A MODERN SAM PATCH

Dunstan Times, Issue 954, 30 July 1880, Page 3

A MODERN SAM PATCH

Mnnfordsville, Ky., April 11. 1830.—A few days since Thomas Boyd, a clock tinker, claiming Belfast, Ireland, as his home, came to this place ami ha«l a notice published in the Mart County Democrat that he would on Sunday (to-day) jump oil'the railroad bridge across Green lUvor, a structure 120 feet high. At 10 o’clock the people began to gather f rom all points in the county and the trains north and south brought from Bowling Green, Cave City, Horse Cave, Bacon Creek, and Uptons hundreds more to witness the big juno. By 12 o’clock at lent 1000 people had collected eager and anxious to sec the unparalleled feat, when the budge watchman informed the impatient crowd that the railroad company had given him orders to stop Boyd from jumping. Kumerous threats were made by the most determined to have him make the leap whether the railroad company was willing or not, but none were bold enough to place him on the bridge. Dissatisfied, the crowd move la short distance up the river and made Boyd climb a

sycamoro tree about -i.b’t high and jump from that. This he Hi I with case and

{dexterity. The crowd cheered ( him f.mi-. ouily, and became so much the more "ah*- * to sye\huni, make, the leap from the' brMgo. finally, as a last resort, despatch' wore sent to the propc/r railroad authorities in Louisville on the .subject, ami in reply word was received that he could do so uniler protest And At his own peril. Clothed iu pants and white vest, a tight litting skull cap, and in his stocking feet, he walked out to the middle of the bridge as cool and collected as most nun under ordinary e’rouinstances, and laughed and talked a few minutes with the crowd, when he announce 1 he was ready to make ttie perilous leap The immense gathering of people, so far beneath that they looked like pigmies, ware moved by intense feeling, and became hushed and silent. One, two, three, and the daring diver sprang, head foremost, dashed 130 ft down into the water below, for a few seconds be was underneath the water; but, as soon as he appeared above the surface, swimming lustily, a tremendous cheer went up from both banks of the river, and the canoe that paddled him ashose was met by hundreds of'excited people. And Loyd s cap was filled ,o‘ overflowing with silver. He is the same man that jumped old the Ohio Falls bridge, but this is at least 30ft higher, and is decidedly tile highest jump and the most daring feat of the kind ever performed in America. Saturday he proposes to jump oft the railway bridge at Howling Green.