, 1879-05-22
a Breath1ess Crowd Of Vast Proportions
Witnesses the Daring Feat from
the River Bank.
Tho Man Mikes the 'rIp in Four Sec.
onds, mud Sseys Undcr Ten
Seconds.
No Injury Whatever Reooived-
Falls and Jumps ofthe Ad-
ventuEer,


f3ll!ct May y1l.-A largo nltllbtF 6I people ft8Lcu
this place to-day to Witness uar.non peer In The
performance of hts jump FROM tho rcw sns-
pension Bridge at thu Fatls into the river,
arcortllnE to announcements circulated through
nut large section Of tho country for some
weeka paat. Special rates were rircn by the
Ureat Western Railway from London md st.
Thomas, as well % by tho Eric Hallway aInl
Canada Southern Railway from pofnts On thefr
respective lines nnl tic trains wcru all COIN
parative1y we'll fll!od, notwithstanding
THE MANY juMpINo roAxE5
which have bocn porpetratel hero from yoar TO
year, and cvcn thosc wllo were present to-day
we're possessed with very lively misgiytnga Us to
tho bona ide issue OF tic present affair, until
Peer ma1e Ills appearance on the bridge about .
p. IN. Ho was dressed III a white 0uernsey shirt,
drawers, and blue trunks, outsidG Of which l,o
woro sort OF rubber coat ot mall OF sufficient
thickness to protect lfs person from serious In
Jury In Its concussiou with tic water, got mt so
heavy rs to lInpart my appearance Of clun,st.
ncBs,
IN Tn8 cENrRH or Tun BRIDGE
from which point he jumped, or rather lot 70,
Was llttlo wlndlass having cylinder about six
inches In diameter, on which was wohnl about
:s20 feet OF very light copper wire, fastened to
his body in such manner rs to keep Ills body
In IN Upright position during tho descent with
out IN any degree impeding Ills progrcss. Con-
siderable excitement was manifested by the
large crowds assembled along the tops Of tie
banks on either side Of the river as rcer climbed
over tic ratling OF tElo bridge preparatory to
dcsccnutnH' Bne tbss was greatly intensified
Wien ha hung only by his hands to the very
bottom tlmbcFs OF the structure, with nothing
bctwccnhlm and tho river below, distance OF cx-
act9y lOo iect. lie suddenly 1ooscd lIls hold amid
cn1Es or "oni o1lr'
from tue spectators, quickly placed ha hands
under Ills arms, In Which position they remain.
cd during hfs rcrflous trip which lasted but
four seconds. Ho struck the watcr with thud
and splash, distinctly audible on tic toos Ut
tho banks, una diaHppcarcd under the water,
remaining out OF slsflt 1or as nluch Us ten scc-
onds, attoF which tIe reappcaTed about afty feet
from where ho wehs down. anu was quickly
taken futo boat tn waiting atnid loud cheers
tro1n the spectators. Alter short rubbing
down. anu pelore reaching TUG shoF", he stood
up IN tile boat, showing tllat I'D was nos much
the Worso OF Ills duekltl:;'
rEEf
is about 30ycars Of agc, about i1ra feet ten
inches high, well built, and has prepossessiny
appearance. While he was preparing for his
performance relative and nnmesako OF his
wl,o has several times walked across tho Niugara
Falls on tight-ropa exhibited soma marvellous
fcats In Ills linz on the guys which run frum tho
bank OF the river to tic centre ot the bridge.
Harmon Peer resides at Tcetervllle, County
Norfolk, ont.; he rot Ills first idea Of jumping
wilen ho was. snlor, soycn years ago, In the
Caribbean soa, accidentally ic!ng knocked of n
topmnst into the sea, 4 distance OF 1o3 feet.
After that, In Milwaukee,, lie was accidentally