The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-07-09

When the news of Professor" Cd
lum's leap from the parapet of the
Brooklyn bridge reached here We were
talking over the affair in the 'sGold
Room Sam Graham, ex-sergeant of
Rangers, called attention to q parallel
incident which attracted a great deal
of attention on the frontier at 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 you
whirl by the trainmen will point out
the spot where Robert Hammond made
sheer leap of 155 feet to the muddy
waters of the Bio 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 800
yards from the edge of the lofty wall,
against whose base the muddy waters
of the ''great river" dashed and tum-
bled- At this particular point the riv-
er is quite deep. One night the sleep
aroused by series of startling yells,
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
i Indians, Hammond dashed from the
tent, and, although held by his COM
| panions, finally tore himself away, and,
| 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 a seconds hes
itation. leaped out and shot down like
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 face:
} and hushed voices, hurried down Il
the river level to search for the poo
fellows mangled body. What wa.
their surprise to meet the supposed deaC
man alive, uninjured. He was shiver
ing with cold, however, and the mud
dy water dripped from his clothing.
. w NAT WAS tue H1dlIeE9 CIlcO III
J group of searchers in chorus.
lone OF them internal singing liz
. ards got in my ear and nearly drov
; me crazy" answered Hammond. ''bu
he popped out when l struck the wa
ter. BY the way, boys. what do yo
think of that jump?'
sit ought to have killed you." sal
n one man.
. sit didn't, though" cried Harmon
q with laugh. I'm make it again fc
$40 bill. :"
t The next morning Jack Harris ha
the distance measured, and the tap
/ line, held close to the cliff edge, mari
/ ! ed 155 feet and few inches when til
: other end touched the water. Han
! mond did not appear to suffer from h
: terrible flight through the air. e
q was in his underclothes that night, an
2 his feet were protected only by thi
d socks. He struck the water feet frs
e and described the sensation experien
} ed as similar to that if the feet ha
N been smartly slapped with a bros
l. strap. While in the air he felt no di
y ficulty in breathing, and the increase
velocity as his body neared the wat
was not physically perceptible.-S
Aratonio (IeT.) Letter.