New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-08-28
A LONG LEAP TO HIS DEATH.
E'OltOaUing the Example that Sam Patch Sci
IN Paterson Years Ago-The FOolharzy
and Fatal Atte,,a2ot of TaUo Young Men.

and Fatal dtte,na,t of T.vo Young Men.
New York Sun.
The Passaic Falls consist of a cataract
that plunges into the cleft of the rocks so
Ceep that the fall from the edge of the pre-
cipice to the surface of the river below,
where it boils and foams like caldron, is
about eighty feet. The sides of the river at
the place are PERCEPTIONS rocks, as smooth as
the walls Of a room, rising perpendicular
from the water to the height of eighty feet
The depth of the stream is generally be-
lieved to be sixty or seventy feet, and in
reality it is not more than forty or fifty.
About 200 feet below the falls the chasm is
covered by a single-span foot-bridge, per
haps fifty feet in length. This bridge affords
a delightful view of the falls, but it makes
one dizzy to look down to the water below,
SO great is the height. As a matter of safety,
and to preclude the danger of people from
yielding to the irresistible temptation of
jumping off, it is guarded at the sides by an
iron railing eight or ten feet high. This
bridge took the place of an old wooden one
some years ago. From the wooden one the
famous Sam Patch one day jumped off into
the water below, and the Paterson gamins of
on following the experiment. until there was
generally crowd of youngsters there who
would take the eighty foot leap at any time
for 25 cents. They performed the feat by
jumping off gently, balancing themselves
with their arms until they nearly reached
the surface of the water, and tn en- su ddenlv
clapping their arms to their sides they dis
appear under the surface. If they did not
do this they were in danger of breaking their
| arms when they struck the water, andif they
struck any other way than perpendicular
they would of course have the breath knock
| ed completely out of them. But one or two
marrow escapes put an end to this practice
until last week. Then lad named John
Cannon made successful leap. It was done
at o clock IN the evening, and there were
several spectators who thought it case of
suicide and ran for ropes and graphing
irons, but were astonished to find the youth
whom they went to rescue sitting comfort
| ably on top of a rock to which he had swan.
Hearing of the feat two other young men,
expert swimmers William Roselle, of Mill
street, and Thomas Bowling, of Marshall
street, aged respectively Is and 20 years
went up quietly one night last week and did
the feat successfully. Yesterday afternoon
these same two young men were at the falls,
and were seen standing on the bridge for
long time, as if contemplating its repetition,
tut no one appeared to pay any particular
attention to them. They waited until there
was a large throng of spectators several
hundred at the falls, as usual on Sunday
afternoons, and then went to neighboring
saloon for drink. and then returned to the
bridge. Their evident intention was APP
parently to create sensation. There was
then an unusually large throng about the
falls and several hundred persons near the
bridge. Then they suddenly clambered
upon the high railing, without divestmg
themselves of their clothing, and started the
spectacles by giving a wild whoop and
Plungging out into the air, on their way to,
the water, fully eighty feet below. William
Roselle went down perpendicular, or straight
as an arrow, and went under the water with
short. sharp s'swoot,'' like sharp edged
stone. He arose to the surface like a por-
poise and swan for the shore overloaded.
Thomas Bowling made a misstep ora slip
as he jumped and turned over several times
before he struck the water, square on his
stomach, with a loud splash. He sank slowly
to the. bottom, and rose no more. It is
supposed that the fall of eighty feet, and
striking on his stomach, Knocked all the
breath out of his body, so chat he became
unconscious. Great excitement prevailed,
land such multitude crushed upon the
bridge over the chasm that there was danger
that it would break. Il So the police drove
the people off. Persons focked to the scene