The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-31
DAREDEVIL SCORNS DEATH BY SCALING EMPIRE BUILDING IN VIEW OF 35,OOO Harry Gardiner Climbs Sky
 scraper From Base to
 Pinnacle While Thou sands Marvel
LEDGER FURNISHED
 SENSATIONAL ACT
 FOR PEOPLE OF CITY
Human Fly Climbs Building in Hour and Ten Minutes-Feints Fall and Gives Crowd Thrill
 of Horror
By REUBEN A. LEWIS


 Harry Gardiner mocked death when, in view of a curious throng that num- bered 5000, he climbed the Empire build ing. from base to the loftest pinnacle, yesterday afternoon.
 The human fly" with his bare hands
 and without artificial aids defied the threatening hand of capricious fate while thousands, damned in the streets and avenues, perched upon automobiles, and
 peering from every nook and rift in the skyscrapers and office buildings nearby
 and ten minutes.
 The crowd was one of the greatest that ever filled the streets of Birming-
 ham. Traffic was blocked for nearly two hours. Thirty women tainted dur
 ing the surge of the curious to force their way to a better point of vantage. On
 First avenue, from Twenty-second street to Nineteenth, the streets were jammed with the experimentation of humanity that wanted to see this human fly scale
 a sl<yscraper, while Twentieth street from Morris avenue to nearly Third avenue, was overflowing with thousands of those who wanted to pay tribute to the daring of the daredevil
 There was nothing remarkable about
 the appearance of this wooer of death. Clothed in white, he seemed to be noth- ing more than a sturdy, flaxen-hared individual. His arms were bare and tennis shoes covered his feet, which se- cured his life more than once by scant margin as he essayed to scale the tow ering structure
 Perhaps the most colorful part of the exhibition was the speculation and com ment of the crowd that, with upcraned heads and avid eyes, watched Gardiner climb It was a great throng, where mill lionaire rubbed elbow with the penniless, the squalling babe in it's mothers arms voiced it's disapproval of the mass, while
 the aged with forked beard admitted that his eyes had never behed such a fool. : Perhaps the most amusing part of the
 climb was the comment that the feat brought from the dusky onlookers. It was better than a circus or a funeral, according to them, but they were con cerned mostly with why Gardiner wanted to climb.
 How cum him to climb dat building?" one of the negro onlookers queried of his curious companion. De Ledger is paying him to do hit, was the response.
 Paying him? Huh. He wouldn't go up dere for de whole Ledger building hitsef.
 This was characteristic of the wonder that went the rounds.
 Though the climber did not ascend the building with speed that fly would have evinced, his hesitations and obstacles added a dramatic touch to the exhibi- ton. When, having attained the top- I1- n rnr tnn tnn fair toI f.n a gasp of borrow followed in it's wake Women raised their hands to serve as vel against seeing the daredevil hurtled hundreds of feet downward to death. But he did not fall.
 The human fly proved to be a rather
 unique fellow. At times he would halt his climb and rest. Thus disengaged he would speak to the crowds in the Woodward building across the way, and to the thousands in the streets below From his perch aloft he yelled at the crowds below. He waved his hands pan tomiming that the people just beneath him should move, for he might fall. The cold-blooded warning was impressive, but later it was learned that he was urging which might be loosen from their stays by pressure he exerted, would fall and deal injuries to them
 MEETS DIFFICULTIES The first stage of his climb was not without difficulty. After reaching the second floor he made several attempts to gain secure holds. but it seemed that lie was checkmated Finally he succeed ing in hoisting his body to the next level and the crowds below cheered and ap- plauded his success.
 Deliberately, the marvellous climber scaled the slick outer face of the white building, which reflected the beams of the sun in his face and made his task
 more difficult. As the sixth it seemed that he might be halted. In fact, spec tators thought he announced once that, owing to the grease that had accumu- lated in the crevices of the projections and the reflected heat, he would abandon his ascent.
 l This proved in error for the daredevil continued to clutch for hold and soon drew up in safety to the seventh floor. As he rested, wave of applause and | cheers came up to him as he was perched l in a window.
 At this juncture the thousands below
 tContinued on Page Teui