The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1941-01-02

and with a 132-foot tower, is being
built on a site where, back in 1741,
20 persons, having been convicted of
rioting, were hanged. The place
was probably picked because it was
on the bank of Collect pond, pop
ular body of water in its day, while
nearby on Broadway was hill 100
feet in height, which afforded an ex-
cellent vantage point for the many
who wished to view the executions.
In the early days of the city, a well
near where the new building is aris-
ing was the towns water supply.
Not only did the water flow into a
reservoir but water wagons also
gathered there to load up and ped
die their cargoes in places not
reached by mains. The water in
the pond was fresh but around it
were 70 acres of salt marsh that
added quite an aroma to the neigh
borhood.
Summers, Collect pond was the
gathering place for those who liked
boating and bathing. In winter, not
only was there skating but much ice
was harvested and sold about the
city. Legend has it that at a skat-
ing session, the then prince of Wales
broke through and was all but
xl-o,,r,oJ t. ,,,e IN 1T0G boyuayor
that Collect pond gained its real
fame. John Fitch, Connecticut in
ventor, evolved a screw propeller,
which he maintained would make a
boat 60. He brought his invention
to New York for a Collect pond try
out. Plenty of spectators, many OF
whom were prepared to laugh at
failure, gathered at the pond, while
the Broadway hill was crowded. But
Fitch's little round-bowed boat cir
cled the pond several times at the
amazing speed of six miles an hour.
Just as they were with adjacent
waters later, New Workers were
careless with Collect pond. They
used it for dump where they de-
posted just about everything includ-
ing carcasses of animals. So the
city fathers ordered it filled. To
obtain the earth, the Broadway hill,
all 100 feet of it, was whitfield down
and dumped into the pond at cost
of five cents load for carriage. The
pond disappeared. So did the odors.
But years later. engineers discov-
cred that Collect pond was more
than memory. 1t was merely hid
den. Even after 1872 years, it causes
trouble. If it hadn't been for the
pond, there might not have been a
new Criminal Courts building Be-
cause of settling, the old structure
is cracked and broken.
What was once Collect pond is
now the center of New York's Civic
Center. which includes county, state
and federal buildings. When bor-
ings were made for the $4,000, 600
state office building, it was found
that bedrock was 120 feet down. AT
IS feet, drilIers brought up an old
china cup, which was probably
used by some Dutch housewife in
New Amsterdam. They also found
that artesian we'll, which had been
the city's first water supply. So
plans had to be changed because
foundations as planned would have
cost a million instead of the est.
mated quarter of a million dollars.
Tombs prison. known over the
world because of famous prisoners
who have been held there but which
will pass out of the picture when the
new Criminal Courts building is
done, since a prison is one of the
units, stands in the center of Col
lect pond. The old section was built
on a foundation of cribbing and the
new is on piling as is the old Crimi-
nal Courts building. The Criminal
Courts building started to go to
pieces when the B. M. T. subway
was dug. During the digging, TO-
100000 gallons of water were
pumped daily from the subway
trench. More would have been
pumped only it was feared that too
many old buildings would settle.
Everyone of course has heard of
the Bridge of Signs, the passage
way between the Tombs and the
old Criminal Courts building. The
new building. which will be fin
ished sometime next June, has two
bridges connecting it with the prison
unit, one at the third and the other
at the twelfth floor. The bridges
were built despite opposition of the
Judges who for long have been ex-
ercised over the maudlin sentiment
tally connected with the old Bridge
of Signs.
(BeIl Syndicate-WNU Service.)