Salt Lake Telegram | 1949-07-30 | Page 9 | Residents Demand S. L. Action to Cover Deep Hole

Residents Demand S. L Action to Cover Deep Hole Question Results of City Campaign To Prevent Kathy Fiscus Tragedy Residents in the S00 block of Hampton ave. (1135 South) Saturday Sat-urday questioned efficacy of Salt Lake City's recent campaign to flU In or cover all holes or ahafu likely to the dangerous to children. The group, headed by Lee Brown, Z2 Hampton avs reported report-ed a "deep and dangerous hole at about 890 Hampton eve., a hole which they- said had previously been reported to city officials. The city's drive to cover op dangerous dan-gerous holes came following the Kathy Fiscus" tragedy in California, Cali-fornia, toward which the eyes of the nation were turned on the long but unsuccessful battle to extricate the girl alive from a deep well shaft Into which ahe had fallen. Lloyd Ertckson, 824 Hampton ave., reportedly found' the hole Wednesday night when he disco' ered his 8-year-old child, Richard, and two nelrhbor children catching insects from the surface of, tha water-filled hole. , Although residents near the hole which probtiure Indicated to be about eight feet deep, four feet wide and six feet long had been aware of its presence for some time, they had not previously considered con-sidered dangerous. Investigation of thetrap revealed re-vealed that It is apparently a round hole, probably cemented oa the sides. , Mr. Brown said It la not unusual for springs to fill up any hole In that area. "We have nao aim-culty aim-culty with our basements because of the nearness of water to the ground surface," he said. Mrs. Robert W. Matem, 175 Hampton ave, directly across the street from the hole, said the hole was dug "about two years ago" when the owner of the white frame', apartment house repaired the water system. . . The hole was sprayed m IMS for mosquito larvae and grub fish planted to eat the larvae, the residents resi-dents reported. Hampton ave. residents have covered the hole with some boards and two pieces of old linoleum, but have been unable to improvise means to Insure adequate safety for their children. Publio Safety Commissioner Ben K. IJnremelter aaid. Saturday Satur-day the hazard had not been called to his department's attention. atten-tion. "We will look at it Saturday and take immediate steps to cover the hole and notify the property owner to eliminate the haxard," he said.