OCR Text |
Show THE DEADLY SWIMMING POOL. Near the foot of Twenty-eighth street is a swimming hole in Webe! river, known as Caving Bank. "Forty years ago," said an old-timer," we went swimming at that point. As boys, we learned the danger of the pool, in which there was a strong undercurrent and, when caught in the swirl, instead of fighting against the suction, we allowed ourselves to be drawn under, un-der, and were shot out at the lower end in the fraction of a second." But every season since the first boys went bathing in the old swim' ming pool, there have been victims We place the number of deaths at not much below 100. There have been summers when three and four drownings have been reported. Dozens of families have had the horrifying news conveyed to them, and it is about time to take some action. Why not dump a few loads of rock into that hole and end the tragedies? Up on Harrison avenue, where the Moran Construction Company is paving, boulders weighing a ton are being dug out of the street. Those rocks should rest in the bottom of Caving Bank so that the depth of water will be reduced to four or five feet. When the river in the time of flood makes other death traps, the new holes should be reduced to a safe depth. It is difficult to control a boy s desire for adventure. If there arc not treacherous holes near-by, he will search out the cross currents at a distance and get into deep water, but filling in the close-in danger points at least will lessen the menace to the lives of little fellows who, i without experience, attempt to do that which the older boys accom-1 plish with ease. If any of our subscribers has a record of the drownings in Utah for a number of years past, and will send in the information, The Standard will publish the list to give emphasis to the danger that attaches at-taches to these swimming outings. |