York Times. once set your man.
with ball OF Irvine tucked I'm tile
pocket Of his coat safely astride the
coping OF the big brewery chimney
which rears its bulk OF brickworlz per
h2ps COO feet above surrounding roofs
or on the apex OF the steeple of 4
church. his arm around the weather
vane's vibrating pole. and YOU have
the means 10y which ropes. ladders.
sco0o-ding and all the necessary
structure for examination and repairs
may be brought into place To get the
first man TO the Siddy summit-that IS
the question.
There was day when this was not
infrequcntiy accomplished by what az
first sight might appear the some
what frivolous method OF kiteGviu-. \
Kite having q goolly length OF string
attached TO Its tail was raised III tho
usual manner and gradually coaxed
over the steeple or chimney under
7 treatment then drawn down untn the
tail string lay across the top. III was
then merely matter OF time and pa
uence 10 pass a rope over and haul up
a man. But the method had obvious
I disadvantages. To draw tie tail line
successfully across 4 chimney tor.
still more across the pointed spire III
4 church, often took more than one or
two attempts. Moreover. there must
/ be fair wind blowing ut the time
and a large open space available close
+ by in which 10 raise the kite-this last
condition one not often found about
/ the chimney stacks or stcenleS of
I town. Another system was that Of
I ladders built upward from he steenle's
/ base, exceedingly cumbrous and. IN
i the opinion Of many modern steeple.
/ jacks highly dangerous.
The man who on this morning stands
1 beside rs az the foot OF 4 great shaft Of
bvickwork towering skyward from the
very center Of I famous northern town
( VIII hy no kite, nor does a WAGON load
or sectional ladders wait his orders In
/ the yard. y small man. s.ucwy and
lean faced. is lie. and al the tackle that
he needs 10 take him safely 10 the con-
/ Ing sixty yards above our heads has
/ Travelled 20 the scene OF action I'D his
I pockets or his hands. On the ground
before him are two bo'S'n's chairs.
or short piankS through holes NJ either
end Of which "a rope IS passed. forming
a loop by which the chair may hans.
Beside them lie three I shaped iron
pegs or staples. The longer arm Of each
peg has a sharply pointed end and IS
nearly q foot in length; the short arm
IS but two or three inches long The
handle Of heavy hammer peeps from
the pocket OF our companions coat. and
that is all
Taking Il staple in his hand. he drives
Il into the chimney at 4 point breast
high above The ground ON this he
hangs a chair and. mounting. drives
/ second peg two or three feet above the
first on this The second chair IS huns.
The upright arm ut q right angie 10 the
peg precludeS al danger Of the rope
slipping OF Nor do the chairs hang
close against the shaft. for strips Of
wood projecting from each end insure
3 space in which the climbers lecs are
free 20 move. Now. stepping up into
the second chair the steeplejack drives
the last OF his three pegs. Above him
is = 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 q twist of his f0rk
headed hammer wrencheS out the peg
This j. less dangerous or difficult than
might ~ first De supposed. for the pegs
are never driven deeply in. having but
tAe Syeep,ejack's light weight To bear.
and thar only for few minutes Ut a
time. while should the hammer or =
peg slip from his hand it i 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-whichh has carried him
safely 70 the top Of many giant stack.
Arrived at the summit OF the chimney
he viii find holdtaS,s built into the ma
sonry-Sometimcs 4 massive bar or
chain is stretched across the shaft-t0
which Il rope and pulley blocks can uc
made fast. This done. he can descend
and reaScend ut will. scanOldlng can lie
s.unS and inspection and repairs be
carried out.
When used IS a cloak religion is 4