The Press., 1900-04-26
A PLUNGE TO DEATH.
SAM PATcH'S FAMOUS JUMP OVER
THE GENESEE FALLS.

SAM PATcH'S FAMOUS JUMP OVER
THE GENESEE FALLS.
The Last of a Sensational Series of
Daring Feats Which Might Have
Resulted Differently but For a Bot
tie of Brandy. ..
Nov. 13, 1929. Sam Patch lost his life
In jumping from a scaffold 25 feet
above the brink Of the Genesee falls
into the abyss below. He undertook
TO jump in all a distance of 1875 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 CONVEX
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 be
was seized with the jumping mania
After giving several daring exhibitions
In New Jersey he decided to try his
luck at Niagara falls two years later.
In October. 1927. be jumped from a
shelving rock between Goat island and
the gurglng waters many feet below.
A few days later he startled the na
tives by jumping from the old Fitz-
hugh street bridge at dawn. He swan
under the water to a 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 reassured the boy, he
would have had half of the population
Of Rochester dragging the water for
his dead body.
With such a record it Is no wonder
that on the morning Of Nov. 13 all the
muddy roads leading to Rochester
were thronged with people desirous Of
seeing the wonderful jumper. Even IL
farmers were unusually busy in secur-
ing the last of their harvests 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 a drink
| of brandy rendered to him by his
| friend. William Cochrane. Several of
| the specta tors contributed a unique
uniform. Dressed in white trousers
decorated with black silk handker-
chief tied around his body, surmounted
| by light woolen 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 breathless specta-
tors: Napoleon was great man and
a great general He conquered armies.
and he conquered nations. But he
couldn't jump the Genesee falls. Wei
lington was a 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 can do it and will"
/ Dot INN IN
Genesee falls when he was sober. he
could not do it when he felt the effects
of the brandy. Owing to this fact be
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 bis previous efforts, when he sho'
like an arrow from bow, that the
spectators were certain that he met his
doom when he reached the water an(
the jagged. piercing rocks beneath.
:, The spectators searched in vain fol
the jumper The torches of the search
ers along the river bank and those O.
the searchers who dragged the river II
boats lit up the river during the lons
night hours. Amid the roar of th'
cataract the sorrowing multitude shet
tears for the jolly good fellow who
like many others. loved his bottle ol
occasions.
Notwithstanding the rumors tha
Sam Patch had been seen alive IL
Rochester nothing was heard Of hin
until st. Patrick's day. when his bod.
was found In cake Of Ice uear th'
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. Th
feats Of Sam Patch filed the newspa
pers for weeks. and although suci
poets as Mrs. Sigourney wrote poem
dedicated to his memory no monumen
has been erected in commemoration o
bis feats.
Indeed. the event produced a pro
found impression upon the people o
those days On the following Sunda.
the preachers in Rochester and neigh
boring towns could not say enough
against the evils of jumping. Som
even went as far as Josiah Bissell. VIII
told the pupils of the Third churcl
: Sunday school that because they saw
the fatal leap they were accessories t
his death and were murderers in tn
sight Of God.-Rochester Herald.