The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-15

Vux EuDsSU 0oSu1s
The HERALD long ago insisted on tho advan-
tages Of public baths, free to the people. II
demonstrated how useless It IL for tho Board
of Health to prescribe sanitary regulations FOR
the prevention of disease II our large working
populatio n be not supplied with the most essen
tial of all means for the preservation OF
health-opportunities Of cleanliness. Medical
science proves that healthy condition OF the
human body largely depends upon clean
skin. The regular bather soon finds that no
medicine is more eficacious than the water
used in additions, that no stimulant is better
than the glow Of friction with a coarse towel,
and that the frequent exposure OF the whole
person to the air and the light is in itself
directly and powerfully beneficial Bathing is
truer panacea than any or all Of the drugs
ever invented. Moreover, during hot summer
weather it is positive luxury.
1t is strange that New York city should have
numbered million inhabitants before 1t inau-
gurated free baths as an indispensable means
of promoting public health and enjoyment.
The utility and popularity Of public baths in
Paris London and other European capitals led
Boston, Philadelphia and Albany to establish
them some time before our persistent recon-
mendations awakened a general demand for
their establishment here and led to q
%, 1868, "to provide floating baths in the
city of New York" Even after the passage
of this act, and after the City Council had
apportioned fifty thousand dollars for the pur-
pose, year elapsed and there were still no
baths. A HERALD reporter was sent to dis
cover the causes of this unaccountable delay,
and his account of his tracing those cause
from the Office of the Street Commissioners,
under whose direction the work was ordered
to be done, to the Office Of the Commissioners
of the Sinking Fund, and, finally, to the
Mayors Office, was quite amusing. 1t has
historical value as description of show not
to do it" under the ancien regime. At length.
| in May, 1870, one Of the earliest fruits Of the
new regime, of the reformation of our city and
county government was the energetic action
of the Commissioners Of Public Works in con-
tracing for the speedy building of two free
swimming baths, the one at the foot Of Fifth
street, on the East river, the other at the foo
| of Thirteenth street, on the North river.
These baths were duly opened on June 3d. and
during the present heated term their daily in
oreasing popularity has shown that the neces-
sity will soon be felt of building several more
| for the accommodation Of the two hundred
and seventy thousand persons who compose
| the public bathing population of our city.
The building of these two lighthouses was but
an experiment, and the experiment has been
80 eminently successful that we may hope to
see ere long more than fifty lighthouses a1oat
on each river front, between Fifty-ninth street
and the Battery. We have already asked why
conld not the Department of Public Works, il
| conjunction with a series of stone wharvel
and piers, provide stone reservoir, witt
influent and afluent gates, with constan
stream Of changing water, and make every
thing as solid and enduring as the baths Of oil
Rome. Another suggestion we may add, tina
the bathhouse rules in respect to bathing
hours should be so amended as to afford men
women and boys a chance Of taking an earl,
bath before going to work in the morning and
late bath after returning from work in th'
evening. The convenience of the working
| classes, for whom the free baths are specially
| intended, should be consulted in this respect
Cool mornings and evenings would suit batheri
ner hour at hot noon.