New-York tribune., 1921-05-01

An Uncongested Trade Is the Steeplejacks, but Old
Jack Dies and Young Jack Takes His Place. It's
Pleasant Work. Far From Insurance Agents. and
Swaying Flagpole Is Very Soothing to the Nerves

tured by the fall. In the end the doctorz mad
to admit that Matthew was right.
my brother has a natural aptitude for the
work. said Louis, "but he has not gained
sufficient confidence in himself as yet to stand
upright on the rim Of a smokestack. He
prefers to hang on with hands and feet
When was small boy was good climber
People in Olean, N. Y, where grew up, will
tell you ! was q daredevil sort. I was just
out Of short pants when got job painting
on the grain elevator there. It was high, but
1t never disturbed me. After that ran away
to sea for a couple Of years. The truth is ]
simply can't understand the sensation people
describe to me Of feeling impelled to jump if
they look down from a height. l never have
felt the slightest trace Of giddiness. All I
want to know is that the support upon which
] am standing is secure. The swaying Of a
fagpole in the wind is merely soothing to me,
even when I'm clinging to the BAIL"
There was story recently in The Tribune
from Middletown, N. Y, that told of nerve
racking experience Of Theodore Hobush, a
steeplejack who had been working on top Of
130-foot stack of the Public Service Corpo-
ration there, repairing damage caused year
ago by lightning.
Cramps temporarily paralyzed his arms.
Unable to use his hands to lower the bo'sun's
chair in which he swung helpless, Hobush de-
termined to get to the ground before the
muscles Of his legs also became strictured.
Cramped Muscles Cause
Most Fatalities
Taking turn Of the rope about his leg, he
gripped it above with his teeth, and then
slid out Of the narrow board seat. By doub-
ling up his body in the fashion Of an inch
worm, he got lower grip with his teeth and
then slipped his leg grip until his body was
again extended. In this painful fashion he
got TO within thirty feet Of the ground before
the cramps seized his legs. For moment
he dangled holding only with his jaws Then
he dropped. He suffered few bruises, but
no serious INJURIES and when he had rubbed
the kinks out of his muscles went back to
work. Cramps are an ever-present menace to
the security of steeplejacks, and many of the
craft, shattered by horrible fall, have had
breath enough in their crushed bodies to ex-
plain that knotted muscles caused the acci-
dent.
Cramps attack US frequently" explained
Mccarthy, because of the strained position in
which we are compelled to do our work. I
l get up on the job stay there until it's time
to call it day. Getting there is the biggest
part Of the work. To descend and ascend for
lunch would be doubling the days hazard.
Much Of the time TIL be seated on a narrow
board. You can't lay your tools down, you
know. You've either got to hold on to them or
make them fast to your seat If you drop any
thing it may kill some one on the ground"
Science undertaking to explain the differ
ence between steeplejacks and normal folk
who grow giddy on high, has decided that three
factors play part in making it possible for
a climber to work in comfort.
First, there is a highly developed condition
of the semicircular canals Of the inner ear,
in which the sense Of equilibrium is seated
Aviators-the most successful ones, and that
means the longest lived-have this fine sense
Of balance. Heredity also is important, Wit