Milford chronicle., 1885-07-03
EXTRAORDINARY LEAP.
Jumping Down a Lofty Can
yon on the Rio Grande.
A Man Who Dashss Over "a PreOipioe
l55 Feet High Escapes Unhurt

l55 Feet High Escapes Unhurt
When the news Of professor" Cd
lum's fatal leap from the parapet of
the Brooklyn bridge reached here,
saws a letter from San1Antonio Texas,
to the Philadelphia Times, we were
talking over the affair in the "Gold
ROOM Sam Graham, ex-sergsant Of
Rangers, called attention to parallel
incident which attracted a great deal
of attention on the frontier at the
time and gave the name of "Ham-
mond's Leap" to a lofty canyon wall
on the bank of the Rio Grande. about
six miles west from where the aka
line waters of the Pecos empty into
it. The track of the Southern Pacific
Railroad runs close to the river here.
and as you whirl by the trainmen win
point out the spot where Robert Ham
mond smade a sheer leap of 1855 feet
to themuddy water of the Rio Grande
below. This leap was made in the
early4summer of 1882, when the rail
road was in process of construction.
Hammond worked in the day gang
andsthe big wall tent he shared with
six or eight others was about three
hundred yards from the edge Of the
lofty wall, against whose base the
muddy waters of the great river
dashed and tumbled At this partic-
ular point the river is quite deep. One
night the sleeping occupants Of Har-
ris' camp was aroused by a series of
startling yells. which came from Ham
mOnd's tent. Before they could col
lect their senses and settle in their
mind whether OF not the camp had
been attacked by Indians, Hammond
dashed from the tent, and although
held by his companions. finally tore
himself away, and yelling at every
jump, made giant bounds toward the
river. The drillers and blasters In the
cut stopped work and run up on the
bank to see what was the matter.
They.saw Hammond as he dashed To-
ward them and heard his agonized
yells. A cry of horror burstAfrom their
lips as the yelling man reached the
brink of the precipice, and, without
seconds hesitation, leaped out and
shot down like plummett to the boil
ing food, 155 feet below. They heard
the loud splash made by his body
when it struck the water, and then,
with blanched faces and hushed voices
hurried down to the river level to
search for the poor fellows mangled
body. What was their surprise 20
meet the supposed dead man alive and
uninjured. He was shivering with
cold, however, and the muddy water
dripped from his clothing.
"What'was the matterP" cried the
group of searchers in chorus.
"One ofthem stinging lizards got in
my ear and nearly drove me crazy"
answered Hammond, "but he popped |
out when struck the water. By the
way, boys, what do you think Of that
Jump"
at ought to have killed yOu," said
one man.
at didn't though" cried Hammond,
with a laugh. am make it again for
a $40 bill"
The next morning Jack Harris had
the distance measured, and the tape |
line, held close to the cliff edge, mark
ed 1876 feet and few inches when the
other end touched the water. Ham
mond did not appear to suffer from
his terrible fight through the air. He |
was in his uhderclothes that night,
and his feet were protected only by |
thin socks. He struck the water feet
first, and described the sensation ex-
perienced as similar to that if the feet
had been smartly slapped with broad
strap. While in the air he felt no diff
fieulty in breathing, and the increased
velocity as his body neared the water
was not physically perceptible.