Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-06
SHELTERS BORN in
STAGNANT PARK POOI.
MAKE OFFICIAL FUSS
Playground Superintendent
and Civil Service Com.
missioner Point Out
Danger of Place Where
Children Play and Swim

A thousand children amused themssIv.
today at the Smith Memorial Playground
near the Columbia avenue entrance a
Fairmount Park, A thousand-perhsn
more-will play there tomorrow. and a
on all summer. On holidays this ye.t
there have been as many as 1000.
Fifty yards from the edge of the pav
ground is a pool of water-stagnant watsr
some say; not stagnant water say othen
The children like the playground ana
have n good time there; but, declares
/ M. Shipe, the superintendent, when thev
| go home they find themselves covered
/ with mosquito bites. Mr.. Shipe says ther.
are many mosquitoes about and blamei
1t on the pool. He says 1t Is stagnant.
Peter Bolger. Civil Service CommIs.
sioner, who drew public attention to III,
pool, also says 1t is stagnant He san
that the mosquitoes 1t breeds travel al
the way across to his home at 1885 North
3Sd street, three-fourths OF mile dc.
tant, and annoy him and his neighbors
Some disagree with Mr., Bolger and Nh
Shipe. T. s. Martin, secretary OF the
Park Commission, said he knew Of no
stagnant pool in the Park. Jesse 4
Vogdes, chief engineer of the Park Com.
mission, said the same thing. ft
Mr.. Bolger quotes Webster's Unabridged
as his authority. 1t states as follows;
STAGNANT--Not flowing; not running IN
a current or stream; niotionless, hence
foul from ron lack lack Of, Of mGti9n: G asa as staspant
"Pd like to know" said Mr.. Bolger ss
he slammed the big book closed, "whethsr
that doesn't describe the pool in Fair
mount Park. If that isn't stagnant
pool, then I don't know what a stagnant
pool is"
Mr.. Bolger dlsavows any intention to
get into controversy, and is greatly
surprised any one should have OBJECTED
to his use of the word stagnant.
A reporter visited the pool and found
it, as Mr.. Bolger described 1t, hardly u
keeping with the general beauty Of ths
Park 1t is about 200 feet in diameter u,
ing in hollow alongside the tracks d
the Reading Railway and almost hidden
from view by the shruhbery and trees
surrounding 1t.
The pool is filled with branches of tres
and other pieces of wood, Although st
the office of the Park Commissioners II q
said that there is drainage pipe, six Of
eight inches in diameter, to carry tie
water into the Schuylkill, there was not
the slightest motion visible in the watag
that would suggest a current created 10
that way A slight odor of stagnatioa
seemed to arise from the fen.
The water was thick and sluggish, and
of color suggesting milk diluted with
water or, perhaps, clam chowder. snmt
boys were swimming and when thsy
emerged it seemed as II their bodies wefe
dirtier than when they went in.
The park guards, when they are around
will not permit the boys to swim there
Mr., Shipe will not allow his playground
boys to go there, either.
Director Ziegler turned Mr.. BolgeFg
complaint over to Chief Vogelson Of the
Bureau of Health. who is having his In.
spectors investigate.
When questioned about the pool Nj
Vogdes' the chief engineer, at first sala
he knew of no stagnant pond in the park
After few minutes he said that IL theFa
was anything wrong 1t was no doubt due
10 the stoppage of the drainage pipe. and
that 1t would be opened by some OF his
men.
1T will be. fixed in a day or two he
SAID They are making a lot of fuss
about this thing, and l don't see that is's
u any Importance. There Is no regulAf
pool there but no doubt the rains hass
poured In and tilled the depression In The
and"
The Health Department has not besn
lotihed that the Park Commission Is will
ng TO fix the drain.
win you act according to the recon.
nendation OF the Health Department u
MS matterP' Mr.. 'Vogdes was asked.
we VIII have the thing all fixed be-
ore the Health Department completes
Is investigation" he said.
Many OF the boys who 20 in to batha
ave their feet and ankles cut by glass
nd nails that lie on the bottom. Ons q
ne boys who bathed there yesterday had
wound on his arm, caused ten days ase
y splinter, The wound had not healea
na II was evident from the red and
ngry flesh around the wound that bloea
olsoning was developing. The boy h4s
cen swimming there daily.