The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-23

,rw YORK, July 22.-Frends OF
- gurRs, the worlds champion
Iss aver. have been Inquiring an
|a as,v for further details Of his tragic
S.a,b in Rhyl, Wales. Only the state
".nt that Tommy had been killed
~'s,I, dlyIng was sent over by cable.
Yesterday, however, passengers on the
,,ron Inns steamship Monaghan
,.o,ebt the details of the AFFAIR.
II was the old story of the pitcher go
too often 10 the well and the drink
A. 10 MS cups.
an July 7. in Rhyi occurred one of
,,ose affairs so common IN that eoun-
W. where the utmost limits of human
All. speed and endurance are mere
m,tters OF everyday fact and demon
anton.
gurn's programme. though, was a
sensational one rel to that hardy
are. First, he was to dive fifty feet
rom the ~pierhead. then give a ifteen-
minute exhibition OF sklllful swim
mtus. Then he was to run to Castle
Rhudlan, more than three miles away.
and plant q Aas On the rampartS. Re-
umlng at full speed, he was to dive
nom a specially constructed platform
one hundred feet high.
All this was to be done IN less than
tsrty-ape minutes on a wager Of $3.50,
II 10 no wonder that this programme
s,.g crowds from miles around 1t was
made a holiday by u people who admire
obvsraI man In his perfection. 1t is
"a Burns was this, with that n
veakuess-a love for "a giass of Bit
ter"
ava which he had everywhere. They
Sroye about tho town and halted at
sv,ry ale house with a flourish. Osten-
t,ton was a business with him. and
nose with him were only too glad TO
c,teh a reelection Of the glory from the
days hero.
Il the pier, as he stepped from the
carriage one-half hour late, he stagger-
al Then etaspiRg the arm OF a frlend
Professor Baum-he laughed lightly,
and turned toward the one-hundred-
0ot.leap.
embroidered by his excuses, he was
[, take the dangerous dive hrst, prob
.bly to repeat It on his return u from
me castle. As he and his friend and an
assistant passed the doors OF a refresh
men. stand on the pier. Tommy stop
sed and drew back. He hesitated,
baked at the crowd, then at the high
dlye, and entered to take his last drink.
For a full half hour the gay hero re-
mined inside. While he was there
making his task doubly perilous. the
Esather took u hand In the game. A
stroag, raw wind sprang up, and the
sea responded, tossing against the pier
and shaking the flimsy stand.
Glad In his diving suit, he stood on the
topmost perch for several minutes. Ev-
CrythlaG was whirling before him The
sea, the crowds. the dancing boats were
one confused mass. Liquor was urging
him to the jump: the little left OF sane
man was whispering, 'Bewarel"
With a maudlin shout, he hurtled
forward and down. The parabola was
bsautful-his legs unsteady. Turning
over completely, he struck on his back.
A great shout OF applause went up.
Even then MS friends believed in his
known skill and thought he was teach
ing them a new dive. His further &C.
lions seemed 10 bear out this.
Strangely enough. his body did not so
below the surface. and with strong.
clean strokes he turned to the shore.
But his face was purple. For fifteen
minutes he seemed TO swim easily, but
he made little progress against the
tide, and his face grew black steadily.
Professor Baum aud his assistant were
soon beside him. but Il was too late. He
was dead In their arms.
Though little known. personally here.
his deeds we're famous. and he was 1d-
mlred for them. He won a prize In ev-
cry match he entered. One feat illus
tfates his daring. From the top Of n
train going thlrty-ilve miles an hour. he
dlVed ninety feet into water and
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