Título: Harry Houdini
Seção: Buried alive stunt
Background: Erik Weisz was born in Budapest to a Jewish family. His parents were Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz (1829-1892) and Cecilia Steiner (1841-1913). Houdini was one of seven children: Herman M. (1863-1885) who was Houdini's half-brother, by Rabbi Weisz's first marriage; Nathan J. (1870-1927); Gottfried William (1872-1925); Theodore (1876-1945); Leopold D. (1879-1962); and Carrie Gladys (1882-1959), who was left almost blind after a childhood accident. Weisz arrived in the United States on July 3, 1878, on the SS Fresia with his mother (who was pregnant) and his four brothers.

Conteúdo: Houdini performed at least three variations on a buried alive stunt during his career. The first was near Santa Ana, California in 1915, and it almost cost Houdini his life. Houdini was buried, without a casket, in a pit of earth six feet deep. He became exhausted and panicked while trying to dig his way to the surface and called for help. When his hand finally broke the surface, he fell unconscious and had to be pulled from the grave by his assistants. Houdini wrote in his diary that the escape was "very dangerous" and that "the weight of the earth is killing."  Houdini's second variation on buried alive was an endurance test designed to expose mystical Egyptian performer Rahman Bey, who had claimed to use supernatural powers to remain in a sealed casket for an hour. Houdini bettered Bey on August 5, 1926, by remaining in a sealed casket, or coffin, submerged in the swimming pool of New York's Hotel Shelton for one and a half hours. Houdini claimed he did not use any trickery or supernatural powers to accomplish this feat, just controlled breathing. He repeated the feat at the YMCA in Worcester, Massachusetts on September 28, 1926, this time remaining sealed for one hour and eleven minutes.  Houdini's final buried alive was an elaborate stage escape that featured in his full evening show. Houdini would escape after being strapped in a straitjacket, sealed in a casket, and then buried in a large tank filled with sand. While posters advertising the escape exist (playing off th

user: When was Houdini buried alive?

assistant: The first was near Santa Ana, California in 1915, and it almost cost Houdini his life.

user: What was so life threatening about it?

assistant: Houdini was buried, without a casket, in a pit of earth six feet deep. He became exhausted and panicked while trying to dig his way to the surface

user: How did he escape?

assistant: When his hand finally broke the surface, he fell unconscious and had to be pulled from the grave by his assistants.

user: Was there a crowd watching?

assistant: Houdini's final buried alive was an elaborate stage escape that featured in his full evening show.

user: How did the crowd respond?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What happened after he was rescued?

assistant: Houdini wrote in his diary that the escape was "very dangerous" and that "the weight of the earth is killing."

user: What else is interesting about this article?

assistant: The bronze casket Houdini created for buried alive was used to transport Houdini's body from Detroit to New York following his death on Halloween.