Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-03-01
A PLUNGE TO DEATH.
SAM PATcH's FAMOUS JUMP OVER
THE GeNEsEE FALLS.

Daring Feats Which Might Have
Resulted Differently but For a Bot.
tie of Brandy.
Nov. 10, 1920, Sam p. tch lost his life
in jumping from a scaffold % feet
above the brink of the Genesee falls
into the abyss below. He undertook
to jump in all distance of 125 feet
OF course the whole population of
Rochester as well as the farmers from
neighboring villages were upon the
scene. The fame of Patch had for
several weeks been a topic of cd0Ver.
sation among the early settlers.
Patch was born In Rhode Island in
1907. Soon after he removed to Pater-
son, N. j., at which place in 1927 he
was seized with the jumping mania.
After giving several daring exhibitions
in New Jersey he decided to try his
luck Mt Niagara falls two years later.
In October, 1927, he jumped from a
shelving rock between Goat island and
the gurgling waters many feet below.
A few days later he startled the ma
tives by jumping from the old Fitz-
hugh street bridge at dawn. He swan
under the water to convenient hiding
place, where he had much amusement
in watching several boats crowded
with people dragging for his body.
They were startled when he called
merrily to them, joking them for their
wasted efforts in his behalf.
On another morning he startled a
Rochester lad by jumping from the
brink Of the falls to the rapids below.
If Patch had not treasured the boy, he
would have had half Of the population
Of Rochester dragging the water for
his dead body.
With such record 1t Is no wonder
that on the morning of Nov. Is all the
muddy roads leading to Rochester
were thronged with people DESTROYS OF
seeing the wonderful jumper. Even II
farmers were unusually busy In secur.
| ing the last Of their haryests they
found time to take day or two Off In
order to witness the feats of Sam
Patch. Several boats brought hundreds
of visitors in holiday attire from Can.
ada, Oswego and Lewiston. Buffalo,
Canandaigua and Batavia were almost
depopulated on account of the exodus
to Rochester. The few taverns In the
city turned guests away, and many
had to camp out overnight.
Notwithstanding the raw, cold wealth.
er throngs Of settlers lined the banks
below the falls. Although Sam said he
did not feel the cold weather, he was
pleased to fortify himself with drink
of brandy rendered to him by his
| friend, William Cochrane. Several OF
the spectators contributed a unique
uniform. Dressed in white trousers
decorated with black silk handker-
chief tied around his body, surmounted
by light wooden jacket and skullcap,
Sam must have presented a grotesque
| appearance.
After taking another drink from the
| flask Sam made the following speech
| to the thousands of GREATNESS specta.
tors: Napoleon was a great man and
a great general. He conquered armies,
and he conquered nations. But he
couldn't jump the Genesee falls. Wei
lington was great man and a great
soldier. He conquered armies, and he
conquered nations, and he conquered
Napoleon, but he couldn't jump the
Genesee falls. That was left for me to
do, and l can do 1t and will"
Although Sam Patch could jump the
Genesee falls when he was sober, he
could not do 1t when he felt the effects
of the brandy. Owing to this fact he
met his death when he 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 surface. His descent was so un-
like his previous efforts, when he shot
like an arrow from bow, that the
| spectators were certain that he met his
doom when he reached the water and
the jagged, piercing rocks beneath.
The spectators searched in vain, for
the jumper. The torches Of the search
ers along the river bank and those Of
the searchers who dragged the river in
boats lit up the river during the long
night hours. Amid the roar of the
cataract the sorrowing multitude shed
tears for the jolly good fellow who,
like many others, loved his bottle on
occasions.
Notwithstanding the rumors that
Sam Patch had been seen alive In
Rochester nothing was heard of him
until st. Patrick's day, when his body
was found in cake of ice near the
mouth of the Genesee. His remains
were buried In the cemetery at Char
lotte. Although It had been the ambi-
ton of his life to jump Londcn bridge,
he met his death in the Genesee. The
feats of Sam Patch filed the newspa-
pers for weeks, and although such
poets as Mrs. Slgourney wrote poems
dedicated to his memory no monument
has been erected in commemoration of
his feats.
Indeed. the event produced a pro-
found impression upon the people of
those days. On the following Sunday
the preachers in Rochester and neigh
boring towns could not say enough
against the evils Of jumping. Some
even went as far as Josiah Bissell, who
Told the pupils of the Third church
Sunday school that because they saw
the fatal leap they were. accessories to
his daath and yyera murdarerQ I'm tho