The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
SdA PITtH'S LAST JUMP.
Tho Circumstances Recalled on tho Ami
rersary Of His Death.

From a, R,rh,Stsr Herald.
To-day II tho seventieth ami cersary OF one
Of the most noteworthy events In the early his
tory OF Rochester: In the days when Rochester
was slumbeFing village on the banks OF the
Genesce. Although but one man. sam Patch.
lost his lie. the valley OF the Genesee was
stirred as II had never been stirred since the
d " OF Indian massacres
Nov. 10, ls29. sam Patch lost his lie In
jumping from scafIold twenty-five feet above
the brink OF the Geneses Falls into the abyss
below. He undertook to jump In all n distance
OF l25 feet or cou So the whole population OF
Rochester as well a. the farmers from neigh
boring vi lagos were uron the scene The fame
Of Patch had for several weeks been q topic OF
conversation among tho ear y settlers. Around
the home nr"pac", as well AS tho zig fireplace
In the ,ssySTn While the settlers slprsd their
from jersey
Patch wa, born In Rhode Island in 1907.
Boon, after la removed to Paterson. y. j.. at
which plac'. IN 1927. NJ was seized with the
exhlniiions 10 New Jersey no decided To Try
October. 1927 h. Iumred from a shelving rock
between Goat lsland aud the gurgiing waters
the natives 10y jumrins from the old Fitzhnsh
street ridge a, dawn. lie swan un Ter he
water to a convenient hiding pace. where he
bouts crowded with peolle dragging Tor his
body They were startled when h called nier-
Il!y to them. Ioking them Tor their wasted Of
on another morning he startled a Rochester
sy s s had o hs s: .S
the 10y he would have had half OF the popula-
ton 81 Rochester dragging the water for his
With such q record Y is no wonder that on the
morning OF Nov. l3a the muddy roads lea J.
desirous OF seeing the wonderful Jumper.
hven II iarmeri we're unusually busy In secur.
ike 3 hsc o a .hsS % the
icats Of sam Patch, several boats brought
huna55sdS Of vis,ors In holiday n,tire rom
dacua ani Batavia were almost depopu .ated
on account Of the exc us TO Rochester. The
many had to camp out over nixht.
Notwithstanding the raw. cod weather
Ssm n sSd he S ao e's ss the
cold weather. he was pleased to tortliy himself
with drink th o, brandy tendeTed to him ~ his
b}res!Si - Will Trousers, dscors,ed With "a a
surm ounted by light wooden jacket and
skulcap, Sam must have presented grotssqus
Alter taking another drink from the task
ands ~ brenthleSs spectators: Napoleon was
susFsa sn@ and great s"nsI hS
But he couldn't Jump the Genesce Falls We'll
r ana an" Re
eoai int jump the Genosee Fails. That was
left tor me To TO- and can do II and wi l."
Althouch Sam Patch could jump the Genesee
when he felt the effects oi the brandy. Owing
to this fact he met his death when no took the
jump. When the thousands OF silent and hor-
ror-stricken spectators saw sam strike the
water. they did not see him come TO the sur
face, Hs descent was 40 unlike his previous
efforts. when he shot Ike an arrow from a how,
his doom when no reached the water and tho
Jagged, pierre ng rocks beneath,
Tho spec ntors searched In vain for the
jumpcr. The torches OF the searches along the
river bank and those OF the searchars who
dragged the river In boats lit up tho river dur
Ing fh, long night hours. Amid the roar OF
the cntaract the Borrowing multitude shed
tears for the Jolly good fellow, who, like many
Others, loved his bottle on occasions.
Notwithstanding the rumors that Sam Patch
hal been seen alive In Rochester, nothing was
heard OF him until St Patrick's Day when his
body was found In q cake o. Ice near the mouth
o. the Genesee. Hls remains were buried In
he cemetery at Charlotte. Although It had
been the ambition Of his HE to jump LONDON
frats OF Sam Patch Mod the rewsnapers for
weeks, and although such poets az Mrs. Sig
Quincy wrote poems dedicated to his memory.
tion Of his feats.
Indeed the event produced a profound i'm
preston nron the people OF thoae days.
On the following Sunday. the preachers In
say enough against the evils OF jumping Some
even went rs far "a Josiah Blssell. who told the
pupils OF Third Church sunday School, that
because they saw the fatal leap they were Ac-
cessorias TO his death and were murderers In
the sight OF God.