Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-03
FREE BATHING BEACH
Superintendent HStevens Suggests Some
Repairs anda Improvements.
Knights of Pythins Saved the Institu-
ton From AOsa This Year-MOre
Dressine Rooms Needed.

In communication to the Commission
ers relating to The bathing beach Superin-
tendent w. X. Stevens says:
Your order authorizing me to obtain do
nations for repairs OF the bathing beach
and to run 1t for this season Is dated June
%, 1894. Officer Cotter spent five days So
letting donations, and in that time OBJ
tanned $65. as against 500 last year. People
who had given freely in previous years
said they had done SO because they thought
by keeping the beach open its necessity
would be proven 30 that Congress would
appropriate funds necessary to maintain 1t,
but after two years trial and no appro-
priation, they thought that II 1t had to be
closed for want Of appropriation gen.
eral public howl would wake up Congress
to Its duty in this matter; therefore, very
many people who were well disposed to-
ward the be ach refused to give as individ-
uals while they were more than willing
that the whole sum asked for should be
appropriated out of their taxes. In the
month before the beach was opened the
papers had published seven cases OF bath
ers drowned in various parts Of the city.
but In the three months that the beach has
been opened l don't think there have been
four bathers drowned anywhere In the city.
The beach was closed the Both of Septem-
Der. There was not one bather drowned
this year who registered on our books. One
colored boy, who was refused entrance be-
cause he could not swim and had no one
to be responsible for him, stole in on the
colored premises and was drowned. Our
boatman saved the lives OF nineteen this
year as against twenty-seven last year.
The proportion for last year is one saved
In one thousand bathers. For this year II
is one saved In one thousand five hun
dred and eighty. / attribute this favorable
decrease In accidents to the growing IA
miliarity of boys with the water.
The mothers dnrlings who are never
permitted to 90 near the water are the
very ones that occasion US most anxiety.
They are in more danger than others be-
cause they try tc do things that boys Ia
miliar with water know better than to
try. An army officer who comes often to
bathe said: 'Such rigid restriction OF chill
dren by over-careful parents Is an Gnpar-
donable sim" Order at the beach has been
extremely good. There is improvement In
this respect each year. When the bathers
become familiar with the management they
see that our constant aim is to permit the
greatest possible freedom to each Individual
within the limit of safety to the whole and
absolute propriety In tho presence Of ladies',
and hundreds yield quickly at a word from
the officer In charge. The number OF col
ored bathers has been too small to make
the fractional percentage worth figuring.
The proportion Of lady bathers has greatly
increased this year, and every one has
expressed herself rs highly pleased at the
order and propriety which prevail at the
fered them in our stringent circumstances.
The ladies' houses have been filled by
them. two in a room, and houses usually
allotted to gentlemen have been assigned
to them In crowded times. BY the word
ladies l mean all that that word expresses
in America. do not know Of one female of
questionable character having bathed at
the beach this year. Very much more than
the So collected by Officer Cotter was ex-
pended on repairs, and the little donations
received later. along with the regular re-
ceipts. would hardly have paid expenses.
including boatman and attendant, had 1t
not been for our near neighhors Of one
week, the Pythian encampment. They
brought no bathing suits with them and
our mems suits were not permitted to dry
In four days Of that week.
This brought In 500 and insured me
against loss. In the District appropria tons
bill OF this year is an item of 81, 900 for
care and maintenance Of the bathing
beach. That bill was passed too late to
make the money available this season, and
as you have asked me to suggest how in
my opinion, 1t can be expended before July
next to the best interests of the District /
will say. first, that as a result Of experience
l favor the expenditure of the full amount
In facilities for the accommodation Of ladies
and the better class of men bathers none
been accommodated free, and in very crowd
ed times, the last hour of hot evenings, six
at time have often used one room. Older
ones pay cents each, and four grown men
nave sometimes accepted one room rather