Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-25
BATHS FOR BOYS.
Suggestion for Public Baths in All the |
Wards of Washington.

Suggestion for Public Baths in All the
Wards of Washington.
4 PHYSICIAN CONNECTED WITH THE
"A Museum Of Hygiene has suggested ID novelty
III the way of a system of swimming baths for
Washington. which strongly recommends itself
both for originality and common sense.
If his idea is carried out permaner; open
air tank for bathing will be established in each
ward of the city. For each bath a convenient
lot will be taken, perhaps 20 feet in length by
25 feet in width, and simply dug out as if for a
cellar, with a flooring of concrete and sides of
brick and asphalt. This will be filled with water
SO as to make an artificial pond, in and out of
which there will be an incessant flow. The
bottom will be at such slant that at one end
there will be depth of only two feet or So,
gradually increasing to five feet at the other
end.
Around each pond, according to the plan.
will be high fence, and inside the fence will
be long benches divided roughly into COM
partments for the bathers to place their clothes
upon. The institution being especially in
tended for the benefit of the boys they will not
be required to wear any bathing clothes mas
much as any sort of garment for swimming is
destructive to juvenile happiness. Privacy
will be complete, and thousands of male persons
who would not take any baths at all otherwise
will rejoice in unrestricted additions.
WHAT THEY WILL COST.
The notion is that the baths shall be open
from morning until nightfall all summer long
Each one will cost only about 81 900, Including
the fence, and the attention Of single police
man will be sufficient. 1t is recognized by
philosophers generally that it is an imposs-
bility to keep boys out of the water II thew
can find no better place they will go swimming
in the mud puddles On many an occasion, at
times of food, has the typical fat Washington
cooper" been seen in the act of chasing a
crowd of youngsters out of some hole below
the street level where the water has gathered
in a pool. Naked as when they were born. the
youthful bathers scatter in every direction.
trousers in hand and regardless of proprieties
How much better it would be to give them
some such accommodations for natatory exercise
as those suggested.
A project advanced recently in New York
city is to establish there public baths in the
different wards, where the poor are to enjoy
cleansing free Of charge. But the water is to
be supplied only on the shower-bath principle,
and pictures seriously published in the news
papers show rows of small boys. whole schools
at time. standing patiently under the sauirts
and counting physical publication at the
smallest possible expenditure of fluid, il being
estimated that in this way one person can be
thoroughly washed with just one-tenth of the
quantity of water requisite to accomplish the
same purpose in tub. As fast as the spray
from above falls upon bathers in this saving
manner 1t flows away and is not used over
again. Unfortunately the fact is not to be dis
puted that boys, when they battle voluntarily,
of enjoyment is not standing under trickle.
Therefore it is to be feared that with them the
proposed New York institutions win never be
popular.