The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-09-14
Sam Patch's Last Leap.

The fate of Captain Webb at the
rapids of Niagara having awakened q
melancholy interest in similar occur
rences, a correspondent of the Union
has been at the pains to furnish the fol-
lowing in relation to Sam Patch's ex-
ploits in this place, clipped from a city
paper of an early date:
We have often been requested by
travellers and others to republish the
particulars of Sam Patch's last leap
from the falls, but not having in our
possession any newspaper files of that
year, we are unable to do so. In answer
to an inquiry in our daily yesterday,
Mr.. Henry Scranton, of this city, has
furnished us from his private journal
the following: The first leap took
place on Friday, the 9th of November,
1929: distance, one hundred feet He
went down in fine style and rose to the
surface amid the huzzas of the multi
tude. The number of persons present
was estimated at 1000 to 5000. The
last and fatal leap, which took place
one week after, was advertised in the
init Masonic Inquirer as follows:
some things can be done as well as others"
THERE'S NO MISTAKE IN SAM PATCH.-Ot
the truth of this he will endeavor to convince
the good people of Rochester and vicinity
next Friday, November Ii, at two o'clock p.
m. Being determined to "astonish the
natives" of the west before he returns to the
Jerseys, he will have a scaffold twenty-five
feet in height erected on the brink of Genesee
Falls, in this village. from which he will fear
lessly leap into the abyss below, a distance of
rs feet Sans bear TAT three O'Clock precise
ly) will make the same jump and follow his
master, thus showing concIusively that some
things can be done as well as others" More
over, Sam hopes that all the good people who
attend this astonishing exhibition will con-
tribute something toward remunerating him
for the seemingly hazardous experiment.
The following is the Antt-Masonic In
guirer's notice of the exploit:
1.-The ominous expression contained
in the reckless Patch's advertisement
has been fearfully indicated. 1t was
indeed his last jump He jumped
from staging twenty-five feet above
the brink of the falls into the. abyss
below, from whence his body has not
yet been recovered. A variety of rea-
sons are given for the fatal termination
of this prescriptions feat. All, how
ever, concur in saying that Patch, from
some cause or other, did not retain the
position while descending or strike the
water as he did on the former occasion.
1t was daring and useless exposure of
human life. which, having resulted dis
astrously, creates train of painful
reflections. We would not dwell upon
tl4s distressing scene, and Yet, we can
not Danish it from our thoughts. We
still see the frail mortal standing, as it
proved, upon the brink of eternity!
The terrified Imagination follows him
from the giddy height, through the thin
air. into the deep, dark chasm below!
1t fingers but few moments of breath
less and agonized suspense! The waters,
troubled moment in swallowing their
victim, are at rest! The expiring bub-
bles announce that the spirit has de-
parted, leaving the body in the dark
bosom of the ocean buriedn The null
titude shrink away abashed and re-
bukedr'-Rochester IN. Y Union.