The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-22
THE TRENCH is A TRAP.
So Says Coroner Harmon S. Bab-
cock of East Providence.
The City and the Landlord OF the Hotel
Ought to Have Put Up signs-Is the
Mud Filling an Added Dangers

SoIouor hhrmdu .. DaoCOCk Ol Looe
Providence has rendered q verdict In the
Pleasant Bluff drowning accident by
which Louisa Heaney and Theresa Bles-
sing lost their lives. The paper Is as fol-
lows:
The evidence In the inquest evidently
shows that nearly two years ago the city
of PROVIDENCE by its agents, servants
and employees dug a trench beneath the
waters near Pleasant Bluff, East Provi-
dence, some 1865 feet long by Is to IS feet
est part at mean low water, for the pur-
pose Of obtaining clay with which to re-
pair Fruit Hill reservoir; that subsequent-
ly 1t filed into and about this trench
many scow loads of muck, enough accord
ing to one witness to have completely y
filled the trench IL it had been properly
dumped into It. That In response to tn .
frequent urging OF George 4. Cranston
last season there were fenced on the inner
edge of the trench four small stats about
the size of broom handle, upon which
were fastened red flags, but that these
flags one by one disappeared and during
the present season there have been 10
danger signals whatever.
that last season man was drowned In
this trench, and its dangerous nature was
well known, as IL Is called by the people
thereabout "the death trap; that on
the 18th day Of July, 1892. Louisa
Heaney, aged 12 years, and Theresa
Blessing. aged Is years, in company
with some friends. visited the Smith
Palace Hotel at Pleasant Bluff.
in East Providence, MANAGED by George
ing hired of one of the employees OF the
said CranstOn bathing suit and bath
house. To her no warning OF the danger.
Gus trench was given, and no notice OF
its existance was posted upon any Of the
bath houses or about the premises OF the
said Cranston.
She aud her companions were unaware
OF It's exlstance. That alter these girls
had donned their bathing suits, they
went into the water where other bathers
were ENJOYING themselves, walked out to
where the water was about waist deep,
climbed into n sailboat, and then got out
of the boat and walked farther out into
the water and oft into the trench. No wit
ness was found who saw them 60 down,
and SO far as appears from the evidence
they never rose to the surface after slip
ping on the edge of this trench. AS they
were found near the edge Of this trench,
in an upright position, with their feet
fastened in the mud nearly half way up the
leg between the ankle aud knee, it
would seem that as they stepped of the
edge of the trench they must have sank
the trench was dug and been prevented
by it from rising to the surface, thus
effectually preventing any successful at
tempt at rescue.
II this inference is correct, then the
partial filling Of this trench with mud by
the city OF PROVIDENCE has added to the
dangerous nature of the place and one
dangerous now than before, the mud had
been dumped into it. But in spite of the
sadness of this accident am
unable to find that it was due
to the violation Of any law
and am compelled to find that the said
Louisa Heaney and Theresa Blessing,
near Pleasant Bluff In the town of East
of July, 1892, at about 3 o'clock In the
afternoon on the 18th day Of July. 1892,
come to their death by accidental drown
ine. Though compelled to come to this
conclusion / am not refrained from
calling attention to the utter
neglect on the part OF the
proprietor Of the Smith Palace Hotel, Of
premises, and especially in or. upon his
bath houses, notices of this dangerous
truth, warning the public against ven
turing too near Its precipitous edge, nor
can escape the conviction that 1t was
the duty OF the city of PROVIDENCE either
To have filed the trench after removing
therefrom the clay needed for repairing
its reservoir. or at the very least to have
driven piles at the corners Of the trench
and posted thereon warnings Of the dan
gerous character of the spot. Had these
precautions or any of them been observed.
Ii is altogether probable that these two
young lives would not have been sacri-
feed. and It would seem that as the
'State has the governmental control of
the shores and the tide waters for the
benefit Of the public. it would be within
the province of our General Assembly to
pass laws prescribing under what con-
dtons the soil beneath the tide waters
and outside of the channel Of the river
could be removed, ana IL need be.
especially where the beach il used
for bathing, prohibiting such removal al
together, with such an illustration of the
consequences of the unrestricted removal
of the soil AS is afforded by this sad acci
dent before the public. 1t would seem
that such legislation Is urgently demand
ed aud could not be too promptly passed.
HARMON :. BABCoCK, Coroner.
"