, 1870-07-14
THE FREE BATHS IN NEW YORK,
How the Poor Gain Health and
Happiness.

street. through that pathetic multitude crowd
ed to the last degree in desplate looking teue-
ments this is the natural route Of pcdcs-
txiau toward the free eA1t water bath at the
foot Of Fifth street, East River. Oac who
takes this walk becomes thoroughly convinced
Of the necessity OF bathing privileges for the
uoua1id multitude which fills go large part Of
that section Of the city.
This approaches to tho East River Bath on
Saturday evening were crowded BY great
number OF bathers. Close to the bath is !
ticket office, nazrow gangway leads to this
ana on Saturday. from p. m. till 4 late hour,
thus approach was filled with applicants for ad-
mission. numbering sometimes one hundred
and fifty. At busy times. policemen are con-
tinually employed sitting out ineligible boys
from this party.
Entering the bath rproar and hilaritv is met
on every side. Here on flight OF steps. tim
idly and cautiously feeling his way down, IS
an elderly man, who acts as il he had never
been up to his waist in water before. On an
other flight man with his leg amputated st
the knee, is crowding into the health giving
pool. On another flight sit two or three lads
who have been in for some time and are rest
ing. But at these one OF the ine1orablo police
men screams, In or out, boys. II you are
tired, you have had enough Make room for
others" On ali sides is continual clatter OF
polcemeu's rattaus. as they allow none OF the
closets to be occupied BY one party moment
persons arc frightened into undue haste OF
both bathing and dressing, By this continual
e1hortation, such pushing is neccssarv-at at
least on Saturday. The policeman who fur
nished our reporter with some Of his facts
kept 1D running fire OF ordinations at
the throng in the water and the closets.
"some Of yous get cut Of there" Ito the
bathers). "u there's been ono here to-day
there's been ten Thousand TO the reporterj
There's two hundred and fifty in the water
and the closets now. Never had such a days
work in my lfe."
Here now come fseeh squad, hi1arioualy
rushing through the door and wonae. fully de-
Lighted at this free hotel, where apartments
are furnished for thank-you. "Take rooms,
bogs, take rooms !" il the exclamation. as il it
Shon = Gays Teuton: =" 60 NIT Shon"
There Is not perfect choice Of companionsh,p,
however, as the police unceremoniously close
new crowds into my closet which does not
seem to contain at least three heaps OF cloth
ing. The rooms are opened from the outside
wooden button. At times On Saturday the
galleries we're crowded Yrith men waiting to
get chance Of entering dressing-1oom.
Very touching was the hight of brave boy
OF ten, speechless1y and with firm lip, follow
iing hia father down flight OF steps, throwing
c]nging there without whimper-thongh
evieently much fnghtened-whi]a the father
SWAN around. He wore at once q look Of
deep concern and implicit confidence; but
very speedy was his retreat ~ the steps, when
1 landed !, there. aud very affecting the way in
which he deprecatlngly curled his lips when
commanded 10 come down again. When
finally forced to enter the water again, lie
climbed so high on his fathers neck a. almost |
to thrust hm beneath the surface.
The difference Of hues in the bathers is q !
matter Of wonder. Here one secs a man
hOt trhffn ryknat rwF, h.a
his life in dark shop, and crept between |
there and home on the shady side Of tho |
street There is brown and brawny |
laborer or sailor. Here one with the faco |
and neck Of an 1ndian, and the whitest Of |
bodies and there is . lad who shows by the
that he has been all the morning breaking tie
city ordinances By bathing in the docks, and
has come to the bath-house to finish.
The number Of faisehoods told by innocent
looking bathers in the course Of Saturday !
must have reached frightful figure Almost |
that he had only Just entered it.
It was noticeable that there we're veFJ few |
good swimmers in the East River bath. Some !
tried very hard but the success was not com
mensurate With the effort One German.
with his Sapoleon-1ike beard aud mou6taehe |
hanging very limp, made furious efforts at |
swift progress, and blew the water ike |
grampus.
The appearance inside and ont of tue bath at
the foot Of Charles street is quite different |
from that pertaining to the East River bath. |
There is decided predominance Of the Ameri- |
tie show Of absolute squalor in the ueighbor- |
hood. But few foreigners visit the baths, and |
there is superiority in the etylaof swimming. |
A very good thing about this bath, which Is |
built precisely like the other. is the fact that
rope is stretched actoss about ten feet from |
nArh arI I'm thaGa t1e irorr
monkeys swinging upon tie gigantic vines Of
3 South American forest They whirl over it |,
and dive under it ind play all manner Of
prAnka-
The keeper claimed that at least 4.4oo had
used the bath before o'clock on Saturday,
aud that 600 ladies' had visited them in three |
days, though he admitted that 1000 Of that
sex had used the East River bath in one day |
last week. By 5o'c1ock on Saturday morning
sixty men had gone through their ablutlons in
the Charles street establishment.
The men attend the entrance door on the
lays when women are admitted, and two ladies'
sec to the internal arrangements. It IL said
hat the shill eechmg heard when the gent
Ter sex are congIeg.ted there "beats the pit
Il the Bowery Theatre"
The sight Of 70 many good swinuaezs, tie
aimy evening air, the sparkling OF the water
n en- the gas Was lit made very pleas
Int scene. Some s. experts dove and s]ided
I out in perfect abandon and ecstacy Of de-
light.
A happier scene it would be hard to find
han this Oh the Hudson River side. There
Eas not that oppressive sense OF dirty null
itude in and around the place; there was
:reater freedom and therefore greater pleas
,re-
The following gives the attendance at both
,aths since their opening:
Thursday. June 80. ,0os Tuesday; July s.. 1000
FRIDAY, July H.. 900 "Wednesday, Jny ,p0o
;aturaav; July 5000 Thursd4y, tulE7.. $3.50
Sunday, July g.: 5000 Friday, July s..... 5000
Monday, July !, Ia Saturday. July 9..15.0o9
dies. 5000 Sunday, july TO-. 1000
Total. .-,,...,......,-,,...,.,, >, .G5 900