St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1910-08-05
WHEN FACING DEATH
ST. LOUIS ARCHITECTS HELPER
TELLS HOW IT FEELS.
Odd Things Came TO His Mind ss He
Thought He Would surely Fall
From Tall Building.

st. Louis, Mo.-Have you ever faced
death7
DO you know what II means to be
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 we're to be altered or enlarged
and one windy day went to see one
OF these, which was three.story and
basement brick house with the usual
area and railings in front Of II. Nd
Joining this was a little higher build.
ing and II 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
skyllght In the attic. which required
all my strength to push up and out TO
open. II was held open by n 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 nj
full length. when I suddenly became
conscious that the wind had shaken
the akylight loose from the stick that
held II open and that II was falling
shut n did not withdraw my hand
instantly II would catch and crush H.
II pulled my hand out I would fall.
IT occurred 20 mo that Il might be
possible 20 pull out my right hand and
insert my left, ns Il would be better
10 lose my left hand than my right.
also discussed with myself the posi-.
bility OF being able 20 hold my place
n withdrew two or three fingers and
sacrificed the others. but concluded
that they would probably be cut clean
on by tho edge OF such n heavy sky.
light and that I should slido down 20
the street anyway.
This idea OF tho inaufficiency OF
mangled fingers 20 support my weight
on such uloping roof suggested that
II might be better TO stick my arm
into tho opening aud that perhaps tho
injury 90 Il might not bo no severe M
10 require amputation.
AS we'll M | can remember. tho
outcome OF my deliberations was q dc.
termination 20 change hands and 10
sacrifice the left instead OF tho right.
had no sooner como 20 this conclu.
sion than II struck mo that there
would not be time TO make the change
and that | might lose my hold alto.
gether. II seemed 20 me that had
already changed my opinion as 10 the
respective merits OF the two hands at
least a dozen times.
"Ali this time. remember, the sky.
light was falling shut As I look back
al II II seems incredible that did not
spend AT least half an hour thinking
over the pros and cons OF tho situa.
ton. but II must have been ieas than
a NTH OF a second. My nnal resolve
was a determination 10 hold on, an
there was no time 10 change hands.
and TO trust 20 the shreds OF my man.
gled fingers TO hold mo on the roof.
"But when the crash came and the
skylight actually fell shut my hand
was not In the opening. | was sliding
down the roof on my way 20 the street
below.
'The edge was az least ten feet be-
low me and ! was gaining speed at
every foot
Il distinctly remember the railing
around the area and also the absence
Of any corniee on the cave OF the
roof-nothing but rusty old drip
gutter. The thing could not remem.
ber. although | made desperate efforts
10 do so. was whether or not that area
railing had spikes In II.
hncM nhbuiu lail ulItttlg upon
those ratings and the spikes bothered
me. The minuteness with which I re.
called everything about the house--its
number. the alterations that were
made In II. the sketches We had pre-
pared. the new ideas We had talked
overall these things were reviewed
in the effort 10 recall In connection
with one or other OF them something
that would answer the question, Were
there spikes on that railing or not ?
Il suddenly became conscious that
| was no longer sliding down the roof.
Il was exactly like waking out OF
dream. then realized that my toes.
In dropping over the edge OF the
states. had caught on the little half.
round iron gutter.
In another minute the skylight was
pushed up by people who had heard
the crash and come up TO see what
was the matter. They soon hauled
me TO a place of safety"