The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-03-03
THE LEAP At NIGGA FALLS

the Genesee Falls, at H1chr~ter, m
Der 1S, 1929!
THE LEAP At NIAGBA FALLS
October 10, 1929 Sem made 9.
leap from Biddle way, at N ara
Falls. His success we 'enn"unced az y
extra, which appears +, he Gasette bc
tober %, and it as folio IS:
WHIrNEY's EAGLE ToTEL, AZ o. k
Sam has just mad HI grea jun ,sif
day was lowery and r4spy. HeaT =
the number of 800 persons assemble on
the Island to witn.ss y ftat; tn ~
madam shore was crowd TO view 10
platform erected for tie fearless feh
from BiddIe Stairway 4 d not apps -
grand as the platform reached olv
about two thirds the height of the btf.k
but to descend to the m rgin Of the wafer.
in the gulf beneath. and look up at that
perpendicular ladder made you mag
inc that it wopld require superhuman
powers to accomplish snch an enterprise.
Sam assembled the ladder and remained
on the top about tee minutes, resting
himself and adjusting himself for the
leap, during which nc he was repeat
eddy cheered by the spectators. At
length he rose every eve was bert in
tently on him, he waved his hand and
kissed the star spangied banner that
foated gracefully over his head, ard then
precipitated h;mselfiko an arrow into
The flood below Twas matchless md
tremendous leap He very soon reappear-
ed and swan to the shore with great cas-
Then it was that painful and imp ~
ant yet Undesirable sensation was driven
from each breast, by the flood of joy
which succeeded on seeing that he vas
safe. Then it was that the benumbing
spell which had reignrd moment OF tive
from the moment he arose on the plat
form, was broken by the burst of the
voices Of ngratulation-all rusheG for
ward (wh0 were below to take the jump
ing hero by the hand the intrepid Sam
spoke to the first There's no mistake
in Sam Patch!n And by the waving II
. haDdkerchiefs and the huzzas of thu
company, there was no mistake, for with
one consent they exclaimed, Z" This is
the real Sam Patchl" A gentl man
present assembled to the top of the ladder,
is of the opinion that Dn.s e few couid
imagine or ar,IIpreciate the sublimity of
.he scene without they assembled the
!aodrc &, which was rising of 100 feet.
J-.r Patch crossed the gulf in the evening
to see his Canadian friends.
A little less than month afterwards
the jumping hero made his last leap,
November Is, 1929, from Genesee Falls,
Rochester. The jump was only five feet
more than when he made his successful
jump above described The account
of Mr.. Patchs fatal leap is as follows
SAM PATCH's DEATH.
ROCHESTER,, Nov 10, 1929
Sam Patch is no more He made bis
last leap from scaffold erecoed on the
bank Of the falls this afternoon. The
staging was elevated twenty-five feet He
sprung fearlessly from it, and descended
about one third of the distance as hand
some as he ever did He then evidently
began to droop, his arms extended, and
his legs separated and in this condition
he struck the water and sank forever
It was fearful leap, and fearfully was it
terminated. The prevailing opinion is
that he became lifeless ere he reached
the water He had drank fearfully in the
morning, but was not apparently more
overcome than lie was on Friday last 1t
was truly a solemn scene, where so many
thousands were witnesses to an immola,
tion,which had its origin only in an effort
to satisfy the craving appetite of human
curiosity. SANS last request, under
stand, was that the funds collected
should be sent to his mother, if his adven
ture should terminate fatally. His body
has not been found. The height OF
Genesee Falls, from which he jumped, is
100 feet. The staging was about twenty
five above the Falls. The distance which
he descended, therefore, was 1875 feet.
Strange rumors were afterward circula
ted that Sam was alive, having secrete6
himself behind the sheet of water at th(
Falls until darkness favored his escape.
A notice was even posted at the entrance
of the Arcade, in Rochester, stating tha
he would return at a certain time and re
late his adventures at Acker's Eagle Tav
ern. But lie never did so. He failed t
fulfill the engagement. As an admiring
bard walled out at the time
Though the trumpet of fame great San
Patch recalls
He has jumped his last jump from the Gene
see Falls.
The wreckers are now at work on TIL,
remains of the once famous "ship-of-the
Pennsylvania sunk opposite the Ports