A Building Wonder

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3482, 16 August 1937, Page 7

A Building Wonder

There is a striking monument on the Scottish Border. This is the 100 feet high obelisk on the peak of the lofty Langholm Hill in Dumfriesshire —a monument which can be seen from the Solway and from well into Cumberland. It is exactly a hundred years since the erection of this landmark was completed. It was erected in honor of the late Major-General Sir John Malcolm. However, there is a still greater fact of interest in this monumental centenary. Actually, this 100 feet column was built without the aid of scaffolding! Like the question attached to the pyramids, how did they get the stone work up that height? The solution emanates from a clever device made by a local mason. This consisted of a strong pole placed upright in the middle of the monument with a beam across the top of it, to which were attached pulleys that raised not only the stones and mortar in an easy and secure manner, but also the workmen, who just put a foot in a loop, took told of the robe and were swung up by a crab on the other side of the structure. How the very top-most stones were laid it is very hard to tell, but it was said that another remarkably ingenious device was utilised to surmount this difficulty. However, the man who invented this temporary support or contrivance was Thomas Slack, of Langholme, and it is possible that it was only used for the building of that monument, which was one of the greatest achievements in the building trade of Dumfriesshire at that time. A tribute was paid ta the workmen by Sir James Graham, who twelve months before had laid the foundation stone, when he presented them with two sovereigns.