100 years ago in The Record
Sunday, July 8, 1917
An eight year old girl drowns in a South Troy pond today, but the quick action of two local men spares five others from sharing her fate. Carolyn Grogan of 435 Second Street spends the afternoon with her mother, Mrs. Thomas Grogan, at Jeff’s Hole in Smart’s Pond. Accompanying them are Mrs. John Egan and her three daughters: Agnes, Rena and Mazie. Finishing their swim, “All had reached the shore but Carolyn Grogan and the first any of the party knew she was in danger was when she called to her mother to save her,” The Record reports. Mrs. Grogan jumps to Carolyn’s resuce, but “soon she was in the same predicament as her daughter.” The Egans fare no better, “and then six persons were struggling in water over their heads.” Their distress alerts John Carey and Daniel Costello, who dive in fully clothed to rescue as many as they can. They bring all of Carolyn’s would-be rescuers to shore, but can’t reach Carolyn herself. Twenty minutes later, Carey and Costello pull Carolyn’s body from the water. A team from the Stanton Steamer company has been waiting to give first aid, but “life was extinct when the body was recovered.” The Grogans have lost two children to accidents in as many years. Carolyn’s brother was killed by a trolley at the intersection of Second and Van Buren streets in 1916.
Mrs. Grogan is treated by her family doctor at home after being “prostrated” by the latest family tragedy.
Earlier today, the Sunday Budget hit the streets with news that a new public “bathing beach” will open in South Troy later this month.
“Next week or the week after South Troy will have a new playground, and it will be one that will excite the envy of the kids in the other sections of the city. This play ground will be located on land belonging to the old steel works and it will have – think of it, boys and girls, -- a bathing beach.
“Doubtless there will arise advocates of bathing beaches for other playgrounds. There are a number of spots within the city where riverside play recreation places can be provided and where children could in safety enjoy baths.
“More than that. At such places they could be taught to swim and everybody ought to be able to do that. At the new South Troy playground there will be an expert swimmer and under his tutelage boys and girls ought to be able to acquire knowledge of the art of taking care of themselves in the water.”