Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18
THE BATHING BEACH
Reasons for Pavoring the Plan for Remod-
cling 1t. y
An Expenditure That Would Provide
improvements Projected.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
| 1t Is understood that the District Com
mtssioners have under consideration Super
intendent Stevens plan for remodeling the
bathing beach and that they are undecided
whether to recommend that plan in full
or something cheaper. This is Washington,
| the capital Of the most advanced nation on
the globe, and We are building for future
genera tons. Should we build cheaply or
the best We can? The bathing beach is
the only spot where the waters of the his
| toric Potomac can be approached by our
citizens and by pilgrims who helped to
| make 1t historic. Must the beach continue
to be only a mudhole surrounded by a
| dumping common or shall it be made a part
of Washington? The expenditure Of a sum
so small that no man would feel it in his
| taxes would make this a beauty spot. 1t
would add a graceful loop to the grand
boulevard proposed by the commissioner of
public parks. Even in it's present rough
state it has given healthful enjoyment to
26.537 bathers this summer and furnished
| tableaux vivant of the liveliest kind to a
| hundred thousand spectators, and yet the
| better portion Of the public have only just
| got a taste of it. At the rate of increase of
| the past two years we may expect within
| five years to have 5000 bathers at time.
What the Plan Proposes.
| The pool plan proposed would give safe
and ample accommodation to even a larger
| number than that. 1t would give 200 feet
| out into the water. ranging from four to
| four and a half feet deep the whole length
Of the beach; the same at all tides and al
| ways close at shore, convenient for use at
any hour of the day. To obtain anywhere
|
would take the whole width of the tidal
reservoir; it would cost ten times as much
as the pool and the bottom could not be
made as even. At low tide. which Is one
quarter of every day, bathers would have
to walk out nearly a half mile to get to
the water and the same to return to the
dressing houses. In the pool there will be
no tide and bathers may be always near
| shore, within view of spectators. On the
ocean shore the beach is much sleeper, but
| IT Is frequently quarter of a mile wide at
low tide We have not room for that here.
| The tidal reservoir was dredged out deep
by the government for a specific purpose for
which 1t would become worthless If so filed
in. but the pool proposed, half cut into the
bank and half where swimming is now
done, would give a safe swimming area
| large enough for all time and not use q
quarter of one per cent of the tidal reser-
voir. 1t would be absolutely safe for bath
| ing in summer and skating in winter. In
| the five years since the bathing beach pro-
ject was first brought before Congress there
| have been five drownings at or near the
beach. but 1t is a significant fact that they
were all in deep water, away from shore.
just such deep water as will always be open
for the unwary If the grading plan is adopt
| ed, but on the pool plan proposed no one can
| possibly swim from wading depth into deep
water 1t will be good swimming depth
| .HArA ay,1 fhA hat lie yx-ifh n
reach all the time. In the same five years
there have been 1871 deaths by drowning in
| Washington. as shown by the records of The
| board of health. OF those. seventy were
white and sixty-seven colored, and only four
were females. 1t seems superfiuous to say
| that all these went beyond their depth into
| the water, and yet there are few people
| who want the beach left so that other peo-
pie and their children can accidentally get
| beyond their depth; but those who battle
and the fathers and mothers who have chill
dren to battle don't want 1t that way.
| What is Asked.
| To furnish an absolutely safe swimming
pool large enough for Washington always,
with 412 new dressing rooms, seats for specta-
tors, beautiful driveway between waters,
an Office and all necessary conveniefces to
make It self-sustaining, $4,000 is asked for.
| That sum would be appropriated for paving
a new street, as long as the beach, without
| hesitation; and yet there Is no new street
| in the city where that expenditure would
provide one-tenth as much genuine enjoy
ment of life. and 1t may well be doubted
| whether Washington has any investment
| Of that sum that furnishes so much enjoy
| ment, or is as conducive to health.
| 1t is against the law to undress and go
| in bathing anywhere in Washington ex-
cepting at the beach. Then why should
| accommodate the whole number who want
| to battle? Is 1t argued that everybody
| don't want to battle, therefore public money
should not provide for those who do 1t
| is replied that everybody has not children
| to send to public schools; everybody does
not the Capitol library: everybody has
GREETED streets. yet all these public convan-
| fences are made and maintained at public
| expense. That is the very spirit of our re-
publican institution. In the past two years
| Congress has not made any appropriation
| to complete or maintain the beach there
have been So persons drowned in Washing
ton within that period. Some of the best
| families In the city mourn the loss of
| bright sons who could not swim. This is
| criminal negligence.
In Other Cities.
Other cities expend vastly greater sums
| for bathing purposes than we ask for, and
after years of experience they continue to
spend money freely for that purpose find
ing 1t to be economical in life, in health
and in increased vigor of manhood. Nature
| of water in a beautiful spot. Why shoul6
we not have the benefit of it? We aim at
| the best in other things; why not in this
| During the two weeks that the boys were
preparing for the swimming and diving
contest Of September Is 1t was particularly
| noticed that they all gained not only in
speed but in their ability to keep them
selves afloat on the water a long time and
that is what may some time be required to
save their own lives or that of a friend.
Now in this age of competitive sports what
could give the public greater enjoyment
than the swimming amphtheater proposed?
Here we could revive the invigorating
games of the ancients without their br,l-
tally. Here parents could sit and watch
| the gambOls Of their little ones and the
athletic and graceful sports of their ma
turing sons and daughters while developing
vigorous and healthy manhood and woman
hood. Thus openly conducted the proprie-
| ties must be maintained and bathing would
become one Of the most popular reaxations
and tonics for both the overworlSed mind
and body. II the Commissioners will press
the necessary funds to obtain the best
bathing beach that can be made they will
save many lives and be blessed by .he
present as well as future generations for
| the wise investment A.
SUPT. BROCKwAY'S PUNISHMENTS.
Testimony Before the Elmfra Re-
fOrmatOry Investigation Committee.