Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-21
A LONG LEAP TO HIS DEATH.
Fotto,cing the Example that Sam Patch Set
IN Paterson Years Ago-The Foolhardy
and Fatal Ltten,pt of T,ro Young Men.

Folto,cing the Example that Sam Patch Set
IN Paterson Years Ago-The Foolhardy
ana fdfdt Ittempt of T,co Young Men.
New York Sun.
The Passaic Falls consist of cataract
that plunges into the cleft of the rocks so
,eep 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 precipitous rocks, as smooth as
the walls of room, rising perpendicular
from the water to the height of eighty feet.
The depth of the stream is generally be-
Heved 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 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
the day. bound not to be outdone, ventured
on following the experiment until there was
generally crowd of youngsters there who
would take the elghty-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 tie water. and tn en- suddenly
clapping tt cir 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, and if they
struck any other way than perpendicular y
they would of course have the breath knock
ed completely out of them. But one or two
narrow 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 a 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 rock to which he had swan.
Hearing of the feat two other young men,
expert swimmers-Wiliam Roselle. of Mill
street, and Thomas Bowling, of Marshall
street, aged respectively IS and 90 years
: went up quietly one night last week and did
the feat successfully. Yesterday afternoon
these same two young men were at the falls,
9 and were seen standing on the bridge for q
long time, as if contemplating its repetition,
tutno one appeared to pay any particular
attention to them. They waited until there
was a large throng of spectators-severa
hundred at the falls, as usual on Sunday
afternoons, and then went to a neighboring
saloon for a drink. and then returned to the
bridge. Their evident intention was APP
parently to create sensation. There was
an Iaru oJ,o ha
falls and several hundred persons near the
! bridge. Then they sud- My cIambered
= upon the high railing, without divesting
themselves of their clothing. and started the
r spectacles by giving wild whoop and
S ,elunging ont into the air, on their wav to
the water, fully eighty feet below. William
| Roselle went down perpendicular, or straight
as an arrow, and went under the water with
a short, sharp "swoot.' like sharp edged
!, stone. He arose to the surface like q por-
poise and swan for the shore overhanded
: Thomas Bowling made misstep or q slip
J, 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. 1t is
. supposed that the fall of eighty feet and
a striking on his stomach, knocked all the
u breath out of his body, SO that he became
5 unconscious. Great excitement prevailed
:. and such q multitude crushed upon the
Z bridge over the chasm that there was danger
that it would break. So the police drove
: the people off. Persons focked to the scene
t until three or four thousand people blackenet
n the edges of the precipice. A large search
i. ing party had failed to recover the body VI
o to 1890 o'clock last night. The atfai
d created the greatest sensation of anything
$ that has happened in Paterson in lonI
b time