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History Daily

Harry Houdini’s Underwater Escape

History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

August 26, 1907. Harry Houdini escapes from chains underwater in 57 seconds in San Francisco Bay, California. This episode originally aired in 2022.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.0

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0:06.0

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0:10.0

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0:17.0

It's the evening of September 21st, 1912, at a performance of the Circus Bush in Berlin,

0:31.0

one of Germany's most popular circus shows.

0:34.0

Sitting in the audience, one delighted audience member, an older man,

0:38.0

stares at the captivating performer on stage,

0:40.0

the most famous escape artist in the world Harry Hudini.

0:44.0

A star of the show has already described what's about to happen.

0:47.0

He's going to be plunged upside down into a tank full of water

0:51.0

and left there until he gets out or dies trying.

0:55.4

The old man watches as Houdini's assistance, place his feet in stocks and lock them in place.

1:01.4

The old man is even more delighted when Hudini asks for a volunteer

1:04.7

from the crowd. When he raises his hand enthusiastically, the Hudini invites the

1:09.2

old man on stage. The man grins as he makes his way to the front of the auditorium and

1:14.3

Houdini's assistant asks him to examine the stocks making sure Houdini's feet

1:19.5

are trapped. The man yanks the locks and agrees that H Hudini can't pull his feet back out.

1:25.0

The old man jumps and surprised though, as the stocks are suddenly hoisted into the air by

1:29.5

pulleys and the rafters above the stage.

1:31.6

Hudini dangles upside down in midair.

1:35.0

Then it's lowered into the tank.

...

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