Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-06

PEYSER'S 10O-FOOT FALL.
Able to Walk Around and Tell About
1t Few Days Later.
milwaukee Sentinel. }

William Peyser, who a week ago last
Thursday experienced a fall of almost
one hundred feet from the twelfth floor
of the Wells building without any
serious injury resulting, sat at his
home, 81 Juneau avenue, last night and
related the story of his remarkable
accident. He had just returned from
baseball game at Thirty-ninth and
Clybourn streets, and said that he
would have played in the game him.
self had his knee not been stiff. Other
wise Peyser is in splendid condition.
u don't look much like a man who
has gone through the miracle that I
have, do II" he asked. well, now
that it is all over, we may laugh at it,
but I'll tell you wouldn't risk my life
in that way again for all that money
could buy. The whistle had just blown
for the men to quit for dinner. I was
working on the fourteenth floor at the
northeast corner. / left my work and
putting on my coat walked down the
ladder leading from the fourteenth to
the twelfth floor. From here down we
men who are in the employ of the
bridge company were in the habit of
getting on a rope next to the elevator
shaft and sliding to the second floor,
where another ladder stood leading to
the first floor. I thought the rope was
securely fastened, as is the custom, in
half hitch and thrown around a
column just between the thirteenth and
fourteenth floors. l wrapped my two
feet around the rope and grasped it
securely.
Il started to slide and had gone but
a short distance when I realized that l
was falling. My hands had stopped
moving along the rope. What was l to
do? MY first thought was, and 1 must
have said it loud enough for any one
around me to hear, Well, goodbye
Bill, it's ell off with you now Words
cannot describe my feelings. I counted
every floor as I passed it. 1t seemed
as though 1 were a year in dropping.
Down, down, down, down, went, into
what seemed bottomless pit.
IT am told that struck a beam of
iron on one of the floors and turned a
complete somereault in midair. but 1
don't remember that. I do know that
I held on to that rope as though for
dear life. 1t seemed to me as though
there was but one chance left between
me and death and that was for that
rope to catch on one of the beams. As
reached the third floor I closed my
eyes and waited for the shock, but it
didn't come That's the last 1 remem-
Der of anything until 1 woke from my
stupor two days later at st. Mary s
Hospital.
81 have read the tale of my fall and
| escape in every metropolitan news
paper from New York to San Fran
cisco. l have been asked to appear in
the dime museums and today wherever
| l went l was accosted by people, some
| of whom l had never seen before, who
wanted to hear just how it occurred
and how I felt after it, and how / feel
| now. l have told and retold it all until
| I am almost tongue-tied. l don't like
| this notoriety. I am anxious to get
| back to work and I'll be at my old job
| in a few days. l can only add that
| thank my Maker for my delivery and
| say that l was as near to heaven as
| expect to get for few years to
| come"
| Peyser is about Is years old and a
native of Brooklyn. A bandage about
his head, covering a scalp wound, is
the only sign of his recent drop.