The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-29
A Greater Leap than oa,nm..

4
When the news of Professor oi.
ium leap from the parapet of the
brooklyn bridge reached here we wers
taking over the affair in the Gold
Room Sam Graham. ex-serreant of
Hangers. called attention to a parallel
incident which attracted q great deal
OF attention on the frontier al the time
and gave the name of ..Hammond,s
Leap to lofty canyon wall on the
bank of the Rio Grande, about six
miles west from where the alkaline wa
ters of the Pecos empty into it The
track of the Southern Pacific Railroad
runs close to the river here. and as Won
whirl by the trainmen viii point out
the spot where Robert Hammond made
sheer leap of l55 feet TO the muddy
waters of the Rio Grande below. This
leap was made in the early summer of
1882, when the railroad was in process
of construction.
Hammond worked in the day gang.
and the big wall tent he shared with
SIX or eight others was about 500
yards from the edge of the lofty wall.
against whose base the muddy waters
of the great river" dashed and tun-
bed. AT this particular point the fiv-
er Is quite deep. One night the Sleep
ing occupants of Harris camp were
aroused by series of startling wells.
which came from Hammond's tent.
Before they could collect their senses
and settle in their minds whether or
not the camp had been attacked by
Indians, Hammond dashed from the
tent, and, although held BY his COM
lr-f. h II a
yelling at every jump. made giant
bounds toward the river. The drillers
and blasters in the cut stopped their
work and ran up on the bank to see
what was the matter. They saw Ham,
mond as he dashed toward them and
heard his agonized yells. A cry of
horror burst from their lips as the
yelling man reached the brink of the
precipice, and, without seconds hes
itation, leaped out and shot down like
a plummet To the boiling flood, 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 TO meet the supposed dead
man alive, uniniured lie was shiver-
ing with cold. however, and the mud
dy water dripped from his clothing.
What was the matter?n cried the
group of searchers in chorus
Zone of them Internal singing liz
ards got in my ear and nearly drove
me crazy answered Hammond, .'but
he popped out when / struck the wa
ter. BY the way, boys, what do you
think of that jump?"
''lt ought to have killed you." said
one man.
''It didn't, though" cried Hammond
with laugh. IN 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 los feet and few inches when the
other end touched the water Ham,
mond did not appear to suffer from his
terrible flight through the air. He
was in his underclothes that night, aad
his feet were protected ouly by thin
socks. He struck the water feet first,
and described the sensation experience
ed as similar to that if the feet had
been smartly slapped with a broad
strap. While in the air he felt no diff
ficulty in breathing, aud the increased
velocity as his body neared the water
was not physically perceptible. San
Antonto (1er. Letter.