The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-12
THE BATHING BEACH.
1t will Not be Ready Before the END of
This Month or the First of Next.

1t will Not be Ready Before the END of
This Month or the First of Next.
The new bathing beach presents an unkempt
appearance, and looks as il it would take
many weeks before it could be put in any sort
of order for bathing purposes. At the outset
it was thought that July would find the
establishment ready for business. A HERALD
reporter questioned Mr.. w. Stevens, the in
spector in charge of the work, as to the pros
poets ahead.
He said in effect: 1.-THE work has been de-
layed. Plans were made at first for two
buildings of rather tasteful design. / did not
believe they could be built within the appro-
pr1atfon, and when it came to be figured up it
proved that was light. The amount Of the
appropriation was only $4,000. The grading
cost S94O, sand $3.50, and with contingencies
spent left a balance of 81, 100 Bids for the
houses were let and the lowest bid was $4,000.
and then the bidder only estimated for 1S
rooms in each building, which would not do
at all 1 then took hold and agreed to erect
the buildings for 81, 100 with fifty rooms in
each, according to my own plans, which
of course looked TO utility more than
style. Grading should have been completed on
the lst of July, according to the conditions of
the contract. And SO far as it appears to the
eye OF anybody looking above water it was
very we'll done at that date. But the earth
has been left under water in heaps, with deep
hollows between, in condition wholly unfit
to receive the sand. Weare therefore delayed
until we find how this can be remedied Mr..
Frawley, the contractor, will be given notice
to immediately complete the grading accord
ing to his contract and IL he fails to do So the
Commissioners will have it done at his ex-
pense, as there remains about 500 unpaid and
his bond is good for the whole amount of his
contract.
1--WE are making one block of 80 houses,
each having shelf, and six clothes hooks, for
the accommodation of occupants. Each door
has lock and key and means will be taken to
offer all the security practicable under the
circumstances to whatever may be left in the
houses during bathing. The roof will be
covered with tin and painted and the sides will
be painted white. There will be no paint inside
but the surface of all the lumber is finished
smooth, as that is supposed to be better than a
painted surface. 1t is expected that the wharf
Will also be completed this week, and next
week we shall begin to construct an exactly
similar house and wharf at the other end of
the beach, about three hundred and fifty feet
from this house, for the use Of the colored
people, and the whole will be opened
at the same time to the public at
as early date as possible, we think
it safe to say within the month of July. Of
course, we cannot open or consider it a bath
ing place until the sand is on Each wharf
is constructed at both sides as flight
OF steps extending out into the water
seventy-six feet from the Shore in
order that those who cannot swim at all
may feel perfect security, as there will always
be stair under water at low tide, and five
stairs under water at high tide The end of
each wharf will be provided with spring
board made of ash projecting ten feet to give
the athletes an opportunity to show their
skill. The better class have shown great in
terest in the beach and we feel sure strong
effort will be made to maintain the respecta-
bility of the beach,
"You may say that the beach will certainly
be ready for use by the last of July or the first
week in August. have been worried and de-
layed in this project, but l feel too deep an
interest to allow ito become failure"