Year: 1879

In recent issue Of your paper ] read
an editorial in which reference was made
to that once famous individual known as
Sam Patch. Having myself seen him
sin flesh" many times, and having been
an eye witness of some of his daring feats,
thought perhaps l might state some
thing about him that would interest your
many readers. will premise by saying
that he was no imposter, but that in his
brief career he always performed all that
he promised in a straightforward and
honest way. He never resorted to the
use Of rubber straps, coils of wire, or a
parachute, in order to render his leaps
free from apparent danger. Sam Patch,
as he was famIl'arly called, was native
of Paterson, N. Y, the son of ''poor
but honest parents" and for some years
lived there alone with his widowed moth
er. He is said by some persons to have
been lazy, shftless and dissipated fell
low, but l was assured by an old and
reputable merchant of The place few
years ago, who knew Sam we'll, that this
was not so. The same gentleman kindly
took me TO the pl.ce where he made his
first leap into the Passaic river, of some
80 or 80 feet, and which he repeated sew
eral times. During the summer o! 1928
Patch went to Niagara Fails, and made
one or two successful leaps into the seeto-
ing waters below. In October Of the same
year he came to Rochester, end gave out
that he would leap from a small island
above the Upper Falls. This was the
last of Octobtr, and was an occasion that
called together more people than Roches-
ter ever saw before. Fully $4,000 were
on hand to witness for the first time a
daring feat that no other man had ever
attempted in this country. o. this occa>
sion took my stand below the falls, close
to the waters edge. and nearly under the
projecting rock from which he was 90
jump.


Promptly at the hour announced Sam
made his appearance on the spot, and was
greeted with cheers and tiger such es
any human being might be proud Of.
After surveying the vest assemblage fo.' a
moment ne removed his outside garments
ard tied red bandana around his waist.
Soon he wav I'd a farwel 20 the people on
all sides which no doubt sent thrill
through many a bosom, and, with Al ms
extended, leaped into the waters below.
| shall never forget tho sensation as
looked Up and saw him coming down.
Just as he reached the water he brought
his Al ms to his SIDE and went in without n
ripple upon the surface. IL an instant he
reapr cared ard swan ashore, with ns
injury save slight bruise on his shin
against sunken tree. He WAS taken up
On the shoulders of some persons present
and carried up the bank. where he re-
ceivel the hearty congratulations OF al
the vast, admirlng crowd.


Cn the 9th of November following he
made another and his last leap-this time
from an elevated platform % feet high.
ma ing the whole distance of the leap125
feet. 1t was chilly, unpleasant day,
with some ice in the river, and, to pro
tcct himself from the cold, he drank ath-
er to freely of brandy, as we noticed in
following him close on to the Island, from
which he was destined never to return.
He ascsnded TO the place Of leeping with
apparent ease ard GOODNESS, and, after
looking out upon the sen OF heads for a
moment, he, as before, removed all his
garments except pants and shirt, and,
tying the bandana around his body, he
motioned to all a last farewell, and walk.
ed off to almost instant death. He struck
the water on his breast, and as it closed
over him we felt sure that for him this
was ''the last of earth" D.ligsnt search
was at once made for his body, but all in
vain. Early the next spring, however,
it was found floating at the mouth of the
river at Charlotte. with the handkerchief
still on. His remains were decently in
tered in the village cemetery Chicago
Inter Ocean.