Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-05-01

EXPERIENCE OF STEEPLEJACK
WITH CRAZY COMRApE.
Worker Tells of the Time When Dan
O'Brien Had an Impulse to Jump
and How Narrowly Trag-
edy Was Averted.

ibid you ever have an impulse to
jump off steeple?" l questioned, re.
calling the sensation of many people in
looking down even from housetop.
i've kept pretty free from that"
said he; but there's no doubt climbing
steeples does tell on mans nerves
Now, there was Dan O'Brien; he hac
an impulse to jump off steeple one
day, and strong impulse, too. lie
went mad on one of the tallest spires
in Cincinnati; right at the trop of it."
went madT
Eyes, sir, raving mad, and l was by
him when it happened. l forgot wheth.
err the church was Baptist or Presbyte-
rian, but know it stood on Sixth
street, near Vine, and there was big
hand on top of the steeple, the fore
finger pointing to heaven.
1--WE were putting fresh gliding on
this hand. 1 was working on the
thumb side and O'Brien on the little
finger side, both of us standing on tiny
stagings about the size of chair-seat.
and both of us made fast TO the steeple
| NY iiltilutS unQCi Jul nat > az
absolute rule in climbing steeples-
never to do the smallest thing unless
you're secured by lifeline.
at was coming on dark, ard l was
hurrying to get the gold leaf on, be-
cause we'd given the hand fresh coat
of sizing that would be dry before
morning. We hadn't spoken for some
time, when suddenly l heard laugh
from O'Brien's side that sent a SILVER
down my spine. Did you ever hear a
crazy. man laugh? Well, if ever you
| do, you'll remember it. | looked at
him, and saw by his face that some
thing was wrong.
"'What are you doingY said l.
"He answered very polite and steady
like, but his tone was queer. I'm try
ing to figure out how long it would
take a man to get down If he went the
fastest way
Il thought had better keep him in
a good humor, so l said: I'll tell you
what, Don, you brace up and get this
gold on, and then Wen race to the
ground in our saddles
"That's a fair idea. said he in q
shrll voice, but I've got u better one
Wen race down without any saddles
yes, sir, without any lines, without a
blamed thing
"Don't be a fool, Dan. What you
want to do is to get that gold on
quick I tried to speak sharp.
"'No sir; I'm going to jump, and Sc
are you
81 caught his eye just then and saw
1t wasn't any time to bother about gold
leaf. | reached up and eased the hitch
of my line around the hand so l could
swing toward him. l knew if 1 once
got my grip on him he wouldn't make
any more trouble. But I'd never had
q crazy man to deal with and / didn't
realize how tricky and quick they are
While l was working around to his
side and thinking he didn't notice it
he was laying for me out of the cor
ner of his eye, and the first thing
knew he had me by the throat anC
everything was turning black. lei
go of the line and dropped back on my
saddle-board helpless, and if it hadn
been for blind luck guess the peopl,
down below would have got theii
moneys worth in about minute. Blu
my hand struck on the toolbox as h,
pressed me back, and l had jus
strength enough left to shut my fingers
! on the first tool touched and strike a
him with it. The tool happened to b'
t monkey-wrench, and when MAJ
/ gets a clip on the head with thini
like that he's pretty apt to keep still
for while. And that's wha
O'Brien did. He keeled over and la.
there, and did, too, until my head go
! steady. Even then l guess we'd botl
] have fallen if it hadn't been for tn
t lifelines."