Ed Delahanty how he died ...

[GhostofGehrig]

Can someone explain his death? All I know is he died falling over Niagra Falls.

Thanks

[VIBaseball]

There's a bio of Big Ed by Mike Sowell, author of "The Pitch That Killed." It's called "July 2, 1903." The whole incident was very mysterious. From the back cover:

"Delahanty, drunk and disorderly, had been put off the train late one night at a way station just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York. Shortly afterward, he had plunged off the International Bridge into the waters below, where he was swept downriver and over the powerful waterfall.

But there were more questions about Delahanty's bizarre and gruesome fate than there were answers. People wondered what happened on that bridge that night to send the famous ballplayer to his death. Some thought it was an accident and some thought it was suicide. Others wondered if there was foul play involved. People also wondered what had led Delahanty to that bridge in the first place.

There were many questions about Delahanty's death that would never be answered. And there were others that some people did not want answered."

Sowell doesn't really come down in favor of one theory or another, probably because it was not possible to tell for sure then or now.

[GhostofGehrig]

Thanks VIBaseball.
Quite a mystery.

[runningshoes]

This is interesting.

From the Atlanta Constitution, July 7, 1903:

the day Delehanty left Detroit he had taken out a accident policy made payable to his little daughter and he wrote a letter in which he expressed the hope that the train he was taking would run off the track or that something would happen to him

And the headlines read:

Baseball Star Kills Himself

Ed Delehanty Leaped from a bridge at Fort Erie, Ont.

Famous player had not been in form and was dissatisfied because he had to play with Washington – Took out Accident policy

Yet the first paragraph of the story says "the famous baseball player, committed suicide or was accidentally drowned," and that he either "fell or jumped into the water."

I'm not sure how accurate that is because the paper also reports the Delehanty fell off the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but Fort Erie is a good 20 minutes up the Niagara River. I'm from Niagara Falls and to me or anyone else from that area, this would be a glaring error.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

[SIZE="1"]"Delahanty, drunk and disorderly, had been put off the train late one night at a way station just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York.

Being a fanatic on the history of baseball I have visited that very sight, the point where Ed was asked to leave the train. I live in Buffalo and Fort Erie is right across the river. Fort Erie is where Ed was last seen.

[runningshoes]

Can someone explain his death? All I know is he died falling over Niagara Falls.

If he fell into the river at Fort Erie, he was dead long before he went over the falls.

Anyways, I've emailed the Niagara Parks Commission asking them for any photos they have of the bridge and the spot on the bridge where he is likely to have fallen in.

From what I understand, there were very large "gaps" in which it would have been quite easy for anyone, never mind a drunkard, to fall in if trying to cross it in the dark.

I'd love to know what happened to conductor Cole, who should have turned Delehanty over to the police rather than simply removing him from the train.

[runningshoes]

This is the bridge Delehanty fell from in 1903. Its pedestrian walkway was removed in 1900 to make way for another track. I really can't imagine anyone looking over it and deciding it's the way to end it all.



This is the bridge as it is today.

[csh19792001]

This is the bridge Delehanty fell from in 1903. Its pedestrian walkway was removed in 1900 to make way for another track. I really can't imagine anyone looking over it and deciding it's the way to end it all.

This is the bridge as it is today.

VERY interesting stuff, runningshoes (per your usual).

My first question is (I assume you've been to this spot) approximately how fast is the current there, and how deep is the water? How far is the bridge where Delahanty purportedly fell from the falls themselves?

[csh19792001]

Being a fanatic on the history of baseball I have visited that very sight, the point where Ed was asked to leave the train. I live in Buffalo and Fort Erie is right across the river. Fort Erie is where Ed was last seen.

And what were your impressions of the site, Joe?

[GhostofGehrig]

I got much more info than I expected. I really appreciate everyone's effort. I'm going to really enjoy this site.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

And what were your impressions of the site, Joe?

I really felt a sense of history. I stood on the Canadian side probably only feet away from where Ed was taken off that train. This was where he was last seen, Ed was the man, one of the first superstars of the game.


From the news archives, the Atlanta Constitution, July 8,1903.

[The day he (Delahanty) left Detroit he had taken out an accident policy to his little daughter. He wrote a note expressing the hope that the train would run off the track.]

Never heard if the above was ever made evident.


From the Buffalo News archives, July 10,1903.

[The body found in the river below the falls (Niagara Falls) was that of Ed Delahanty's. The body was mangled, one leg torn off presumably by the propeller of the Maid of The Mist near whose landing the body was found.]

For those not familiar with the Maid of The Mist. It is a ship one can take a ride on that gives real good view of the falls, very close. Those who board the ship are given rain gear to ward off the mist that rises as the water comes over the falls.

[runningshoes]

My first question is (I assume you've been to this spot) approximately how fast is the current there, and how deep is the water? How far is the bridge where Delahanty purportedly fell from the falls themselves?

I have driven past the bridge several times not knowing the historical significance of it, other than it was built in the 1870’s. You can make the drive from the bridge to the falls along the Niagara Parkway in just under 20 minutes if you’re moving at a good speed; as you can see from the map, the falls are not just a few feet down the river, it’s a good seven or eighth miles.

The bridge is just at the top of the picture on the right.





The water moves anywhere from 7 to 12 mph getting as fast as 68 mph by the time it reaches the falls. If you’ve ever driven over the Peace bridge from Buffalo to Fort Erie, you can see the water moving from a height that I’m guessing is anywhere from 100 to 150 feet. The exact depth at the bridge is 12 metres or 41 feet.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

This is the bridge Delehanty fell from in 1903. Its pedestrian walkway was removed in 1900 to make way for another track. I really can't imagine anyone looking over it and deciding it's the way to end it all.

It's scary to say the least. Don't know if one can get very far on the bridge today security being what it is today. In a much safer world long ago as a kid,we would walk to the half way point of the bridge. To look over the side made on feel small, very small. The speed of the water at that point was very evident.

I had two friends over the years who fell into the water on the Buffalo side, they were fishing. Don't know if RUNNINGSHOES is familiar with the Ferry street bridge not far from the International Bridge, lots of fishing done there near the edge of the pavement looking over the river. Both bodies were found weeks later, miles away at Niagara Falls. There is no doubt about it, fall into the river near the Ferry Street bridge or the International bridge and you will go over Niagara Falls.

[Brian McKenna]

the peace agreement between the nl and al that was announced 1/10/1903 awarded delahanty to washington over mcgraw's objections in new york - highlanders mgr clark griffith later approached nationals mgr tom loftus about a trade for delahanty - if it went through - it would have saved his life

[The Kid]

From what I can piece together, this is how Delahanty died:

Delahanty's Death

It was July, 1903. Delehanty, who had been known as a hot tempered Irishman, had boarded a train in the evening. The Philadelphia slugger had gotten drunk and disorderly over the ride. Near Fort Erie, he was kicked off the train by the conductor after pulling up a women's skirt. The conductor stopped the train and kicked Delahanty off, just by a train station. Delehanty stumbled off into the darkness, angry and drunk.

According to a certian report, a watchman patrolling the bridge by the previousley mention train station, spotted Delahanty walking down the bridge about an hour later. The watchmen claimed Delahanty was slightly stumbling and appeared to still be some what drunk. The watchman supposedly called out to Delahanty. Now the big question comes up, as there are three logical choices to how he died. Either Delehanty was startled and fell off the bridge and then drowned, ripped off his clothes and jumped, or was pushed off the bridge by the watchman. Either way, his body was found days later, his body mangled and nude, and one of his legs ripped off presumably by a boat, probebly the Maid of the Mist.