Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1885-05-30 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

FATAL DIVE FROM BROOKLYN  BRIDGE.  A New York correspondent of the Standard writes It had been announced for several days that a teacher of swimming of the name of Odium meditated a dive into the East River from Brooklyn Bridge. The police accordingly took precautions which were deemed sufficient to prevent the rash enterprise from being attempted. The other day, however, Offinm carried out his intention by a ruse. A decoy cab, in which a gaudily-dressed person who was a confederate of Odium was riding, drove upon the bridge, and, while the attention of the police was occupied by him, Odium himself alighted from a van which had passed unnoticed, at the spot upon which he had fixed for his daring deed. The roadway is protected by an iron lattice-work, which the swimmer climbed with skill and speed. Having gained the top, which is nine feet from the path, he poised himself for a moment, a perfect picture of manly strength and grace. The level of the bridge is one hundred and thirty-six feet above the water. Odium stretched out his left arm at right angles, raised the right arm above his head, as if he were balancing, and threw his head backwards. The next moment he stepped off the bridge, the left foot forward. Be fell for a hundred feet as straight as a plummet. Then the body swerved a little, possibly from the force of the wind, upon which Odium moved his right arm backwards, as if he was trying to regain his perpendicular attitude. It was a part of his plan, if the directness of his fall should be modified, to assume the shape of a ball as he neared the water, and accordingly he was noticed to draw up his legs, trying, as it were, to roll himself up. In this effort the unfortunate man failed, and when lie struck the water his body was curved backwards. Although he went scarcely a dozen feet below the surface lie was submerged for about three minutes. Be came to the surface face downwards, limp and helpless. Captain Boyton was close by, in a beat, and when he saw his friend's condition lie plunged in and supported Odium until further help came. When the rash diver was laid upon the deck of the rescuing vessel he presented a fearful spectacle. Such had been the violence of the impact with the water that not only his swimming costume was burst, but also his skin, through which blood was flowing. Upon touching the chest the blood poured from the lungs into the broken tissue with a horrible hissing noise. Odium recovered consciousness sufficiently to ask whether lie had made a good jump. The arterial blood then oozed from his lips; and, after about half an hour of intense agony, he died. A postmortem examination showed that every rib had been broken, and all the principal internal organs were ruptured. The motives for this fatal adventure were partly to advertise himself and partly that, having a great deal of pride in his own skill, Odium wished to show how easy and safe such feats were. Several men had been previously arrested while attempting a , similar exploit; and there are men now who declare their intention of proving that they can succeed ' where Odium failed. In all probability the associates of Odium will be prosecuted as accomplices to a suicide.