The record-union., 1891-06-22
SWIMMING BATHS.
Work Progressing Rapidly at Twenty
First and O.
Something About the Exterior and
Interior Plan of the
Building.

The work of erecting the new swim
| ming baths at Twenty-first and o streets
is being pushed forward with unusual
| vigor by the contractor, Silas Carle. That
gentleman has taken contract to have
! the work completed and the great bath
house ready for use on the 22d of July,
and it is evident that he intends to be on
| time.
The new building will be very hand
| some structure 60 feet wide by 1877 feet in
length, handsomely painted, ornamented
with stained glass windows and very
attractive. 1t will be credit to the city.
The main entrance will be on o street,
though two large doors, one on either
! side of the ticket office. The doors open
| into spacious lobby on one side of which
| is the ladies' sitting-room and on the other
barber shop and mems sitting-room.
After purchasing his ticket the visitor
ascends a broad stairway and finds him
! self on the main, or tank floor. Here he
will exchange his ticket for a bathing
suit and towels and proceed to one of the
| apartments which surround the tank, or
to one of those on the ground floor. All
| OF those on one side, on the ground floor,
are to be preserved for ladies. There are
| eighty-two dressing-rooms, beside six
| rooms fitted up with elegant tub baths,
| furnished with hot and cold water
The swimming tank is eighty feet long
| by thirty-tive feet wide, three feet deep
at the shallow end and twelve feet at tho
deepest point. This is four feet deeper
| than in the Palace baths in San Fran
cisco, the difference being necessary on
account of the use of fresh water here,
| there being less resistance than in the
descent is very gradual until the middle
Of the tank is reached when it becomes
moro rapid. Spring boards and slides
are properly arranged for divers. On
each side of the tank is "shower-room''
where bathers may indulge in the luxury
OF "needle-showers." The showers used
are OF new pattern and are so arranged
that the water can be sprayed over the
! body from the sides without a drop
! touching the head OF the bather, or can be
turned on from the top in the usual way,
| or both. The water can also be tempered
at will from extreme cold to hot by a
| simple contrivance.
| In the rear corners of the building,
adjoining these apartments, are stationed
stairways leading down to dressing
rooms on the first floor, on which also are
| to be found closets, etc., of the latest and
most approved sanitary pattern.
| On the floor above the tank at the north
end of the building is gallery, capable
of seating 200 persons. At the other end
is band stand and the approach to the
slide.
At the rear of the main building will be
a one-story building for boiler-house
and laundry. Above it will be erected
two tanks, each with a capacity of ii zoo
gallons, into which well water will be
| pumped and heated, after which it will be
run into the swimming tank, which will
contain 10000 gallons. 1t is so con-
structed as to give constant flow OF
water, in and out. The water will be
| kept at an even temperature of $50. The
| tank can also be emptied completely by
means OF a six-inch outlet at the bottom.
| The tank is being constructed upon a
! new plan. 1t will have q very strong and
substantial foundation; will be lined with
a double thickness of redwood planking,
overlaid with tin lathing, and finished in
| side with several coats of suitable cement
rendering the surface as smooth as sand
stone.
Around the sides of the tank will be
! fastened an iron railing which the bath
ers may grasp. Bordering the edge of the
| tank, on a level with the passage ways, is
and carry away the splashing and water
| dripped from the bathers while emerging
| from the tank.
The building will be abundantly lighted
and thoroughly ventilated from windows
on either side and the rear and from the
large oriel windows in front.
In addition to the provision made fol-
the prevention of draughts, there will be
erected at the head of the main entrance
| a sort of screen, set with stained glass
which, when illuminated by the light
admitted through the entrance, will be 6
most attractive feature of the interior
| furnishing. The inside walls will be
treated with paint of the fashionable terra
Gotta shade.
| The dressing-rooms will be supplied
with long benches on which the occu.
pants may recline after bathing These
apartments will be provided with mir
rors, shelves, hooks for clothing, combs
| brushes, etc.
On the whole, the baths will compare
will not be SO elaborate as the new Pied
mont Baths, but they will be neater and
better than any in San Francisco.
! A few weeks ago the association called
| in 20 per cent. of the subscriptions, which
amount has been paid in promptly by the
subscribers, only one person refusing to
| fulfill his agreement. The directors meet
again tomorrow night, and it is under
! stood they will call In the balance of the
money due on the stock issued, as the
work is being paid for as it progresses,
and must all be paid for on completion,
which will not be later than the 22d o1
July.
So far between SIS, 900 and $4,000 worth
of stock has been taken, and it is hoped
that the balance, only $1,000 or S6, 1000, will
be taken promptly, so that the baths can
be fitted up completely and everything
be paid for at the opening. Our citizens
should certainly take lively interest in
this noble work. There is scarcely a
young man in the city who cannot afford
to take at least one share, at par value
of S., and there are hundreds Of citizens
who have children, whose lives are con-
river, who ought to take ten or twenty
| shares each. The gentlemen who are Civ
| ing their time and energy to the establish
| ment of these baths have no more inter
est in them than all other citizens. They
are simply trying to provide needed in
StitIftinn and O11ry yYooroho,,f,