UNKNOWN

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 363, 23 April 1903, Page 3

UNKNOWN

IBnnffltimriflr OBAartaMav of Two to*e» taflT «MB the Massum Prifla*.

BmMmb Baring ia so often displayed fcj» workmen whose daily labors place them ia positions of danger that those who have to deal with them are astonished at no feat of bravado. Mr. Frank Skinner gives in McClura's Magazine an instance of this daring on. the part «t men who were engaged in replacing the Niagara suspension bridge. It happened that so many valuable tools were dropped from the bridge that some of the more eareless losers were discharged. Consequently, when' one day a man dropped a wrench 200 feet to the water's edge, he foolishly started to recover it by descending hand ore* hand os a steeply inclined, thin wire cable nearly 500 feet long. He had no sooner started on his inaane exploit than a rival, out of sheer bravado, essayed to descend an adjacent rope. After going a few feet they both realized the almost impossible nature of the journey they had undertaken, and tried to return. It could not be done, and the only ehanca of safety lay in aontinvsng their descent. It seamed to their horrified companions that human muscles could not en» dure the increasing strain of that long paasage downward. The foreman shouted instructions, interspersed with violent abuse, the object of which was to divert them from the fright that Added to their danger. By what seemed almofltf a miracleboth men held on until they had crossed the water. Then one of them dropped safely into a tree top., The other finally gave out, and fall a considerable distance to the 'ground. Both, however, escaped preetieally unfcurt.