The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-10
HAMMOND'S GREAT LEAP.
One Hundred and Flfty-fve Feet Down from q
Cliff into the Rio Grande.

One Hundred and Fifty-five Feet Down from
, Cliff into the Rio Grande.
i When the news of Prof. Odlum'
fatal leap from the parapet of tn,
, Brooklyn bridge reached here, write,
San Antonio, Tex, correspondent t.
The Philadelphia Times, we were talk
ing over the affair in the "Gold room. y
Sam Graham, ex-sergeant of rangers,
called attention to parallel incident
which attracted a great deal of atten-
ton on the frontier at the time, and
gave the name of "Hammond's Leap"
to a lofty canyon wall on the bank OF
the Rio Grande, about six miles west
from where the Alkaline 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 point out the spot where
Robert Hammond made a sheer leap
of 155 feet to the muddy waters of the
Rio Grando below. The leap was
made in the early summer of 1882,
when the railroad was in process of
construction. The painted red men,
from safe hiding place on the Next
can side, watched the busy scene with
wide-opened eyes. heard the ''bg thun
der" of the blasts with loud-beating
hearts, 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 vinegaroan, the devil
horse, the :arrantula, the centipede,
the singing lizard, and the rattle
snake. They remained and disputed
the ground inch by inch with the in
vaders. They caused a great deal of
trouble and the navvies feared and re-
spected them. 1t was a singing liz
ard or scorpion that caused Ham
mond's leap. Hammond was a navy,
born in England, and at the time he
made the leap about 26 years of age.
He was of rather slender build, but |
wiry and muscular, and Jack Harris,
the contractor for whom he worked, |
considered him his best churr- driller. |
Harris camp was at the head of a
deep canyon, about one mile south of |
Vinegaroan. He was engaged in max
ing fill and two wide cuts, and
worked gangs day and night.
Hammond worked in the day gang.
and the 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
great river" dashed and tumbled
AT this particular point the river is
quite deep. One night the sleeping
occupants of Harris camp were arous-
ed 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 In I
diaRs, Hammond dashed from the ;
tent, and, although held by his COM {
panions, tore himself away, and, yell
ing 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 Hammond '
As he dashed toward them and heard t
his agonized yells. A cry of horror L
BURST from their lips as the yelling (
nan reached the brink of the preci- C
,ice and without seconds hesitation a
capped out and shot down like plum y
net to the boiling flood 155 feet below. i
They heard the loud splash made by a
lis body when he struck the water, P
md then, with blanched faces and v
liver level to search for the poor fell d
owls mangled body. What was their a
urprise to meet the supposed dead b
nan alive, uninjured. He was SILVER
ng with cold, however, and the muddy 1
gater dripped from his clothing. a
"What was the matter?' cried the t.
roup of searchers in chorus. a
Zone of them internal singing liz C
rds got in my ear and nearly drove d
ne crazy" answered Hammond, but t.
e popped out when l struck the wa a
or. By the way, boys, what do you L
mink of that Jump" h
at ought to have killed you," said :
ne man. b.
at didn't though" cried Hammond, al
18th laugh. I'll make it again for u
$40 BILL"
The next morning Jack Harris had
lie distance measured, and the tape
ne, held close to the cliff edge, mark &c
l 155 feet and few inches when the he
sher end touched the water. Ham
ond did not appear to suffer from dc
IS terrible flight through the air. He al
orked for Harris until the latter's &C
,ntract was finished, and then went
~ bieAlCO W WOIh Ou inc mexican A''
entral. He was in his underclothes M
at night, and his feet were protected be
lily by thin socks. He struck the M
alter feet first, and described the SEN as
ton experienced as similar to ar
at if the feet had been smartly slap ex
ID with broad strap. While in the CT
r he felt no difficulty in breathing, an
id the increased velocity, as his body III
AIRED the water, was not perceptible. M
m
England's Great Guns. Id