Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06
ATLANTIC CITY'S DEATHTRAP
The Scene of Last Sundays
Sad Drowning.
DANGER Turks AT BEW'S JETTY
A Deep Hole and a Miniature
Whirlpool.
Tho Latter Draws Bnthers Into n Pnsl-
tton of Great DAnger-rhe DEITY Fra
duces Condition of Affairs That Makes
snfe Bathing Impossible-A Place TO lie
Avoided.
PHILADELPHIA Timos snesML

Philadelphia Times Special 'f.'
ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., june 3.-The
more the sad drowning incident of yes
terday is discussed down here the greater
becomes the now futile indignation that
such deathtrap as that which is formed
by the jctty opposite Bew's should have
been allowed 10 30 unmarked by any
danger sign whatever. 1t is another
case of everybody's business and no.
body's business. Perhaps practiced
waterman could have told by CHANGING
at the jetty that from its very construc.
ton it would naturally form danger
spot, but to the average bather 1t was u
sign OF security and strength. Looking
at 1t to-day as it stretches out solid and
sturdy, 1t has every aspect of a comfort
able and secure breakwAter against
which the bather might safely lean and
watch the waves tumble over each other
for u whole morning. The fact is that
the action of the surf circling round its
head has formed one of the worst death.
traps in any public bathing beach in the
world. AS was said before, it is all the
mLre dangerous because it looks so limo.
cent.
The reasons for placing the ietty in
such n place form monument to the
grasping conditions Of some New Jer.
sey minds, and have been made the sub
iect OF litigation. The growing fronts
of beach properties and the fortunes
which have resulted thorcfrom have set
in active operation mercenary desires.
AS result it was proposed by some
people owning ocean front property to
build jntties into the ocean and thereby
catch the indrtting sand and hold il in
stable, real estate condition A mum.
Der OF broad minded people suggested
that the building OF the necessary icttes
would make the beach dangerous for
bathing purposes, by creating dangerous
holes and whirlpOols at the end OF each
Of these land snaTes. The Bews were
induced to build the first experiment
OF this kind, but when they began the
structure an injunction was asked
against them BY II. w. Hcmsley, who
owns the adjoining beach front property
in front Of the Brighton Hotel. The
matter reached no satisfactory con-
clusIon, and the ietty was built.
| His prediction that it would create q
| dangerous condition on the bathing
| ground had a sad realization yesterday.
The many people who saw the poor girl
sink TO her watery grave did not hest.
tate to express their indignation against
those who had permitted their search
| Tor ocean-hlden real estate to make
| them regardless of human life. The
| ietty was run out about so or 60 feet in
a straight line. 1t consisted of double
row OF piles about 3 feet apart filled
| in with stones. To the practiced swim.
iner it offers most attractive place for
Il dive, and the attraction would be
greater If the jetty were covered with a
walk, but at present the only method of
reaching the end of the ielty Is to step
from one pile TO another, and as some OF
them are quite rough not very attrac-
tive surface is offered 70 the naked feet of
tho hather, AT high water the sand runs
out beside the jetty at the normal in
4 c!lnation OF the rest OF the beach to
about lowwatGr mark. Then there be-
gins an abrupt deep hole. 1.-THE end OF
the jetty this hole is about 10 or IL feet
\ deep, and everywhere within its circum-
terence il Is over u mans head. To be
sure the jetty is comparatively near Ut
hand, as the hole is probably not more
than 10 feet across in its widest part, so
that 4 person with cool head, even il
he could pot swim, might be able to
struggle over to the ietty and cling to
the pIes But tho great danger comes
from the action of the water around
the head OF the ietty. .,f5
MINIATURE WHIRLPOOL.
In such cases the difficulty ALWAYS is
that the person in danger Of drowning
does mt keep cool head, and the
natural and deadly instinct is to en-.
deavor p struggle back against the cur.
rent tina is sweeping the bather off his
feet. In this case the current sets from
every direction in toward the deepest
part of tie pool, and 10 swim away
nom the Jrtty is to consign ones self tc
Il struggle Which even In the case of d
good SWIMMER may be firing, especially
Us II Is dlree,ed III toward the shore, fol
from this objection the eddy and under,
tow run very slittiy indeed. How dan
gcrous the eddy is was shown on sun.
day, not onlyby the sad drowning acct
dent, hut by experience which hap
Pened about hour and half earlier
and which ht for the fact that there
were numler of other hathers neal
might have r. ulted as tragicaIIy as diV
the accident q. the afternoon,
1t was abou 1890 that gentleman
and two cnildi II, a boy and a girl, per
haps 10 and ]! years old each, weu
bathing at point about parallel with
the head OF the city. The natural shoa
of the beach ctntlnues for Il long dis
lance beyond tht jetty, especially whel
the tide is nearly about half flood, anl
there is nothing 10 warn the bathcr
unconsciously ycnturing too near Iii,
blind hole, all hree were SUDDEN,
sucked in. The fther caught his chill
dren IN his arms, aud endeavurcd to pul
them over TO the city, and Ia this Ii,
was quickly aided by the batne-s neai
him; and with som little difficulty IN,
two were held up .anst the piles, hal
a dozen men Surrounding them and sus
tatning while the waves broke owe
them. Men had run out on the ietty
and they were qulcIly pulled up, tn
little girl screaming Justify for help anc
seeming badly frightened, while III,
boy behaved with great pluck.
Unless something done at once [,
marx the spot, either by placing
danger sign on the jetty, or BY station
ing life guard on the lefty, there vii
, be list OF casualties that will max,
Atlantic City infamous
Death OF Mrs. Ann Gallagher.