The City all abuzz over the "Human Fly."

The Melzingah Hotel (at 432 Main Street in Beacon) as it looked when the Human Fly climbed it in 1922.

It was said that Jack Williams had such strong fingers he could "squeeze a raw potato into pulp" with one hand. The former trapeze artist turned this prowess into a one-man daredevil act of climbing buildings--like the Woolworth Building in New York--in cities across America using only his finger tips and toes to scale man-made heights that awed crowds in the early 1920s.

Dubbed the "Human Fly" for his fearless act, Williams also had a patriotic touch to his performances that added to his appeal: during World War I he would donate between 20% to 30% of the monies he collected passing his hat after the climbs to the American Red Cross. He did so when he first came to Beacon in July of 1917 to climb the Fishkill National Bank in Bank Square before a crowd of several hundreds.

The Fly returned to Beacon in May of 1922 to face a bigger challenge and a better turnout--to climb the Melzingah Hotel (now the Beacon Hotel) on Main Street, this time before a crowd of a thousand or more. With his wife in the street holding their baby, Williams scaled the four-story building, got to the roof, then, for the topping gesture, climbed the hotel's flagpole and waved to all below. His manager again passed the hat around and collected enough to give the local chapter of the American Legion 20%-take, or about $15. The Human Fly had added The Melzingah to his list of conquered heights ...