Another nasty turn I had was while I was engaged in repairing the steeple of a church in Wiltshire. I was sitting in a cradle under a coping, while my man was standing on the projection immediately above my head. He leaned over to ask me a question, lost his balance, and the next thing I knew was that his body was hurtling downwards past me through the empty air. I nearly followed him, so sick and unnerved was I at the sight.
THE WALLINGFORD CHIMNEY—OWING TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE GROUND THIS HAD TO BE THROWN UPON ITS CORNER.
From a Copyright Photo.
by The Sport and General Illustrations Co.
This may sound strange, but I think any man who has done much climbing, whether on mountains or on steeples and other high artificial erections, will bear me out when I say that to witness an accident of this kind, and to know oneself impotent either to prevent or assist, is one of the most terrifying experiences that it is possible to conceive. Whymper has left it on record how, when during his most memorable ascent Lord Frederick Douglas and his friend fell to their deaths, he was so utterly unnerved for the time being that he could only cling to the face of the precipice, trembling and crying, unable to move a step one way or the other.
THE WALLINGFORD CHIMMNEY FALLING—IT WILL BE NOTICED THAT THE BRICKWORK IS STILL ALMOST INTACT.
From a Copyright Photo.
by The Sport and General Illustrations Co.
ONE OF THE ALDERSHOT CHIMNEYS FALLING, WATCHED BY AN IMMENSE CROWD—THIS STACK AND ANOTHER FELL EXACTLY UPON THE LINES MARKED OUT FOR THEM.
From a Copyright Photo.
by Gale & Polden, Ltd.
Luckily the end of my little adventure partook rather of the nature of comedy than tragedy. When I mustered up courage to look down, I saw my mate sitting on the corrugated iron roof of a building far below, vigorously rubbing that portion of his anatomy upon which schoolboys are popularly supposed to be birched.
He had fallen squarely upon it, and the resilient roof, acting like a spring mattress, had broken his fall, bouncing him up and down some half-a-dozen times with continually decreasing momentum until at last he came to rest. He was much bruised and shaken, but no bones were broken, and after a few days' rest was as fit as a fiddle again.