The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-29
LIFE LINES ARE
SHY At SAL TA|R
Safeguards for Bathers Are
Lacking at Salt Lakes
Great Resort.
WATER THIS YEAR HAS
REACHED HIGH POINT
Signs Regarding Depth of the
Water Are Misleading;
Railings Needed.


afforded bathers who might take to
the water except motor boat or two,
which on Saturday was dead and use
less. The water at the bath houses
is high, unusually high. The wind
causes waves, powerful and treacher-
Gus, to rise at moment s notice.
The unusual depth Of the water
makes the danger all the more lmmi-
nent, The peculiar density OF the wa
ter. which makes il almost impossible
for one to keep his footing if there isl
movement or current after Il certain
depth is reached adds immeasuraby TO
the risk that ono takes in entering the
water this season. The water is too
deep for safe bathing, unless safe
guards are thrown about the bathers.
At the east entrance 10 the bathing
pier, ut the northeast corner OF the
resort the water Is seven feet IN depth
At the left pier, at the first gangway,
the depth is six and one-half feet At
the second gangway, on the same pier,
the depth is sin feet. AT this point,
opposite bathroom No l22, is a sign
which reads Co., or five feet two
inches, This sign is misleading by
only len inches as to the water depth.
At the extreme eastern end of this
pier the water is five and one.half feet
in depth. At this point number OF
wooden trestles, or horses. such as are
used by carpenters and plasterers, are
moorcd with rope
At he northeast end Of this pier the
depth is five feet. II may be remarked
in passing that at the end Of the pier
there is no railing at the care of the |
walk. In the dim light of carly even
ing, when many bathers enjoy the wa
ter best: or IN moment OF careless |
ness. one might walk from the pier
and into the five feet of water without |
warning.
At the new extension the depth is
five and nc-half feet at the point |
where the south gangway leads to the
water at the east end This point is |
opposite bathrooms l55 and l62. AT |
the north end of the batbhouse block
the depth is five feet.
Covered With Rusty Nails.
The floor of tho pier all along this
end of tho bath house block is COW
cred with rusty nails, and the floor is |
so badly spinicrcd that to walk upon (
il with the bare feet is a pcrilous per
formance.
The wafer at this point is filled with |
floniing debris from the repair work
and from the carpenter gangs that |
havo built the new bath rooms Frag |
ments Of glass from broken bottles are
left lying on the floor. offering other
dangers TO the barefooted bathers.
ADDtntT DolHL WHeTe Uue management |
of the resort has failed TO protect It's
patrons is the Hippodrome A demon
stration of how this building is con-
structcd occurred short time ago,
when about n hundred men and boys,
and a few women. who were in atten-
dance at a prize fight, were hurled into
tho water amid tangled mass of
ssllniered timbers and wreckage, when
the floor gave way and slipped into
lnr TI.a ic flxyc 70
and solid, the iron trusses being bedded
IN concrete pillars. But the floor of
the building is now within not more
than thirty inches of the water level.
The floor is on square timber pIlings,
SIX inches square, sunk into the lake
bottom. On these the floor supports
rest. These are also six inches by SIX
inches. and there arc mono too many
Of them.
The floor lies so near the surface of
the water that in a sudden squall, such
as sweeps the lake with unbridIed fury
IN the summer season from time 10
time, the waves would pound against
it, and with the tremendous lifting and
pounding force of the heavy water,
would in all probability in Il few mo-
ments wrench and tear it to spliuters.
The danger to a crowd within tho build
ing at such a time could not be esti-
mated.
Old Rattlc-Trap Cars.
The same old rattle-trap open cars
are used this year that have been run
ing probably since tho resort was first |
opened They have been given coat |
of paint on the outside, but the same |
dirt and dust that ornamented them last |
year fingers as n reminder, by contrast |
alone, that cleanliness is next to God |
huess. The guy irons have been bolted |
LII a - 4 j.
and the floors of the cars are conveXed |
like bow, and with every jolt Of the
wheels over the rails the cars shake and |
tremble liko the famous "one boss
shay" a moment before its dissolution
These cars are coupled by standard |
coupling.
One Improvement that has been in
stalled is the filing in Of part of
the trestle approaching the pavilion
Stag and earth have been distributed
on either side Of the tracks, af]'ording
some protection from the pounding Of |
the waves.
Another danger to patrons of the re-
sort is the manner in which the trains
and the crowds are handled mt the pas |
senger station in the city, There are !
no gates to keep the crowds from
swarming on, or under, the moving |
trains. These trains arc backed into |
the station yard, and while trainman
IS stationed at tho rear end Of each |
train to warn the crowds, this serves
no purpose, as the scramble for seats
begins before the train has come to
stop. with tho result that there have
been many narrow escapes. Crowds |
rushing from the train while still in mo-
tion encounter crowds rushing franti. |
cally for seats, with the result that |
patrons of the resort are pulled and |
dragged this way and that and many
narrow escapes from injury have oc
CURED.
AS to Peeping Toms.
The new bath houses constructed to
take the places of the bathing pier that
was destroyed during the storm of last
winter and this spring are of a better
type of construction than the old. but
there are pleIty of opportunities still
left for the vicious Hpeeping Tom TO
amuse himself There are plenty OF
crevices in the partitions between the
old bathrooms To tcmDt thc yilc IN spy