Results tagged “daredevil”

Incase you didn't know, the Jeb Corliss case is still wrapped up in the courts. The stuntman tried to jump off the Empire State Building over two years ago, only to be thwarted by the police. Now the NY Post reports that yesterday was "Fun with Physics Day" as a NYU physics professor explained to the jury that "despite the skyscraper's 'wedding cake' shape, an object falling off the observation deck could still reach the street - if it were first propelled horizontally at approximately 10 mph." Undoubtedly, those in attendance learned a little something, as the paper notes that all in all there were more than "six hours of testimony about the interplay of mass, wind resistance and acceleration." Perhaps it also helped Corliss plan his next stunt.

In January 1931, Modern Mechanics magazine featured daredevils, stuntmen, and others with risky odd jobs. Unsurprisingly, many of them flocked to the city, from Madison Square Garden to the Brooklyn Bridge. One of particular interest is Sig Smith, who once walked around the crown of the Statue of Liberty, blindfolded!

Everybody has heard of the Statue of Liberty, though not many people realize what a huge object it is. They say that a man can crawl out of the statue’s eye. If he should slip through that eye he would drop to certain death at the base, more than 150 feet below.

Continue reading "NYC's Daredevil Past"

After trying to parachute off of the Empire State Building in 2006, Jeb Corliss found himself in front of a judge; at first the charges were dismissed, but earlier this year he was charged with reckless endangerment. The misdemeanor could turn the daredevil into a caged bird for up to one year.