F. R. Wilson, a Lexington inventor, demonstrated a portable fire escape with the help of Mrs. James Wells, a Bohmer Flying Service employee, in January 1947. Wilson, a representative of the Imperial Brass Manufacturing Co. in Chicago, said the five-pound device is a foolproof escape gadget that is compressed in a package no larger than a shoe. It consisted of 200 feet of steel cable 3/32nds of an inch thick, a spool on which the cable is wound, a seat harness and a breaking mechanism that had a capacity of 900 pounds. Published in the Lexington Leader on Jan. 21, 1947. Herald-Leader Archive Photo