page_title: Larry Donovan (bridge jumper)
section_title: Clifton Suspension Bridge: second attempt
hierarchical_section_title: Larry Donovan (bridge jumper) / England / Clifton Suspension Bridge: second attempt
caption_attribution_description: Clifton suspension bridge from the north east cliffs Bristol England
context_page_description: Lawrence "Larry" M. Donovan, born Lawrence Degnan or possibly Duignan was a newspaper typesetter who became famous for leaping from bridges, first around the northeastern United States, and later in England. Inspired by the first successful Brooklyn Bridge jump by Steve Brodie, Donovan sought fame and fortune by leaping off that bridge, the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, and Bristol's 250 foot Clifton Suspension Bridge. Slightly injured on a couple of occasions and frequently incarcerated following his attempts, he struggled to capitalise on his fame, making money only through bets and brief periods working as an emcee or exhibiting himself in novelty shows. In August 1888, disillusioned and desperately poor, he accepted a spontaneous two-pound wager to jump from London's Hungerford Bridge late at night, but drowned in the attempt.
context_section_description: In early March 1888, he travelled to Bristol and began making preparations for a second attempt to jump from it, despite facing certain prison if caught. Several planned attempts were aborted, owing to bad weather or apparent police vigilance. He declared, "I came from America to do it, and I cannot go back without having done it. I might as well be dead." There is much uncertainty about whether or not he achieved that objective on the night of March 13, 1888. Several lengthy newspaper articles appeared, having interviewed him, friends, witnesses, the police, and hospital staff, but remained uncommitted either way.
  Late on the night in question, he was brought to Bristol Hospital, claiming to have made a successful leap of nearly 200 feet from the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Certain staff at the hospital were said to have doubted the claim, on account of his dry undergarments, although in other accounts they are described as "thoroughly drenched" or "his shirt appeared fairly dry", explained by having been wrapped in a dry coat. He was "exhausted" and had "slight internal pain" but otherwise uninjured.
  In his account, a Mr Baker deceived police by driving his trap across the bridge at 7:30 PM, indicating that he would shortly be returning, then picked up Donovan, who hid under the seat. He then returned, was not stopped, and Donovan was able to quietly slip over the side of the bridge at about 8:10 or 8:20 PM, exactly at high tide. He hung on to the bottom of the rails then dropped. Baker then went down to collect him, but Donovan had swum to the opposite shore, where he was seen by another witness, identified only as "a young man who was with Mr Baker". A planned rescue boat was for some reason absent, but he was helped by another boat.
  A number of other witnesses contacted by newspapers also reported having seen the leap or being involved in helping Donovan afterwards, such as by fetching brandy from a nearby inn. Most of the witnesses interviewed did not identify themselves, apparently to avoid prosecution.
  The police, however, "emphatically den[ied]" the leap had taken place and claimed to have had no fewer than three officers guarding the bridge (as many as seven in one report), plus another on lookout down at the river. However, one newspaper reported that during Baker's return trip, police were distracted by investigating a woman who might have been Donovan in disguise. Apart from the police force's denials that Donovan could possibly have slipped past them, there does not seem to be any strong evidence against the claim that Donovan made the leap as planned.
  The claim was evidently believed by a local auctioneer named "Mr Kay", who on March 13 presented him with a "massive silver cup, as a mark of appreciation of his pluck". This was perhaps his only financial reward from the jump, having no bets laid, but hoping "that he might get something out of it".
caption: The Clifton Suspension Bridge
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