1894. Tower Bridge was opened. There is a family story,
told by his grandson,Francis, to his daughter Hazel and to his granddaughter
Alice Richardson, that a reward was offered for the first person to dive off
the bridge on its opening day. Timothy Lyons got up early to do this ,only to find
that someone had beaten him to it. I have searched all contemporary newspapers
in the Southwark Archives and can find no reference to this. But cousin John
received the following from the Guildhall Library: Dear Mr Lyons
I can find no reference to any official or unofficial diving competition
relating to the opening of Tower Bridge. However newspapers do record two
dives or jumps which occurred shortly after the bridge opened. On 15th of
July
1894 Reynolds Newspaper reported that a man, who was clearly drunk, jumped
from the bridge and was dragged alive from the water. Several newspapers report
a
dive undertaken by a professional diver (see attached newspaper clipping),
but
again this was unofficial. Ben Fuller, who undertook this dive in November
1894, drowned in the attempt and his body was found some days later.