- description
- # Narrow escapes and specific incidents
## Overview
This is a segment extracted from the short story "[I and My Chimney](arke:01KG8AJ72QDX8N8STJ3550X2NW)," spanning lines 1178-1194 of the source text file, "[i_and_my_chimney.txt](arke:01KG89J1H4TA19251AXAPE3ZWC)." It recounts specific instances where the narrator and his chimney narrowly avoided threats.
## Context
The segment is part of a larger narrative contained within the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. Preceding this segment is "[Escalation of wife's campaign and various threats](arke:01KG8AJQ42EKAER114S0STE18W)," which details the narrator's wife's attempts to remove the chimney. The subsequent segment, "[Narrator's resolve and current situation](arke:01KG8AJQ4685KJT638D8MXGHQA)," describes the narrator's unwavering commitment to protecting his chimney and his self-imposed isolation.
## Contents
The segment describes two near-disasters: the narrator discovering architectural plans to remove the chimney and an encounter with an architectural reformer, and an incident where brickbats nearly hit the narrator, thrown by men seemingly hired to attack the chimney. The narrator reflects on these events, emphasizing the close calls he and his chimney have experienced.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:59.312Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Narrow escapes and specific incidents
- end_line
- 1194
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:36.358Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 1178
- text
- What narrow escapes have been ours! Once I found in a drawer a whole
portfolio of plans and estimates. Another time, upon returning after a
day’s absence, I discovered my wife standing before the chimney in
earnest conversation with a person whom I at once recognized as a
meddlesome architectural reformer, who, because he had no gift for
putting up anything, was ever intent upon pulling them down; in various
parts of the country having prevailed upon half-witted old folks to
destroy their old-fashioned houses, particularly the chimneys.
But worst of all was, that time I unexpectedly returned at early
morning from a visit to the city, and upon approaching the house,
narrowly escaped three brickbats which fell, from high aloft, at my
feet. Glancing up, what was my horror to see three savages, in blue
jean overalls, in the very act of commencing the long-threatened
attack. Aye, indeed, thinking of those three brickbats, I and my
chimney have had narrow escapes.
- title
- Narrow escapes and specific incidents