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Young Man's Dizzy Climb to the Top of Manhattan Tower
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Policeman Goes in Unwilling Pursuit, Anticipating a Battle in the Air, but Is Disappointed in His Fears.
A tall, broad-shouldered young man, well dressed in a business suit, a light-colored raglan coat, and a light fedora hat, separated himself from the crowd of pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge last evening and sprang up on a big supporting cable where it passes up beside the foot passage from the anchorage on the Manhattan side. Without further ado, he started nimbly upward, bound for the dizzy height where the cable joins the top of the tower... Policeman Hogan of the Bridge Squad, on post at the point where the climber began his daring venture, saw the start, but was too late to intercept him... "What'll I do?" inquired Hogan helplessly. "Go after him," ordered Brophy." "Sure," echoed Farrell. "It's on your post."
Hogan, with the same degree of eagerness displayed by a man about to be hanged, gingerly tested the cable with one foot, as if doubtful of its sustaining power. "Go on," yelled a man in the crowd. "Let's see you do the Steve Brodie act." Hogan shivered perceptibly, and cast a reproachful glance in the direction of the voice. But he started. As he did so he slipped, and clutched a stay cable hurriedly, while he muttered something which provoked a solemn-faced bystander to say reprovingly: "Man, would you swear in the face of death!" Hogan waited to hear no more. Upward he started, while Brophy and Farrell shouted reassuringly that if they were wanted they could be found back at the trolley loop. In the meantime the man in the raglan coat had progressed steadily. He was nearing the top, and to the throng on the bridge he looked like a manikin walking on a clothes line. Soon the diminished figure could be seen standing on the recess of the tower quietly surveying the city and harbor at its feet. Far below could be seen the policeman, laboriously making the sweeping ascent...
When Hogan got within speaking distance of the youth, he had the agreeable surprise of his life. "Hello old man," said the stranger genially. "I'm glad there are two persons of good sense in this city. Do you come up here often?" "I could live up here" warmly assented Hogan as a great weight began to lift off his heart. "It's all I can do to keep from coming up, when I ought to be at work." ...Finally, the young man agreed to retrace his steps down the cable, and he started first with Hogan close - but not too close - behind. ... the bridge platform was reached, and Brophy and Farrell were there to congratulate Hogan. "You done nobly," they averred, and then recommended that he take the stranger to the Oak Street Station. On hearing that the stranger began to fight, and fought well all the way to the station...
He said he was Harry Leonard, 24 years old, but would give no address. His reason for climbing, he said, was to see if the tower was safe, and to inspect a little flag there.
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A tip of the hat to Harry Leonard, 24, of parts unknown. And to Policeman Hogan, of the Bridge Squad. And to John Law, Dave Frieder, Alain Robert, Sam Schwartz, Kez, Gary Gorman, Dr. Bojidar Yanev, SaneSmith, Ben Cipriano, Dan Cameron Rodill, Renaldo Clarke, Alan Feuer, Arthur Leipzig, Sam Rohn, Ivan Greene, Santas Melmoth and Dennis, Morry Alter, Peter B. Kaplan, Timmy O'Neill, Phillipe Petit, Vic Argo, Art Jones, Jordan Lage, and Ben Wolf, SJW III and of course the rest of the BMW crew. And to anyone else who has managed - by whatever means and for whatever purpose - to find their own answer to the question that everyone who has ever walked across our stone sentinel has asked themselves: "Wow - I wonder what it would look like from up there?"
photo - qx
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