Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-25
Saks and Company.
HE FELL FIFTEEN STORIES.
Wife and Many Spectators Witnessed
His Descent.


From the Chicago InterOcean
With parting farewell to his trembling
wife John Berez jumped from a fifteenth
story window of the Great Northern Hotel
yesterday at 1870 O'clock
Twisting and whirling he shot downward
like flash. striking the projecting win
dows in his flight, and in the space of
about five seconds landed on the sidewalk
below, a distance of $50 feet, uninjured.
Pale, but smiling, he bobbed up, exclaim-
ing: How is that?"
He was only testing a patent fire escane
which he is introducing.
Shooting the chutes amt in it, he re-
marked in broken English, as some friends
assisted him in unclasping the slender wire
that was fastened under his armpits
That's what l call fun" he said, as he
went to assure his sol!citous wife that he
was sound and had added fcrty years to
mis- life-by not being killed.
The spectacle of man shooting through
space from a fifteen-story window was
an exceedingly thrilling one. The large
crowd that had gathered was unanimous
in the opinion that the experience was
not one to be desired, and many were
inventor would come out of 1t alive. The
general opinion seemed to be that if ne
wasn't killed by striking against the build
ing he would certainly lose his breath and
probably not regain it.
AS he climbed out on the window sill and
adjusted the wire excitement ran high.
Then came the pulling of the string, and
every one held his breath. Faster and
faster he fell, until about the sixth story,
VIXEN his speed became perceptibly slower,
and at the sidewalk was nearly at a stand
still. mistake had been made in CUT
ting the wire, and 1t was found to be two
feet short, and Mr.. Berez was unable to
proudly Inclasp the rope as he had hoped
to do.
During the test the descending man
grazed dangerously close to the building
at several points. At the tenth floor he
struck heavily against the Sill, which sent
his body whirling at a rapid rate The
excited crowd thought that he had been
killed, but he was uninjured and happy
when the end of the rope was reached.
Except for q large rent in his trousers,
caused by the unsought contact with the
sill, he was apparently sound.
The device, invented by John Berez, cab
met maker at No. SO3 West Madison street,
is simple one, which might not be inn
life-saving fire escape. 1t consists of an
iron roller. about ten inches long, and
an inch and half in diameter. controlled
by a ratchet and heavy spring. About
this is coiled wire rope, the size of a lead
pencil. The person in danger of inCin-
GRAFTON fastens the rope under his arms,
climbs out of the window, pulls a string
to throw the ratchet off and gravitation
NCSS eiAS 1861. nv pAAAiSHpAC 40 ehiS.
When the wire is fully wound up the sew
eral coils form cylinder about eighteen
inches in circumference, and as it is un-
coiled this grows rapidly less. thus Of
fering greater and greater resistance on
the spring, which is of sufficient strength
to practically stop the body as the ground
Is reached. Thus while great speed is
made at the start it grows less and less
to the device Is the danger of striking pro-
jecting points, which, however, would not
be taken into consideration II ones life
were in danger.
The arrangement is so compact that 1t
can be placed under the window sill, from
which 1t gets its name, invisible"