>> at one point it was swinging out towards the street. and it actually went up vertical like this. i think that was the scariest point for me because i was thinking for sure somebody with fall out. >> it really had kind of an apocalyptic feel to it. >> photojournalist kirby howell works only a few blocks away and gets to the scene quickly, capturing it all on camera. >> the scaffold swung out halfway between these two buildings here. my biggest fear was that the cables supporting it were going to snap and it would come crashing down to the street. >> the window washers are wearing safety harnesses, so presumably if the scaffold falls, the men would be left hanging from the top of the building. that's probably little comfort to them as the scaffold flies through the air thrashing violently. it's already plummeted about 15 feet and shards of glass from the building's windows are raining down on the street. >> to get a visual of this. you arrive on scene, you see a little bit of glass.