The morning call., 1893-12-25
BATHS TO MUSIC.
SutrO'S Great Harmonic
NatatOrium.
SWIMMING TO BE RHYTHMIC.
When You Dive, a Big Drum
Will Announce the Fact.
JEALOUSY UPON SEAL ROCK.
Amphibians and Breakers Thought
to Monopolize nelody at the
Cliff House.
SWIMMING TO BE RHYTHMIC
JEALOUSY UPON SEAL ROCK

1t was sad Christmas eve for the Cliff
House faklrs and Seal Rock caterers yes
terday. Very few people tore themselves
away from their warm hearth stones and
the warmer joys of anticipating how many
Christmas presents they would receive to-
day In comparison to the number they
would give. in order to patrOnize the
worthy Sunday providers" in the neigh
bOrhOod of Sutro Heights.
SO the seals and the showers, the surf
and the wonderful scenic effects had that
section OF the lands end pretty much TO
themselves. 1t was pretty enough
drama, too. Sometimes the sun would
break through the dull skies, and then a
bar of molten silver would seem to float
and glitter amid the tumbling waves,
which otherwise looked for all the world
like boiling lead with an ashen scum coat.
The aforesaid surf with its rolling, thun-
dering breakers and dashing, crashing
crests. composed fine orchestra, of which
the regular psttrr of the rain formed con-
ductor's steady baton, and the seals them
selves were the dramatis persona
Never was there so much excitement OH
Seal Rock. The amphibians barked and
howled. laughed satrically and snorted in
disgust. They were enacting a new
piece, which might have been entitled
More Boosted Progress. or Our Monopol-
istic Noses Out Of Joint"
A deadly rumor had reached the seal
rocks through the medium of a cornet
played on Saturday by Slgnor Liberati in
the new SutrO Baths. Hitherto, with the
exception OF the music of the surf and the
tinkling strains of hand-Organ orchestras
al shore resorts, the seals had had the
melody of the Cliff House region in their
own mouths, so to speak. Now this bold
as,lsa a
come.
The great SutrO Baths beneath the
heights had long been objects of intense
curiosity to the seals. At one time they
believed they were to be winter quarters
for themselves. Mr.. Sutro had always
protected them, and it was natural 10 sup
pose that they might be asked TO exhi bit
themselves TO MIdwinter Fair visitors at
closer range than a dOube-barreled tee-
scope afforded. But the cOrnet ashed tn cir
hopes; 1t conn med the rumor that The big
building was to be first-class swmm ng
bath, with orchestral appointments.
Yes" said Adolph SutrO, when asked
about the cornet. Il intend TO have high
class music at the baths, but was little
afraid ABOUT their acoustic properties. so l
asked Signor Liberati, leader OF a famous
Eastern band. 10 come down and expert
ment.
"Signor Liberati came down on Satur-
Qdyy anu lbuet say ut anu Il were par
alyZed by the result. In the great building
350x250 feet with il, high dome every note
sounded in one corner could be heard ap-
parently without the least diminution of
tone in the diagonally opposite corner. The
anne results were obtained all over the
structure wherever we tried. The success
was the more remarkable because the din
made by fifty carpenters and other en-
plOyes was going on all the while.
The concerts will be favorite institu-
lions. We shall not build bandstand
yet because all points seem equally good.
and we prefer that the taste of the public
snail govern that matter. There will be
no lack Of people to form jury; tue build
ing will hold 10000 people. and the baths
are expected to prove a popular place of
reunion. No matter how cold il may be
outside the water in the baths will be
bLildng pleasant for visitors, promepa-
ders and spectators. When finished these
will probably be the largest and most COM
pIete baths in the world. Just con slider
one item-there will be no less than
100.0 feet of glass used in their construc-
ton"
Mr.. Sutro is pushing on the work. a nd
expects to have the baths ready early in
February. He proved quite enthusiastic
over he advantages of music in the nata-
forum. The water. he said, would most
probably enhance she effects of the sweet
strains and lmpart 10 shem that mellow
and romantic tone generally attributed to
''lOve-songs heard upon a moon-lit bay"
What this effect is exactly Mr.. Sutro did
not stop to explain. as he was due to act
as Santa Claus at a family Christmas tree.
But t is understood that the phlan-
thropist has theory that swimming, like
dan cling, should be rhythmic. There is no
reason why the big drum, the piccolo
and the heavy bassoon should not play an
important part in this theory. 'Water
waltzes" and swimming schottisches,"
with marine mnuets" as a change-off,
may yet grace the bath programmes of the
happy future.
Anyway, the seals have nothing to CON-
plain of. as they will doubtless find out
Ii their monopoly OF melody is broken
through. the bath concerts will attract
more admirers to the vicinity of the
amphibian chorus.