Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-20
JACK" TO CLIMB
CLARK'S CHIMNEY
Stack at Big East Newark
Thread Works in Need
of Repair.

For the first time in twenty-four
years the big smoke stack at the
plant of the Clark Thread Company
East Newark, is to be overhauled.
At the plant today 1t was said the
work would be started within few
days John d, Cooke, of this city,
has been awarded the contract to
make repairs to the chimney, which is
1886 feet high. Cooke will hoist him
self to the top by means of ladders
and scaffolding, make a general in
spection and report his findings to the
Clark company. The complete cost of
the task will amount to several thou
sand dollars. Cooke was selected for
the job from several applicants.
Immediately after receiving notice,
Cooke ordered several hundred feet
of ladders and other appliances essen
tial to the hazardous undertaking.
The foundation of the work is In
erecting ladders on the outside of the
chimney and running them, one apove
the other. to the top. These ladders
are in thirteen-foot sections, dove
failing at the sides, and made fast
to the stack by means of a wrought
iron spike or dog" and traces. This
work, however, may require longer
than anticipated should the mortar
into which the dogs" are driven
give great resistance. Actual repair
ing of the iron cap and adjacent brick
work will probably not be under way
until May.
When Cooke has "laddered" his way
to the summit of the chimney the
work of erecting the scaffolding will
commence. Spruce planks, three by
eight inches, and twenty feet long,
will be passed through the ladders,
producing a ledge for the scaffold.
The latter important unit Is but
planl1ing about four feet wide. Cooke
will in all likelihood use four scat
folds. reinforced with poles of Nova
Scotia pine bolted to lower lodges.
The scaffold constructed, the steeple-
Jack will thoroughly examine the iron
cap, brickwork and lightning conduc-
tor Should Cooke discover the cap
in good condition, such rust and dirt
as may be found will be scraped off
and the sections cemented. For some
time the copper lightning conductors
on the Clark chimney have been hang
ing loose in several places. Cooke, be-
fore repairing these defects. will make
an electrical test of this mechanism,
and win repeat the operation after
the mending has been done.
Cooke declares that he has had
his eye on this job ever since
he came to this country five
years ago. He saw it needed repairs
and advised the officials of the COM
pany of the fact, and examinations
through marine glasses were made
from time to time. Finally, three
years later, the Clark company was
satisfied as to the soundness of the
steeplejacks opinions. Bids for the
work were solicited shortly afterward
and considerable difficulty was eXpe-
rlenced in obtaining competitors
against Cook. Before awarding the
contract to the latter references were
received from several factories in
England, where Cooke had shown his
ability as q steeplejack. Conspicuous
among these was the Tenants Chem
ical works, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cooke renovated the chimneys of the
concern, the stack being more than
400 feet high.
Cooke has taken out an accident
policy for six months with the Mas
sachusetts Bond ard Insurance Com
pany. Owing to the nature of his
work the Jack encounters difficulty
N &elllIlS liiioSil anu WI Si' ~
sured.
All the equipment required for the
lob will be furnished by Cooke. In
addition to several hundred feet of
ladder, about 125 feet of chain will be
used for buckling and reinforcing the
scaffolds, 1000 feet of manila and cot
ton rope, ton and half of wrought
iron and many gallons of paint and
cement.
The last steeplejacN to ascend the
Clark chimney was John Phillips,
who climbed the structure in March,
1890. On March % of that year the
chimney was twice struck by light
ming and considerable excitement was
aroused during the period of its re-
pairing. Phillipss achievement at
| tracted wide attention and his prog
ress up the stack by means of lad
ders, in much the same way as Cooke
intends to proceed, was day by day
Il, al