Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-06-18
Hammond's Great Leap.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIvE FEET DOWN
FROM A CLIFF INTO THE RIO GRANDE.
San Antonio, Tex. correspondence Of the Phil
adeiphia Times.

san Antonio, Tex. correspondence Of the Phil.
adelphia Times.
When the news of Prof. Odlum's fatal leap
from the parapet of the Brooklyn bridge
reached here we were talking over the affair
in the "Gold room" sam Graham, ex-ser-
geant Of rangers, called attention TO parallel
incident which attracted great deal of atten-
ton on the frontier at the time and gave the
name Of "IIammond's Leap 10 u lofty canon
wall on the bank of the Rio Grande, about six
miles west from where the alkaline waters OF
the Pecos empty into il. The track Of the
Southern Pacific railroad runs close to the riy-
cr here, and rs YOU whirl by the train men
point out the spot where Robert Hammond
made the sheer leap of l55 feet to the muddy
waters of the Rio Grande below. This leap
was made In the early summer OF 1852, when
the railroad was In process OF construction
The painted red men from safe hiding place
on the Mexican side watched the busy scene
with wide-opened eyes. heard the big thun-
der of the blasts with loud beating heart and
stole back to the Santa Rosas. The only animate
beings that did not seem to mind the noise and
tumult were those pestiferous little varmints.
the yinegaroan, the devil horse, the tarantu-
la, the centipede, the singing lizard and the
raitlesnakc. They remained and disputed the
ground inch by inch with the invaders. They
caused great deal OF trouble, and the nayyic les
feared and respected them II was a stinging
lizard or scorpion that caused Iammond's
leap. Hammond WAS n NAVY, born in Eng
land. and at the time he made the leap was
about - years Of age. He was Of rather slen-
der build, but wiry and muscular, and Jack
Harris. the contractor for whom he worked.
considered him his best churn driller. liar-
ris', camp was at the head Of deep canon,
about one mile south Of Nincgaroan. He was
engaged in making I'LL and two side cuts, and
working gangs day and night
Hammond worked In the day gang and the
big wall tent he shared with six or eight others
was about 300 wards from the edge OF the lofty
wall, against " hose base the muddy waters Of
the great river" dashed and 'umblcd. At this
particular point the river i, quite deep. one
night the sleeping occupants of iIarri-'> camp
Were aroused by Il ~crc, of startling wells
which came from Iiammond> tent. Before
they could collect their senses and SETTLE in
attacked by Indians, Hammond dashed from
the tent and, although held by his companions
tore himself away and yelling at every jump.
made giant bounds toward the river. The
irllcrs and blastcr- in the cut stopped their
work and ran up the bank 10 see what was the
matter They saw Hammond a, he da,hc, to-
ward them and heard hi aconi<cd wells. \
~,
ing man reached the brink Of the prccipicc
and without a seconds hesitation lcapc,i out
and shot down like pummct to the boiling
food 10 feet below. They heard the loud
splash made by his body when it struck the
water. aud then with blauchci faces and hush
ed voices, hurried down to the river level :"
search for the poor fellows manglcd body.
What was their surprise 10 meet the supposed
dead man alive. uninurcd. He was .hivrriny
with cold, however, and th" muddy water
drppet from hi clothing.
What VA, the matter :" cried the group %
-carchcr- in chorus.
"Onc Of them Internal singing lizards got
in my ear and nearly drove me crazy" an
,wcred Hammond, "but he popped ont when
struck the water. By the way boys, what
do YOU think Of the jump Z"
At ought 10 have killed YOU, said one
man.
at didn't though" cried Hammond with a
laugh. I'm make 1t again FOR a 10 dollar
bill"
The next morning Jack IIarri, had the d--
tance measured. and the tape line, held close 70
the cliff cd-r marked 10 feet and few inch,
" hen the other end touched thr water Ham
mond did not appear to suffer from hi> tcrrib"
flight through the air. iir worked for Harris
until the latier'- contract was finished and
then went into Mexico 10 work on the McNi-
can Central, lie was in hi, undcrcIothe- that
night and hi- feet were protected only by thin
socks He struck the water feet fir-i. and de-
-cribed the sensation experienced IL similar 10
that IL the feet had been ,martly slapped with
a broad strap. While in the air he felt no
difficulty in breathing, and The increased W
locity a hi, body neared III" water was not
perccptible.