The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-05 00:00:00

City Baths, Laundries, &:....

A circular, dated July 27, and signed by Lord
Shaftesbury and Messrs. A. Lusk, J. Abbiss, R.
Taylor (of the Lambeth Baths and Washouses), E.
Horner, Robert Baxter (of the firm of Baxter, Rose,
and Norton), T. B. Smithies, R. Smith, and J.
Lilwall (hon. sec. pro tem.), was recently issued, re-
questing the attendance of those who might be in-
terested in the public opening of a fine stack of
buildings, under the above designation, which have
been erected through the enterprise of Mr. A. J.
Vieweg, a Wood-street warehouseman, in Golden-
lane, Barbican, one of the lowest and most neglected
districts in London, where they promise to prove a
great moral and social blessing. The history of the
undertaking is, in brief, this :—Mr. Vieweg, of
whose generosity and single-mindedness there can
be no doubt, originally set to work to carry out, as
he thought, an outlay of £20,000, his idea of com-
bining for the first time under one roof all the re-
quirements of decency, respectability, and moral and
physical wellbeing. But he found he had spent
nearly £40,000. He seeks no profit whatever for
this large outlay. But many of his influential friends
thinking that he should be at least reimbursed for
the great excess of actual expenditure over what he
felt able and willing to incur at the outset, have come
forward with the project of a limited liability com-
pany for the completion and carrying out of his
views. Mr. Vieweg takes £14,000, in any case, in
shares. Out of any further moneys, whether taken
in shares or debentures, he is to be paid cash up to
£lO,OOO. But, if no shares or debentures are taken,
he is to take the £lO,OOO in debentures. We give a
short description of the building. It cost £40,000,
covering an area of 11,000 ft. The architect is Mr.
Charles Martin, C.E., of Leadenhall-street. The
exterior style of the structure approaches nearer
to the Italian than any other style of architec-
ture, and it is of rusticated brickwork. But
use, and not adornment, was chiefly kept in
mind in designing it, and it appears to be speci-
ally adapted to the requirements of the class of
people for whom it was intended. Thebuildings con-
sist of a basement, ground, and four other floors. On
the basement there are two large tepid swimming
baths, first and second class, wherein the working
man can have the real luxury of a swim after his
day's toil. Here, also, is a large laundry, worked
by steam machinery, and containing 80 washing
compartments, with every convenience for drying,
mangling, and so forth. These, as likewise all the
other parts of the edifice, are thoroughly ventilated.
On the ground floor there is the dining-hall, 70ft.
by 30ft. This is a light and airy room. It is meant
to be conducted on the Glasgow principle. The
kitchens, too, are here ; when completed they will
be fitted with all modern applicances. There are on
this floor also 100 private baths, first and second
class. They are of porcelain, in one piece, as de-
signed by the late Prince Consort, and are supplied
by Mr. Finch, of Adam-street, Adelphi. We may
state here that the looking-glass frames and other
toilet fittings in the bathrooms are all of porcelain,
and also supplied by Mr. Finch, as aro the glazed
bricks with which the swimming-baths are lined.
Above are four floors, consisting of tenements for
families of two rooms each, varying from 15ft. to
16ft. square. These are approached by several
flights of fireproof staircases leading from the street.
The roof consists of a series of extensive flats for
purposes of recreation. A portion of the building
has been set apart for a spacious chapel and school,
capable of seating 600 or 700 persons. The water
is supplied from a well sunk into the chalk under
the premises, some 300 feet deep, and worked by a
powerful steam-engine. Among the company which
met yesterday were the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P.,
Mr. J. S. Briscoe, M.P., Mr. Hubbard, M.P., Drs.
Marsh and Smith, Messrs. Sines, Jowatt, 8.. Taylor,
and Erasmus Wilson.