Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-03-27

The Tragic Death Of the american Diper.-
Sam Scott, the American Diver, vus the lion
with tie London rabble, on account Of his daring
fests. Sam wss born IN Philadelphia, and was
hut 20 at bis death. He once saved the life Of q
bea u,ifal hoy in the Bay Of Biscay, for which no
bic act. the ci,ild's father, o General 10 the Brit
ish army. often gave him donations Of money.
The following is the graphic description Of bis
death, given by the correspondent Of the Boston
Times, who Witnessed tho scene On The Waterloo
Bridge.
About two O'Clock on Monday. the eleventh Of
january, Scott arrived OF The bridge, followed by a
large crowd Of his acquain.ances. He was dress.
ed in a blue striped shirt and white duck t.owsers
only, having on neither shoes. stockings or hat
fe had a long rope in his hand which he fastened
to the uppermost pole Of the scafiolding. Afier
performing bis usual tricks, by placed the rope
around his neck and fat,encd i, by a moose. and
suspended himself as be had done o hundred times
before.
lie soon recovered himself and appeared in ex-
celient spirits, making some jocuiar remarks TO
those near him. After this, he placed the rope
round his feet, aud hung with bis head down.
wards, when some one near me remarked, u!
that's nothing-any body could do thet And so
The thousands assembled thought, for they looked
with indifference upon the diver till he again
| mounted The Top pole, and placing the rope round
| his neck exclaimed a, the top Of his voice, though
was too Ear distant to hear him, Now TIL show
you how TO dance upon open cir before dive
| He then let himself down, and after henging a
| few moments, again recovered himself by the as
| distance of the lower pole; a third time he let him
self down 10 the extremity Of the rope-ten feet
| with bis cad III the moose as usual, when in two,
or perhaps three minu,es-for the excitement
was 80 great that il became impossible TO count
The seconds-scott began 10 grow black in the
face; and some person near him remarked, that
Scot had hung himself in reality. When some
one answered., he hssn't hung half his time yet.
others cried hes dead; he's dying!' Cut him
DOWN. for he had now hung perfectly mosionless
about six minutes! A great many Of the specta-
tors. including SCOTS own friends, thought how.
ever, that this was only a still more daring exbi.
bition Of skill, and that he would recover his posi-
ton when be wished to do so; but SO soon as
SCOTS ffame became suddenly ngitaied by q
| grinding emotion, there was shock. . %sbudder, IN
an electric thrill, that seemed to pass instanianc
" through the crowd, followed by q cry Of death,
which was indeserihably terrible. Gut him
dewni' was heard from a thousand loud voices
and q rush was made towards the scalfolding.-
The confusion which ensued was dreadful. Men
were seen fighting their way along, while the wo'
men screamed snd tainted. sed 10 one appeared
10 be able TO reach the unfortunate diver, ill a
persevering Policeman forced himself over the
heads apd shoulders of the dense mass, loosenet
tho rope aud lowered the body down, but life IL
tea'i'y had departed! 94
A medical man present opened the jugulaI
vein, and also q vein in the arm, but only q few
drops Of blood followed this operation. A yehi
Gle vas produced after some delay, and Scott wsi
conveyed 10 the Charing Goes Hospital, where, j
was then ascertained tina. life was not who'll,
extinct; bot every e%xer.ion made did not avail
to re store him-the vital spark soon fed. Thu
ended the days Of this daring diver. And j, is Il
be desired that his awful death may prove a warn
ing 10 Others not 10 trihs with their. lives in an,
such foolish and totally useless rnanner.