New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-13
HE FELL TEN STORIES.
WeismuIIer Thinks He Rode Dozen
on a Beam.

To fall ten stories and 1--we Is experience vouch-
safed 70 few men. Frank Weismuller, OF No. 20
Troutman-st Brooklyn, who. so far as is known
is the only this part OF the country 20 pass
safely through such a nerve racl0ing experience
SAYS one such event IN a lifetime IS sufficient
weismuIer may be accepted authority, for
he is the only man to the drop from the tenth
floor in the recent Hotel Darlington disaster. and
come out practically unframed Marvellous as II
may seem weisrnuller fell the distance OF IL feet
from the tenth floor OF the uncompleted structure
to the street level and escaped with black eye.
lacsrated finger. a slight scalp bruise and some
body bruises Not a bono broken. The fact
that this fail taken IN a perfect maze OF iron
gfrders renders the escape all the more miraculous
To Weismuller's mind nothing save divine inter-
veDton IN his behalf can account FOR the fact that
the life was not crushed Of him by one OF the
many great iron beams which came crashing down
about him Ike sapngs before a tornado.
1T was a miracle: that's ALL said Weismuller
as he sat in his little Kitchen in Troutman-st. his
wife and two little boys gathered about him. day
or two after the disaster.
Il am a steamhttor. you know. Well. was up
there on tho tenth floor with my foreman Henry
stoohle OF Morris Park. Long Island. We were
the only stearndttors there, but there were eight
men in all on the floor. remember that ] was
putting n sleeve on a pipe. a covering. you know.
10 protect IL. We'll I hard at work when sud
denly I experienced sensation / can hardly IND
words 20 describe. I don't remember any noise
before r. but the floor seemed 20 rise uD under
nv feet then it slipped away again II was just
as n was on huge wave. At first did not
know what 10 make o. Il, then suddenly the
thought flashed through my mind: Something has
happened the building is falling
I waited for the floor 20 rise again. or course
Il was only fraction of instant, but il seemed
an age. The floor did not rise and realized that
I was sinking 7 remember clutchinR at
thing 10 stay my fall Whether I caught It can
not say.
Il know that It seemed as ~ my head would
burst. The thoughts came thick and fast. they
fairly turnhled over each other There was a
choking sensation IN NY throat my heart seemed
TO stand stiIl and my head felt as big a barrel
i seemed as If more than hundred drums were
beating IN my ears
ITO tell Of everything ! thought Of in the few
seconds I must have been falling would I'll
book. over and above every other thing came the
thought: You are dead That kept ringing IN my
ears: YOU are dead; you dead and then
fell 70 wondering II this really was death. Every
thing seemed 50 quiet and stranEel ] wondered
where 7 was. where the rest OF the worlymen were
ard what would happen next. Then suddenly an
other thought became uppernost IN my mind.
Your family. your family Il said over and over
sgajn and cod see this ro2m here lust a. clear
saw some one breaking the news that was dead
20 my vie. ] saw her crying ana the children
'T6en, quick as "A wink. a thought OF my hoy
hood flashed through my mind. back IN
Germany. I'm the town where 7 was born and I
friends as clearly as see YOU.
ryseif laid oUt for burial ana there was The cof
T5e fsca +, n 1o,paf some Ike me Inn vs. 10,
positive that point. I saw the clergyman and
had confused idea Of a service going Then
suddenly ] was being lowered into the grave I
felt myself going down. faster and faster. I knew
there was something wrong. They would never
let body down Ike that at q burial, something
told me; soTsJhiing , Tas WTo1E. Tie straps be
them 70 stop, but I could not utter a sound That
settled # IN my mind; I was dead. sure enough.
Then suddenly I stopped. A crash sounded family
IN my ears. il seemed as n every muscle in my
ne. u was as II a million pins had been driven
sDat It out OF my mouth. Then ! opened my eyes
l can remember catchng a glimpse OF my partner
and then lost consciousness.
al o. ny lin al s. ne L as te i myself being
happened then but ! learned later that / was
man and carried into the Hotel Patterson. 7 was
laid the floor and became numb. I thought
came and ] can remember looking at him He
was a young man ] think Then my eyes closed.
say IN a whisper 10 a women who stood him.
After a time I came 70. I asked tho doctor TO
send me home. bat they took me 10 the New-York
course, ana found that had broken bones. II
was miracle. that is al q was.
that rode down that drop OF III feet on one OF
me AZ ] told YOU. have faint notion thar
caught hold Of something when felt myself fall
was but have q faint idea that Il was ono OF
ne big iron beams or giriers one of those girdeT,
in iis fail scraped down the side OF the Hotel Pat
terson. tearing or the fire escape on its way down
Ny idea s. that somehow ] got that beam and
rode q 20 the ground. The collision with the
Hotel Patterson broke the force OF the fall but
the wonder Is. - z was on The beam. 7 not
Knocked OF ] know that when I struck the bot
Had landed m- head ] must surely have been
killed"
Weismuer. who SIS thirtv-seven years old wan
born in Hesse. Germany. lie has heen IN this coun-
Try several years and speaks English fiusntly
Aside from iis slight injuries ho appears 20 be all
right Er'. strong man shat he is. ne cannot even
now scak Il his trying experience without display
iuE emotion
''It was terrible sensation he said. 1T makes