The Deceptive Waters of Spanaway Lake
After multiple drownings, a doctor warns that a deceptively shallow-looking rope line is concealing a lethal drop-off.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Dr. H. B. Scovel, who witnessed the death of D. R. Terry at Spanaway Lake on Tuesday, gives it as his opinion that Mr. Terry died from drowning, and not from shock as it has been reported. A rope is stretched from the point at which Terry jumped into the water to a pole some distance away, and this has led scores of people to believe that the water is only wading-depth, while as a matter of fact it is nearly 14 feet deep. No less than four men have been drowned at this point, and Dr. Scovel believes the deceiving appearance of the place and the fact that no danger signs are put up have been mainly responsible for the deaths.
“Dr. Scovel believes the deceiving appearance of the place and the fact that no danger signs are put up have been mainly responsible for the deaths.”
Public safety signage remains a critical municipal responsibility, especially in recreational spaces where hidden hazards persist. This story highlights the transition of the Pacific Northwest from a wilder landscape to one managed for public use.
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