The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-26
JOHN HOEY'S GREAT TANK.
A PLAN TO ROB THE OCEAN OF TIE
SUMMER GIRL.

COHn"1Ns "ssAS
A Flns Csllectisa OF Re posefai Ssa water,
with Mssie aad Bar Attachea-Its A.
~antagss Over che BufetinG Surf
John Hosy ought to have n monument Not
because he 10 President OF an express company.
nor yet because he built . hotel at Long
Branch, nor yet because his son Fred has
case full OF cups won at shooting matches. For
oil those things John Hoey deserves credit.
but not monument.
1t was when John Hoey built a tank that he
won his right to immortality in brass.
bronze. marble. or whatever else you may
choose. At first glance 1t docs not seem out OF
tho ordinary for q man to build a tank. But
when you think that, you show that you don't
know about the John Hoey tank which the
modest inventor has disguised under the name
OF the Hollywood bath house. And the chief
part OF the fund for this monument to John
Hoey, tank builder. should be contributed By
the summer girl. For she benefits more BY 1t
than anyone else.
There Is no difficulty about proving John
Noey's right to the amusement. or tho sum
mer girls right to pay for 1t. Every ono knows
that several seasons ago the summer girl.
whom the sea mad each rear taken to his arms
with low growls Of delight, suddenly grew coy,
and. no longer entering the waves. walked or
sat dreamily gazing at Thorn.
Whom this state OF affairs became generally
recognized. the Rossips about the hotel veran-
das wept for tho loss OF tho chief rart OF their
supply Of whispering matter. and the men
who formerly sat with eyes glued to the surf
bsmoaned the loss OF the suri's only ornament
in their eyes. But tho summer girl remained
obstinate. She said that a lover who could
take to his arms the indiscriminate thousands
OF Coney island and the like was far too pro-
-, TO-, ~. n,,t fnt nNnIA Iva
lisv.d that this was the true reason. For the
summer girl has way OF not letting out her
whole mind.
Then It came out, or rather 1t was currently
reported. that the real reason lay, rs roal rea-
sons so often do. IN that vein OF personal vanity
which streaks us Gil more or less. The poets
have sung the loveliness Of the maiden cmcrG-
ing glowing and beautiful from bnfretinG with
tho surf. A good many people rend 1t, thought
1t sounded well. and made 1t part OF their stock
Stripped of poetic license. the bnffeting o! tho
surf it'll the maiden made her look like the
For the maiden emerged from The bath house
snns q 10y has s'aEs
Side. White arm. and ,delishsiai hands. a
tapering l.es rased in black stockings. than
which no Others are moro becoming. She was
O0HutlIul. moro eulIuHC INK tuAu Ill u Uall uTcSS
Thus suo went down INTO the sea; And the
waves rose about her and she could be seen
s:r On % e Ss On them S TN;
mstted anil irneeled her hair. The billoWs
bent Ter skin imto adult coppery blue; The
general witness wilied her skirts and wrinkled
her stockings. And then she came forth; q
sort Of poetic nightmare. % sneak like a hail.
d dnos,1f. animal into as obscure a place AS
It is q wonder that the poets and the, reople
who echo them fooled her a. long as they did.
for aha had IL mirror in hOr OF thn
bath house and must have seen how draggleL
har and blue tace and al the ,sst OF it
Che morning he had lust arrived the nixhs
A friend met him and said:
Ss SO naf0 Ss,bDs ana
want to see how sue will look when she gets
..Aiier h had sem he looked more elar!!ns
than ever. good many things OF this kind
10000 can stand that tss; Tor looks. So at last
into tho SCI tran its border. where she stood
and screamed and svewed she was afraid to go
tovsincss II the e unwe,ied Ea,Hins suit were ore
sase Then ,ame John Hoey with his tank. 4,
Sss has bn for az
only Thing Of the kind IN S the tnise States
SeSn Hoy GO. so lis suressIon from this tank
That does not affect the value OF his services
Last year he put up. short distance from
Is a xoddy distances rne irum the sea-,
end, ,nesiJes. ,its guests were not fond OF surf
bathing 80 John ltoey put up q huse pump
aas su joSs Aesy ILL., lid rot Wsnt i .sse Holly y
swimming tank In the world. '- '
IL WAS dlvl ied into Two compartments Dy an
fmpaSAihle bar ipF down its he TN the
eide bathed The women ana the children: on
the other side the men enjoyed tho unsl crttd
0eA. But John Hoey was not satisfied. and
this season all tho people who went to ong
Branch straightway begnn to sing tho rraisss
had made The bath house. as il stan1s at
present Is worth nm extended dissertation. for
twill B. Almost iess' led isr long time ' a..
The building is about 427 feet long and 222
feet vide. In the front is the office where YOU
may buy an admission as spectator for %
cents or u bathing suit and the privilege Of
Ss1s i Sso Is sn 9 snr maS S: soGs
passing to anu fro.
sssAn nss snk 5Asss tie clear SH
psrt,tioned sweep Tor men and Women to bnthe
togethsr All around the sides runs pnis s
room Tho" There ar: chairs an MI marble tables The
floor is covered with rugs Here the specta;,
eny drink you choose. from, ginger ale to a
mHnubttitu CDCklHll. OF u Sli6Il pOttl'.
At Its npprr end the tank has two eNte sons.
Ut the eiid OF cach OF winch II huge ion sits
squirting ~ spray OF zen water from Its .pen
mouth. Between these two extensions is ~
small space. whore. good many downgers
and not low handsome girls gather to watch
the bathing To the left nnd six feet up is u
balcony; u: on which spectators may sit Also.
Along tho tight $40 there is u bridge about
eight feet aho the surface OF the tank. where
THOSE who wish to dive take their plnngcs.
Tho dressing room are along the side OF the
passGgewny I" tho right. and are much hetter
atted up than the irightful wooden h les be-
nea tho pavilions overlooking the sea- The
tank is two feet and n half deep at its shall
lowest part, where the children learn to SWIM
and graz ually slopes until ut the far end and
on the sides II ID seven feet deep. Showers OF
spray fall In several places. There are rings
hanging low 10 the wa,or. There Is u lrapeZe.
There Is no roof to The pool except the sky.
In a balcony over angling the lower ond T. an
ORCHESTRA led hy Themiors John OF the Casino
This orchestra plays from 1880 O'clock In
dreamy music that goes 80 we'll in summer BY
thA sea. These two hours are the most fash
lonable Of tho day; although the tank is never
clear OF hathers But in these two hours all
the fasiionab e men and women md lots who
are not a-hionsble. all these handsome chill
dren with long waving hair. nIl the pretty
young Urls lust peopine into womanhood. as
eemble IN and around the tank.
Here aro no rough biIlOWs to t0ar down and