Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-08-04
WHEN FACING DEATH
ct. LOUIS ARCHITECTS HELPER
TELLS HOW 1T FEELS.
Odd Thlnas Came to IIs Mind as He
Thought He Would surely Fall
From Tall Building.

~NNN~N
death?
DO you know what 1t means to bt
confronted by the grim destroyer
what great peril will do to your ner
vous system? Probably you have had
some close calls In your day and know
something of the emotions of a per
son who thinks his time has come
II not. the following incident related
by George Bush of this city may give
you an idea Of the thrill of facing
death:
Being an architects assistant, II
was my duty to measure buildings
which were to be altered or enlarged,
and one windy day went to see one
OF these, which was a three-story and
basement brick house with the usual
area and rallings in front of It. Ad-
joining this was little higher build
ing and 1t was necessary for me to get
the exact dimensions of the brick
wall and chimney that projected above
the roof of the house was measuring.
Il found a very large and heavy
skylight In the attic, which required
all my strength to push up and out to
open. It was held open by pivoted
stick Of wood and by climbing through
the opening saw that could stretch
myself out on the roof and by holding
fast to the edge of the skylight open
ing with my right hand could reach
out with my left and measure the
gable wall with my six-foot folding
rule.
Il was sprawled out In this manner,
face down on the slate roof. with my
left arm and the rule extended at
full length, when l suddenly became
conscious that the wind had shaken
the skylight loose from the stick that
held 1t open and that 1t was falling
shut. II did not withdraw my hand
instantly 1t would catch and crush it.
If l pulled my hand out would fall.
When first noticed that the sup
port had given way the skylight had
already begun its descent and 1t had
not more than four feet to fall. Dur
ing the time that 1t fell those four feet
l had ample time to review the conse-
quences Of losing my right hand II
held on and the result of falling three
stories If let go. There was nothing
at the edge Of the roof but little
half-round gutter held up by q few
holdfasts.
1T occurred to me that 1t might be
possible to pull out my right hand and
Insert my left, as 1t would be better
to lose my left hand than my right
also discussed with myself the posi-
bility of being able to hold my place
II l withdrew two or three fingers and
sacrificed the others; but l concluded
that they would probably be cut clean
Of by the edge Of such heavy sky
light and that l should slide down to
the street anyway.
This idea of the insufficiency Of
nangled fingers to support my weight |
On such sloping roof suggested that |
t might be better to stick my arm
nto the opening and that perhaps the
injury to 1t might not be so severe as
o require amputation. l distinctly
remembered trying to recall whether
he muscles should be firm or relaxed,
md thought 1t best to hold them firm.
"As well as can remember, the
Of my deliberations was a de-
ermination to change hands and to
Iacrifice the left instead of the right.
had no sooner come to this conclu-
lion than 1t struck me that there
would not be time to make the change
md that l might lose my hold alto
,ether. 1t seemed to me that l had
.lready changed my opinion as to the
merits of the two hands at
east a dozen times.
"All this time, remember, the sky
light was falling shut. AS | look back
{ 1t 1t seems incredible that did not
pend at least half an hour thinking
yer the pros and cons of the situa-
ion, but 1t must have been less than
fifth of second. My final resolve
vas a determination to hold on, as
here was no time to change hands,
nd to trust to the shreds of my man.
led fingers to hold me on the roof
But when the crush came and the
kylight actually fell shut my hand
ras not in the opening I was sliding
own the roof on my way to the street
Glow.
THE edge was at least ten feet be-
wv me and l was gaining speed at ,
very foot. 8
'T distinctly remember the railing ,
round the area and also the absence
any cornice on the cave of the
but a rusty old drip 4
utter. The thing could not remem-
er, although made desperate efforts
, do so. was whether or not that area
liling had spikes in it.
81 knew l should fall directly upon
lose ratings and the spikes bothered
e. The minuteness with which re-
llled everything about the house-its
lmber, the alterations that were
ade in 1t, the sketches we had pre-
lred. the new ideas we had talked 4
these things were reviewed I
the effort to recall in connection {
ith one or other OF them something d
at would answer the question, Were
ere spikes on that railing or not7 &,
Il suddenly became conscious that y
was no longer sliding down the roof r,
was exactly like waking out Of a
cam. then realized that my toes, 4
dropping over the edge OF the :,