The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-20
CLIMBING A CHIMNEY
The Way the SteeplejaCk Does
His Dangerous Work.
HIS APPARATUS IS SIMPLE.

a Couple OF Bo'Sn's Chairs, q Trio OF
/ Shaped Iron Pegs, Heavy Ham.
mer and Ball Of T~ins viii Take
Him In Safety 10 the Summit.
In the climbing and repair Of chin,
neys and stcepIes 1t is, as 10 so many
OF the upward steps Of life, undonbt.
edly the FIRST which counts, says the
New York Times. Once set your man.
with bali Of twine tucked In the
pocket OF bis coat. safely astrlde the
coping OF the big brewery chimney
which rears It's bulk of brickwork per.
haps 300 feet above surrounding roofs
or on the apex Of the steeple Of a
church. bis arm around the weather
vane's vibrating pole. and you have
the means by which ropes. ladders,
scaffoldlng 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
infrequeDtly accomplished by what at
FIRST sight might appear the some.
what frivolous method Of kiteHylng. A
kite having a goodly length Of string
attached 10 It's tall was raised In the
usual manner and gradually coaxed
over the steeple or chimney under
treatment, then drawn down until the
tall string lay across the top II was
then merely matter OF time and pa.
tience to pass rope over ana haul up
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 large open space available close
by In which to raise the klte-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 Hy no kite. nor does a wagon load
OF sectional ladders wait his orders In
the yard. A small man. slnewy and
lean faced. is be. and all the tackle that
he needs to take him safely to the cop.
ing sixty yards above our heads has
travelled 10 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 sharply pointed end and is
nearly 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 his hand. he drives
II into the chimney at point breast
high above the ground, On this he
hangs 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 precudes 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 climbers legs are
free to move, Now, stepping up into
the second chair the steep!ejack drives
the last Of his three pegs. Above him
is a peg. below another one, on which
hangs a chair. Leaning aside and
down, he lifts this chair and hangs 1t
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 to bear,
and that only for 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 twlne
In his coat pocket and the watcher
below,
Such is the systematic mere me-
chanical repetition of the movements
Just descrlbed-whlch 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
massive bar or
chain is stretched across the shaft-to
which a rope and pulley blocks can be
made fast, This done, he can descend
and reascend at will, scaffolding can be
slung and inspection and repairs be
carried ont.