Mohawk Ironworkers

I'd like to point out that the Mohawk Skywalkers were a very small part of the force that built the skyscrapers. As there were hundreds more immigrants and walks of all life working on them at the same time.

The Mohawk iron workers were renowned for their incredible ability to keep their balance walking the steel beams so high in the air above the cities during construction of the skyscrapers. I don't remember reading a scientific study of their ability but I suppose it's a good search item. I'd like to know. ^_^

TDD

In that job, if you couldn't keep your balance, well, odds are you wouldn't be at work the next day.

Ya think??? The story was about the Mohawk skywalkers. It was not about the Irish, or Italians, or ironworkers of other descents.

No doubt their ability to keep their balance in high places comes from their ancestral heritage when walking on narrow branches through the tree canopy was a necessary part of their lifestyle...

I'm reminded by thread of a couple of summers I spent working on the ground crew of a suspension bridge that retained one of the original builders, not an Indian, whose job it was to climb the towers and inspect them and the cables weekly. He did this every Friday afternoon and at lunch time he would go out and buy a half pint of whiskey to consume at lunch before he did the inspection. Whiskey probably did not help him keep his balance but apparently steeled his nerves. He never had a problem. I also remember he had the biggest wrench I've ever seen for tightening nuts. Cables would stretch.

MIght mention, while I was there, we lost a couple of painters who fell off the bridge.

More like they're fearless after a bit of firewater.

I'm just saying there is nothing super special about the Mohawks. And that they probably made up less than 10% of the workers.

Brave Workers. I wonder what OSHA would say about their practice. I know, we have the rules, the laws, and then we have those who do not need all the beaurocracy. john

Xposted alt.building.construction - alt.home.repair. OT for a.h.r.

I read a number of news sites on the web, one of which is aljazeera America. It's mostly American News. I found this story about the Native American ( US and Canadian ) Mohawk ironworkers, nicknamed Skywalkers. It's about them building NYC skyscrapers and their home life. It's 47.31 minutes long.

The point being that they weren't the only ones with brass balls.

Nope. They weren't unique.