LETTERS: Human fly
To the Editor:
I am trying to find information on a person by the name of Henry Roland, who billed himself as "The Human Fly." Roland apparently was from the Cleveland, Ohio, area, but may have been from Pittsburgh.
Roland, his wife, and three-year old daughter were evidently traveling about the country climbing tall buildings. In August 1924 he attempted to climb the Davis County Court House in Bloomfield, Iowa, but fell from about 30 feet when his fingers gave out as he was trying to get up and over the cornice at the mansard roof level.
He landed on the sidewalk and broke a hip, dislocated the other, and fractured a couple of ribs, I believe. He was laid up in the hospital six weeks. The people of Bloomfield took up a collection of money and food to help his wife and young daughter get by while Henry mended enough to travel. They stayed in Bloomfield until about mid-October. When they left, they headed toward Pittsburgh.
Roland came back to Bloomfield in July 1932 and successfully climbed the courthouse in 11 minutes — including the time it took for him to do a one-handed handstand on the ledge from where he had fallen earlier. He continued to scamper on up the building and sat astride the statue of Justice.
In the 1932 interview he stated that the fall in 1924 was the only blot on his record. He also claimed that the tallest building he had conquered was the 42-story L.C. Smith building in Seattle. Whether or not Roland actually climbed Smith Tower or just claimed to, I do not know.
But in this 1932 article an accompanying photo showed Roland climbing the Marion County Courthouse. Do you know of this incident and when it took place and if so, did the Marion paper carry an article or interview at the time of Roland's climb?
Thanks for your assistance.
Rudy Evans
revans@websterdesign.com
Editor's Note: We are researching our files. More later.
