There is no use of going into detail about rigging a stack that has a ladder on it. This can be answered in a very few words: Walk up the ladder and hook the rigging over the top. But there is this much about it—Watch your step! These ladders after a few years become very rusty and the bolts where connected from the inside are sometimes eaten away by the gas from the coal, and just a little weight on them might cause the handles to give way. So always remember to be very careful when climbing a smokestack that has a ladder connected to it.
STEEL STACKS DECAY AT BAND
You will notice that as a general rule steel stacks commence to weaken at the first half-dozen sections from the top downward, or at the band. The rain hitting the in- and outside from the top, and lying around the band, is causing the rust to form more quickly than on any other part of the stack. This accounts for the aforesaid parts weakening the quickest.
It is always wise to sound a stack at the top and band so as to determine whether it will stand much tugging or bouncing upon. If it looks weak and you make up your mind that you will go through with what you are doing, I would suggest that you do all the pulling and take just what tools you can possibly get along with.
REGUYING
To reguy a smokestack it is necessary to have these parts before the job is really called complete: Turn-buckles for the bottom ends of the guys and clips for both ends. Although you can guy a smokestack without these articles, it is best to have them. Without the aid of the turn-buckle to draw the slack out of the guy wires, a device like this can be used: Lash the guy wire with a sling, using two half-hitches so as to grip the wire. Tie a bow-line knot at the opposite end so as to enable you to attach the block and fall, placing the opposite block in the eye of the guy wire anchor, then by pulling on the fall line, this takes the slack from the wire, even with the turn-buckles. Sometime you will have to resort to this method in order to take up the loose slack.
