Fadingpain Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I have heard this story over the years from a few different people. I'm curious if anyone else has heard it and can elaborate on details or definitively confirm the story's authenticity. These are the details as I remember them and/or have heard them. Years ago (perhaps in the early 1970s but the exact dating is fuzzy) a person allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the roof or perhaps out of an upper window of Buffalo City Hall. This was on the central facade facing Niagara Square. According to the story, the person unintentionally landed on the flag pole that stands on the "roof" of the building over the front entrance foyer area, and became impaled. Apparently the body was there for some time as it was difficult to remove. Who has heard this? Know any further details? True or myth? You can faintly see the flag pole in question (US flag) toward the bottom of the building in this photo, above the columns, just to the left of the larger US flag which stands on ground level across Delaware Ave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeGOATski Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 https://goo.gl/9xiuK7 Some believe he was murdered... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Things Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Damn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 He was left there for six months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) 55 minutes ago, row_33 said: He was left there for six months The Convention and Visitors Bureau were estatic over the spike in tourism. The 'Talking Proud' campaign launched. Edited August 9, 2018 by Ridgewaycynic2013 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Jerk Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Did he die? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 It was the late 70/s early 80s. As stated in the article linked, the safety panels were in place then. Go up to the observation deck and se them. It is impossible to lift a body over them. He committed suicide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 hour ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said: The Convention and Visitors Bureau were estatic over the spike in tourism. The 'Talking Proud' campaign launched. It was the first time that a bearded vulture appeared in Buffalo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhg Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Flagpole Jackson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Never heard of it. But think the "gov't gibbeting" thing/angle (with the flagpole) is brilliant! ? 5 hours ago, Boyst62 said: Did he die? Hey! We are gender neutral here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 9 hours ago, LeGOATski said: https://goo.gl/9xiuK7 Some believe he was murdered... Where is 100dollarbills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) 9 hours ago, LeGOATski said: https://goo.gl/9xiuK7 Some believe he was murdered... I deliberately avoided searching this online b/c I thought it would be more fun to exchange versions of the story and see what people thought about it. I thought lots of posters here would have heard something about the story. But that photograph is unbelievable. I didn't know that existed. Edited August 9, 2018 by Fadingpain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guffalo Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 My freinds father worked at the Board of Education and his office faced the square (which is round), and he claimed to have seen the aftermath from his window. It was 1977 or so and the guy was initially alive when he landed. My understanding is they had to cut the pole and cart him away. I remember someone had a picture of the guy as they were working 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 14 minutes ago, Fadingpain said: I deliberately avoided searching this online b/c I thought it would be more fun to exchange versions of the story and see what people thought about it. I thought lots of posters here would have heard something about the story. But that photograph is unbelievable. I didn't know that existed. Holy Phu...! I think I just came down with PTSD... That's a hell of a shot and 1 in 10,000 jump to stick that LZ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasons1992 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 That is messed up. I remember being on the roof and kicking snow off of it as a young kid in 1st grade. Seemed like 10,000 feet up back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guffalo Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 https://horrorhistory.net/2017/10/22/teenagers-apparent-suicide-impaled-on-flagpole/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 The dying of America, the American identity? More apocalyptic prediction, poignant Cassandra of what lay ahead in a nation struggling with how it treats the identity of groups. Impaled by falling on the American Flag in a city that was key cog in winning the last great war for freedom. Simply shocking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterbluesky Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 10 hours ago, Fadingpain said: I have heard this story over the years from a few different people. I'm curious if anyone else has heard it and can elaborate on details or definitively confirm the story's authenticity. These are the details as I remember them and/or have heard them. Years ago (perhaps in the early 1970s but the exact dating is fuzzy) a person allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the roof or perhaps out of an upper window of Buffalo City Hall. This was on the central facade facing Niagara Square. According to the story, the person unintentionally landed on the flag pole that stands on the "roof" of the building over the front entrance foyer area, and became impaled. Apparently the body was there for some time as it was difficult to remove. Who has heard this? Know any further details? True or myth? You can faintly see the flag pole in question (US flag) toward the bottom of the building in this photo, above the columns, just to the left of the larger US flag which stands on ground level across Delaware Ave. It's a 100% true. 8 hours ago, row_33 said: He was left there for six months No he wasn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) Is BFLo City Hall the tallest east of the MS or is that not true? Some of those windows have AC units. LoL... What a dump. Edited August 9, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 I remember it being how I learned the word impaled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Is BFLo City Hall the tallest east of the MS or is that not true? Some of those windows have AC units. LoL... What a dump. Buffalo City Hall is one of the finest examples of art deco architecture you will find in the world. Architectural students study it from all over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 2 minutes ago, Fadingpain said: Buffalo City Hall is one of the finest examples of art deco architecture you will find in the world. Architectural students study it from all over. Just wish they could 86 the window units... Who needs AC in BFLo anyway? Right on The Lake.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 20 minutes ago, Fadingpain said: Buffalo City Hall is one of the finest examples of art deco architecture you will find in the world. Architectural students study it from all over. tons of great work in the city, i enjoyed it with hours to kill for road trips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 The Times of London this weekend did a glowing article on Buffalo, including "the phallic, art-deco City Hall." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted August 9, 2018 Author Share Posted August 9, 2018 They don't build 'em like this anymore! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 amazing architecture up to around 1905 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuvian Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 straight out of the Omen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Nice that he lowered the flag to half-staff for himself, I guess... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripple Creek Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 10 hours ago, DC Tom said: Nice that he lowered the flag to half-staff for himself, I guess... too soon... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Man, could I go for some kabobs on the grill tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 i thought it was a caller to Coach Chuck Dickerson who told Coach he couldn't take the Bills meekly losing any more and was going to jump off the Peace Bridge Coach talked him out of it, saying that the players didn't care so why should he, but the caller chose this option instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnysteel Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 100% true, and it was 1976 (not 1977) https://books.google.com/books?id=7UIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=buffalo+city+hall+suicide&source=bl&ots=NLi71VlLBu&sig=9BfOPRHuob_o8MNkF7dfBUGuo34&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiL64nu4uLcAhVlS98KHd3tAEkQ6AEwF3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=buffalo city hall suicide&f=false https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buffalo-city-hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guffalo Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 5 hours ago, Cripple Creek said: too soon... It was 42 years ago.....when will that one be appropriate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 20 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Just wish they could 86 the window units... Who needs AC in BFLo anyway? Right on The Lake.. Umm,brahh, this is an office building generating a lot of heat and very little to no ventilation. It's a giant hot box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 1 minute ago, Boyst62 said: Umm,brahh, this is an office building generating a lot of heat and very little to no ventilation. It's a giant hot box. Yeah... But being an Architectural marvel of the Art Deco era... You'd think there would be a way to figure out central air. It's City Hall... They waste a ton of money and go Spartan on this? It's like strapping a Thule rack to a Ferrari. Just saying. It wrecks it for me. The mechanical inside must be a mess to be hanging 40+ pound units 20 stories up. Tacky, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: The mechanical inside must be a mess to be hanging 40+ pound units 20 stories up. Tacky, IMO. They still have the mechanicals for loading ice blocks in through openings in the ground floor walls to provide "air conditioning" for the building It's wild to think of that being high tech back in the day... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 4 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Yeah... But being an Architectural marvel of the Art Deco era... You'd think there would be a way to figure out central air. It's City Hall... They waste a ton of money and go Spartan on this? It's like strapping a Thule rack to a Ferrari. Just saying. It wrecks it for me. The mechanical inside must be a mess to be hanging 40+ pound units 20 stories up. Tacky, IMO. The building is reminiscent, in some respects, of stuff made in ancient Rome. Their office buildings didn't have air conditioning either. People survived. Not like A/C is needed in Buffalo, anyway, for more than about 3 weeks a year. Actually you raise an interesting point. The building was finished in 1931. I wonder how many similar buildings had A/C built into them at that time. I'm not sure how prevalent that was. The problem is that if a building is not built with A/C in mind, it can be difficult to engineer all the ducting needed into the building after the fact, especially if you want to conceal it. I do agree that all the window unit A/Cs sticking out on the exterior looks like ****. The entire building is badly in need of a media blasting as well. It's filthy. I assume there is no money in the budget for this stuff. LOL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, Lurker said: They still have the mechanicals for loading ice blocks in through openings in the ground floor walls to provide "air conditioning" for the building It's wild to think of that being high tech back in the day... If it's blowing air over ice and have the mechanicals... You would think it would be not hard to convert to modern system. Same principle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 3 minutes ago, Fadingpain said: in need of a media blasting as well. Now we're going to bring Trump in on this?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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