The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-08-07
SAM PATcH's JUMP.
The Story Of His Fatal Leap at
Rochester Rehearsed.


One great event which has done
as much to bring the name oi
Rochester before the notice of the
world as any other in the city's his.
tory was the leap of Sam Patch over
the upper falls of the Genesee in
1929. There have been many YER
sions of this affair, but the follow.
ing is vouched for by Joseph Coch-
rane, who was an intimate friend oi
the great diver and was with him
when he made his fatal leap. Sam
Patch was born in Rhode Island in
1907. He had been at sea, but be-
came tired of that life and went to
work in a cotton mill at Paterson,
N. j., where he developed a passion
for jumping, and twice leaped from
a bridge into the Passaic river, 8
distance of 80 feet. He then made
tour about the country, making
several hazardous leaps. In 1929
he went to Niagara and jumped
from shelving rock midway be-
tweed the summit of Goet island
and the water. He then came to
Rochester, and in the presence of
his friend Cochrance alone jumped
the upper falls.
Soon afterward he performed the
feat again in the presence of great
crowd. His third attempt was
made Nov. 13, and the papers of the
previous day contained the fol-
lowing notices:
"Higher yet! Sans last jump
Some things can be done as we'll as
Others. There is no mistake in
Sam Patch. OF the truth of this
he will endeavor to convince the
good people of Rochester and its
vicinity next Friday, November 13,
at 2 o'clock, p. m. Being deter
mined to astonish the natives of
the west before he returns to the
Jerseys, he will have a scafeld
twenty-five feet in height erected
on the bridge of the Genesee falls,
in this village from which he will
fearlessly leap into the abyss below,
distance of 126 feet, Sans bear,
at 8 o'clock precisely, will make
the same jump, and follow his mas
ter, thus showing conclusively that
some things can be done as well as
others. Moreover, Sam hopes that
the good people who attend this as
tonishing exhibition will contribute
something toward remunerating
him for the seemingly hazardous
experiment"
There were great crowds present,
excursions having been arranged
from all points in the vicinity.
Sam was not a drunkard, and he
was not drunk that day. He took
a single glass of liquor just before
he made The leap. His address to
the crowd as he stood looking down
on the foaming waters, more than
100 feet beneath him, was as fol
lows.
Napoleon was a great man and
a great general. He conquered
armies and he conquered nations;
but he couldn't jump the Genesee
falls. Wellington was great man
and a great soldier. He conquered |
but he could d'nt jump the
Genesee falls. That was left for |
me to do,a and / can do it at will"
His descent was irregular, and |
before he struck the water the peo-
pie were sure that he had gone to
lis death. 1t is said that one of
he spectators bit off the end of his
,wn thumb in the excitement ef
he moment. 1t was declared by
ome that Sam had eluded the OBJ
of the crowd and escaped
live. Occasional rumors of his ap-
in other places were cir
ulated, but all doubts were settled
7hen March II following his body
vas found frozen in a cake of ice at
he mouth of the river. He now
les in a little cemetery at Char
otte.-Rocherter Post Express.