The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-01-30
PUBLIC OPINION

| Sir
j Now that another victim has been
added to the list of drowned in Berk-
shire Pond, it becomes all who are
Interested in the cause of preventives,
! safety first for the preservation of
life, and for the lettering of condi-
4 tfons to the extent of making such
narrowing scenes as have SO frequent
/ " been witnessed by resi- dents, near
/ the death pond at Berkshire, a thing
| impossible.
/ It is not sufficient that warnings
be issued when danger is to be felt,
nor is it seemingly within the power
of the auth critics to prevent the on
rush of visitors to the pond, when
| the frozen water invites to death,
! therefore the time has come to make
| such a recurrence of the tragedy of
Saturday the 10th of January, an inn
possibility. Tt is an established fact
/ that recreation is necessary and will
be sought and INDUCED in and en-
! joyed by all who have the means
| within their reach, and it is also a.
well known fact that proper and
safe means for winter en1oyments do
not exist in Bridgeport. The prac-
tice of polluting one of our finest
ponds in Beardsley Park, resulted in
q forced discontinuance of the pas
time Of that place. The question is
now in order: Is it not possible to
| flood some place of sufficien area. in
/
reasonable distance of the city; and
have such a place sufficiently deep
Ito afford ice thick enough to sustain
4 a large crowd, and not so deep as to
be a source of terror tofthe parents
| of the boys who will skate?
/ The writer has had knowledge of
such accommodations which were
Furnished by a smaller and less opu-
lent town, than the progressive
Bridgeport, of today, and where a
i 1Tr1&s IL
conduct of the skaters, would result
in sudden and decided removal. Such
| could be the case with US, were re-
] spect paid to law and order, and the
welfare OF the community considered
more seriously than present indica--
lions too plainly demonstrate.
The matter of improving, or MAX
ing less dangerous the Berkshire
Pond. is a subject worthy of the
| united efforts of the thinking and
acting people Of our East Side Dis
| triet. AS it now stands, no value
can be rightfuIIy ascribed to it's
presence, but 1T is within the posi-
bilities of the future to bring it's ma
turaI provisions to such an improved
Econdition as to make of it one of the.
most attractive. spots OF our Park
Citsae~
The writer has upon various occa-
sions endeavored to bring the utility
| of this section to the notice of the.
people through the medium of the
press, and will continue to 10 so, be-.
cause of the splendid opportunity it
affords for the Improvement of the
East Side. The possibilities are great,
and within the scope of the present
Park Board Commissioners, whose
chairman is possessed of enough civic
pride, to initiate in measure mo-
dicum of what can be seen in many
i of the cities which he had the good
fortune to visit. The suggestion
offer carries with it the perpetuating
of the old mill. If desired. If the
maintenance of the dam is required,
and will also permit. of the free flow
of the Pequonnock. to the Sound,
most desirable and laudable consider
alton.
Let the pond be eliminated by fill.
I ing in to a reasonable grade, and
make of the filled in portion, either
/ q, recreation ground or park, of the
sunken garden effect, and let the
| Pequonnock be narrowed to a walled
channel of about twenty-five (251 it.,
wide preserving the. natural contour
or diverted in the best way to suit
the layout of the grounds. Bridges
| of sufficient width and strength, to
accommodate pedestrians could be.
placed at situab1e points. The area
| is sufficiently large to establish such
a recreation ground as is maintained
in the City of Glasgow, where all
/ kinds of athletic sports are engaged
| in and where shrubbery and flower
! gardens are a source of enjoyment
and education to the thousands who
congregate daily. The future of this
district is bright to the optinist and
were the concentrated efforts of the
City Builders turned in this direc-
! ton for a brief space, there need be
no fear of its continuing to be a
nuisance, as it has unfortunately
proven itself to be of late.
The good results from the Sewer
which are looked forward to, with in
creasing pleasure, as it approaches
| the point of junction with the Noble
avenue conduit, cause the residents
of the Berkshire district to hope that
ere long the unpleasant conditions
which have annoyed them for so
many years, will be forgotten and
the new condition so improved, that
investments will surely follow and
Berkshire Green will ultimately
take the place of the picturesque but
sadly neglected opportunity that re-
mains in Berkshire Pond.
c. NJ. ABERCROMBIE.
| N