Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-08
BY Allen Sangree

TIME Atlantic City of Pennsyl-
vania! That's what Harrisburg
should be.
Thus spoke q Chicago visitor last
summer on one of the very hot days
when several thousand Harrisburgers
were gasping to, somehow, anyhow, get
a dip in the Susquehanna. "If not to
cry, it would be to laugh" observed this
stranger, a brisk Rotarian, by the way,
and with knowledge of the landscape
art. "All this water and no way to get
in 1t" he grinned.
Motoring along the River Front he
gave ample tribute to the improve
ments already made, yet his practical
mind could not but reach out for the
one thing needful. He di ussed the
idea of bathing facilities from a hygie-
mic and sanitary viewpoint, but being a
commercial person he lay most stress
on the business benefits. This river
could be made so attractive" he vowed,
that you would have a couple thou
sand people here every day from the
surrounding country, persons who could
not afford in time or money to go to
mean to the merchants and shop keep
ers!"
Hint From Outsider
Sometimes we have to wait for an
outsider to. turn on the fiashlight. Har-
risburg is by no means slow, but there
are so many other questions involv-
ing her Improvement that this one
seems to be ignored. This Chicago
mans remarks stuck in my craw SO
inslstently that l took the trouble OF
canvassing the river banks pretty care
fully to see If something could be done
by next year at comparatively small ex-
pense. And the most likely basis for
operations, 1t appeared to me, is Nc
Cormick's Island and the adjacent wa
ters.
In this era of intelligence 1t is hard
ly necessary to enlarge on the topic of
health. The most conservative miser
would grant that 1t is a universal crav-
ing. We prove this by the accustomed
salutation the world over: How are
your" Health means good morals
Swimming-outdoor life, such as our
grand river offers, means health. And
one only needs to point out that swim
ming is the best exercise in summer
time because 1t does not heat the blood
With the expenditure of a few thousand
dollars. this community could easily be-
come singulafly famous for developing
a healthy and happy citizenhood. who
is that magnificent human fish?" you
can hear folks inquire in the near flu
ture. "He must be from Harrisburg"
In discussing McCormicks Island as
a municipal playground de luxe you
first think of the water facilities. for
they are all important. The fact is
then. that the Susquehannas there fur
nishes a broad, long stretch of clean wa
ter with less current than is met fur
ther down, say. along Independence Is
land. Here is a delicious spot, big
enough for all Harrisburg to swim in,
with sufficient depth. And the PROPOSE
tion suggests itself of how to make
the great pool safe.
Breakwater Proposes
Eventually. breakwater might be
built out from the lower end of the
island to distance of five or six hun
dred feet toward the main land. but
temporarily the system used many
other places could be established at
small cost. This consists in building
half a dozen Hoats, a log foundation
covered with boards, stoutly moored
On these you have your diving plat
forms and spring boards. Unskilled
swimmers thus have a destination and
nearby lodging place. For youngsters
couple of these floats might be moor
ed in shallow water. With such appli-
ances, any person, beginner or expert
can get in" the Susquehanna.
The proper place to build bathing
houses would be on the island and this
would require a municipal ferry. capa-
cious of dock. running at brief regular
intervals, and not once in a while, as