tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post8126071608299249247..comments2024-03-28T21:34:40.656-07:00Comments on WILD ABOUT HARRY: The untold story of Houdini's 1914 Battery Park escapeJohn Coxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-26977731545141694672020-09-26T09:13:02.270-07:002020-09-26T09:13:02.270-07:00Re my comment above. Clearly the box was retrievab...Re my comment above. Clearly the box was retrievable as Houdini was photographed with it after the escape.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-57500293621455483432020-09-25T19:38:55.028-07:002020-09-25T19:38:55.028-07:00Wonder if he remembered his anniversaryWonder if he remembered his anniversaryAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320370683001706272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-72982126741543817922017-11-19T08:04:20.184-08:002017-11-19T08:04:20.184-08:00I'm curious why this past post is getting so m...I'm curious why this past post is getting so much traffic lately? Are we linked somewhere? Thanks.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-66048947784348847722017-03-19T10:29:00.892-07:002017-03-19T10:29:00.892-07:00Hey John,,,just reading this great post. I can te...Hey John,,,just reading this great post. I can tell you first hand being in the box and feeling it hit the water is one thing, however when you see the light disappear from around the top as you sink below the surface and all the sounds change to muffled oppressive darkness and that water starts pouring in,,,it just doesnt stop until its full and then in a heartbeat what was once dark and scary Michael Griffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18036336623981217634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-60755745458354513582014-02-18T16:59:27.305-08:002014-02-18T16:59:27.305-08:00Good points. Houdini wore lifts on his shoes, so m...Good points. Houdini wore lifts on his shoes, so maybe that's what we're seeing here. Good point about the U.S. not getting into the War until 1917. Probably wouldn't have been a patriotic swell this early. Also interesting idea about it being July 4. But the one mention of the NJ escape that it took place after Battery Park, which was July 15. But it's all very unclear, so it John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-36730237358686400612014-02-18T16:24:49.139-08:002014-02-18T16:24:49.139-08:00Regarding your post from Dec. 4 2011, "Houdin...Regarding your post from Dec. 4 2011, "Houdini's only filmed overboard box escape": This footage is really fantastic. Great editing. A few thoughts: Did you notice his shoes? It look like they have heels on them. Maybe to help with the escape? I agree that the flag is probably just a device to indicate that he is actually inside the box. The date could be in July, as it was still Mantoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-27979890767212732032014-02-16T14:46:10.271-08:002014-02-16T14:46:10.271-08:00Good points!Good points!John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-67149367863129512162014-02-16T14:45:26.037-08:002014-02-16T14:45:26.037-08:00And July 15 was quite a day! Definitely a candidat...And July 15 was quite a day! Definitely a candidate for time travel. You could see HH do the overboard box in the afternoon and then the Brick Wall, Needles, and Double-Fold that night. Wow.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-63777907553987715372014-02-16T14:44:19.288-08:002014-02-16T14:44:19.288-08:00I would be in a panic no matter what. Just to sit ...I would be in a panic no matter what. Just to sit in that box and let it fill with water around you would be terrifying.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-46510767678019464042014-02-16T14:42:26.322-08:002014-02-16T14:42:26.322-08:00Leave it to Houdini to get the year wrong. The mor...Leave it to Houdini to get the year wrong. The more I do primary research the more I discover he's a disaster with dates. I think Silverman makes mention of the same thing. You can't trust his dating of anything.<br /><br />Seems to the me the plank method was far more dangerous as the box was really on it's own once it hit the water. The block and tackle gives more control. I'm John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-85511358337431888412014-02-16T12:05:26.578-08:002014-02-16T12:05:26.578-08:00In his article, Houdini describes the July 15, 191...In his article, Houdini describes the July 15, 1914 overboard escape as having taken place in 1912. So it appears that he got the year wrong. The newspaper article notes that the spectators walked away from the stunt theorizing about the method such as keys hidden in his hair. I thought that was interesting because it reminds us that folks back then were not that stupid.<br /><br />I'm Leo Hevianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-49645722495840382572014-02-16T11:33:52.694-08:002014-02-16T11:33:52.694-08:00GREAT POST!
Two thoughts come to mind.
1) Never b...GREAT POST!<br /><br />Two thoughts come to mind.<br />1) Never believe anything Houdini says unless it is backed up by an independent source.<br /><br />2) Any time you do a dangerous stunt, no matter how carefully planned, you are still risking your life on the outside chance things foul up!<br /><br />Dorothy Dietrich & Dick Brookz<br /><br />The Houdini Museum<br />The Only Building in Dorothy Dietrich & Dick Brookzhttp://houdini.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-14567395619296037482014-02-16T10:17:34.509-08:002014-02-16T10:17:34.509-08:00Thank You for finally giving this escape the atten...Thank You for finally giving this escape the attention it deserves. July 1914 was quite the month. Look forward to hearing more about Harry dying for a living.Joe M. Notarohttp://harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-90424905059005662052014-02-16T09:36:44.197-08:002014-02-16T09:36:44.197-08:00I would've panicked and become irrational. It&...I would've panicked and become irrational. It's amazing how he was able to finish the trick like that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732721553418878547.post-63811077994861019982014-02-16T08:45:05.655-08:002014-02-16T08:45:05.655-08:00A few details that didn't fit in the article. ...A few details that didn't fit in the article. Houdini performed his double-fold death-defying mystery along with the brick wall at Hammerstein's, which I never knew. Also, I suspect the reason the details of this escape are overlooked is that it wasn't covered by the NY Times (as was 1912). The Times archives were probably what most biographers used pre internet.John Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391313393222271260noreply@blogger.com