Valdez daily prospector., 1914-05-14
MYRIAD THOUGHTS.
 CAME AS HEFELt
Need of a Shave Occurred to Man Shooting Through Space.
80 FOOT DROP SEEMED SLOW
Self consratulation Upon Missing Live Wires, Chances of Escaping Next Danger, Proper Precautions Against Broken Bones, All These Things Flashed Through Mind In Second.

Danger, Proper Precautions Against
 Broken Bones, All These Things
 Flashed Through Mind In Second.
 How it feels to jump eighty feet through the air from the swaying wall of burning building was told recent Iy by Bertrand II. Billman, president of the National Railway News com pany. who performed the feat in AL bany, N. Y., when the old Fort build- ing there was gutted by fire. Billman spent seven weeks in the hospital.
 q was left alone on the window sill eighty feet above the ground" said Billman. "1 still clung to faint hope that the fremen would reach me and determined not to jump until absolute ly the last second. realized in a short time, however, that that second was coming. The heavy partitions in the warehouse began to fall, and each time one went down 1t was as if an explosion had occurred.
 Surrounded by FIames.
 T stood on the sill outside of tho wall and held to the window sash with my left hand. Every time I heard a partition fall I swung myself out and away from the window and kept from falling by standing on one foot and holding on with one hand. The flames would burst through the window by l me and burn my hand and scorch my body, but I chung on, The thick walls 1 of the building swayed to and fro with each explosion.
 i "Finally determined to jump. Then was tue height of my terror. l l have travelled all over the world and have had many narrow escapes. have been in shipwrecks and have had to spend several days in an open boat. 1 have hunted dangerous animals and have been pushed to close quarters by 1 them. have been attacked by men meaning murder. But never in all my ! life have 1 ever felt as l did clingine to that window in swaying wall with the fire roaring around me.
 '"The moment was ready to jump 1 however, 1 forgot about my narrow escapes and the consuming fear ill me. An unusual coolness seemed to come over me. looked down and saw the slanting path would have te follow if would reach the street without striking the portico roof ol the live wires. By waving my arms directed the men holding the life net where to stand l shouted. Pm com ing!' and jumped feet first diagonally downward.
 Thankful as He Missed Live Wires.
 What was in my mind while l was going down?" Billman said, repeating the question asked him. Well, it's hard to say. Of course l was only z second or so in the air. but 1t seemed then as if were taking long time to reach the street. My body passed the wires as a train goes by fence 1t seemed, and | remember the thank fulness. l felt when realized l hat missed them. Then wondered if
 would strike the glass roof.
 "Retween the wires and the root locked my teeth firmly together witt my tongue far back in my mouth, SC 1 that II would not break my jaws ol bite off my tongue when I landed Of course held my breath. a;st thought that when my feet struck my knees might strike my chin, and de termined to avoid this If could.
 '"rhinking of my chin, the absurd thought flashed through my brain that had been working so hard all day 1 had taken no time to shave. Ther l passed the roof and knew that haG only to hit the net to be saved. Isaw several men holding the inside of the net drop 1t and run away. evidently thinking l would fall on them, but struck the outer edge, and. honestly don't remember anything more ,unti woke up in the hospital"