The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-11-11
THE RIVER THAMES
London's Great Artery, With Its
Crimes and Mysteries.
TRAPS FOR UNWARY VICTIMS.

Wsterside Houses With Floors Open
ina at the Push Of Lever to Drop
Ito FIeeced Occupant into a Watery
Grave-Ghost Boats Of the River.
London's great artery. the river
Thames. hides many grim story I'M
der its murky waters, some OF them
centuries old. some of them merely In
cidents of yesterday. Just as no other
river has quite the same wonder as be-
longs to the Thames, so no other river
is SO wrapped in mystery, so surround
ed with stories OF tragedy and crime.
Many of the old waterside houses.
which rise sheer with the bank, con-
tain rooms I'm which the floor is built
directly over the water-hoors upon
which one could stand In apparently
perfect safety while some one In an ad-
1acent room worked lever which
caused the door to open and his vic
tim to drop into the river.
A gambling club Is said to have met
In such a room once year to play for
tremendous stakes. The party played
on until one of their members was
ruined. Then the rest of the men went
away In silence, while the ruined man
went down into the dark waters.
One of the old waterside houses at
Wrapping, too, is among the bits of the
Thames with q reputation for being
haunted. A fight OF steps leads from
the house to the river, but these steps
are disused. and the door at the top
Of them IL walled up. Despite this.
often people passing by on the river
at night time swear to having seen
two men come through the walled
door and down the steps. Then. after
lowering some bundle into the wa
ters, they return to the house. The
identity OF the men and the contents
of their bundle remain among the In
soluble stories of the Thames.
The Thames police force of about
300 men Is employed to guard against
all sorts OF additions to the mysteries
of the Thames. and their task II OF far
greater magnitude than might be casu-
ally imagined Most imperative is II
that each member of this force shall
be an expert swimmer and understand
the right methods for dealing with
persons rescued from the water.
A very large number Of persons art
saved from Intentional and Academia
drowning In the river every year. al
average number somewhere between
seventy and hundred. But the mum
Der OF persons who are found drown
ed" strikes a still greater average
Is never less and often more than l0
In a year-besides which 1t Is wei
known that the waters of the rive
close above many persons OF whor
nothing more Is ever seen or heard.
But If stones could speak the bridge
across the Thames could tell man
pitiful and grim life stories, especial
Waterloo bridge. which has such sa
associations as to have gained 1t tn
sobriquet OF 1.-THE Bridge OF Signs"
incidentally. Waterloo bridge Ii al
other part OF the Thames which is sal
to be haunted. 1t Is not so very Ion
since more than usually clear sighte
man went to the police with the info
nation that he had seen woman jun
from the parapet of Waterloo bridg
He had been crossing the bridge la
one night, when he had noticed W
man IN black walking In front of hir
Suddenly he saw her make an appef
ing gesture. but before he could reas
the woman she had disappeared.
That was ALL. There was no splai
following her disappearance, and no I
suit came from the search which W
made. Those who are familiar with t
history of the river said that the mi
had seen the ghost of Waterloo bird
the tragic woman in black, OF who
nothing Is known save that she haun
the London Bridge Of Signs"
Another mysterious thing about {
Thames, which no amount Of police {
pervision win destroy, Is the 'ghos
boats which have been and are 4
quentiy seen In various parts OF
river. II Is fact that river police I
trolls have actually given chase to su
ghost ships, TO ind there Is nothi
substantial to be found on reaching
place where the ships had seemed to
One of the most curious stories
this kind Is that Of the mysterious b
which was seen making its way alo
the water toward London bridge 9
day. about quarter Of century a
Az she neared the bridge there was
tremendous explosion, vivid burst
light. and then-nothingl Not so mt
as a splinter of wood remained Of
boat which had been. and the story
it fingers from that day to this al {
OF the hundreds OF tragic unkno
things which form the secrets of
river of mystery London Answers.
Talent Required.