Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-02-07
THE SUTRp RATliS.
They Are the Largest in the World
and Are Built in san Francisco.

we'll as equipment, The largest of
the Roman baths had about two hun.
dred feet of frontage, to use the mod
ern commercial terms OF designation,
Two Of these great bathing places
might be dropped within the Sutro
baths and still leave room enough for
men to walk and women IL dirt.
Adolph Sutro is 4 skiltul engineer
and he enjoys solving problems in
construction or breaking through diff
ticultieS in mechanics as he enjoys in
building over the bath, devised the
plan for water supply, invented and
patented yhc apparatus for heating the
water, The Suro tunnels, second
series, are part of his scheme OF con-
Structon.
With the ocean ut his feet, the
breakers dashing against the rocks,
Mr. SutN deemed that nature had SO
we'll provided power TO send the water
to the bathing tanks that artificial
means would be unnecessary. There.
fore with much noise and enthusiasm
. llI blbSNh pll u huSli III tdlt Shllu
rock. over the edge of this basin
comes the water of the huge rollers,
Instead of riding the crest of the
wave, Mr.. Sutro traps the crest of the
wave and uses 1t for his own purpose.
From the basin the water flows
through tunnels and canals, passes
gates until ii reaches the reservoir,
where it is warmed by the Sut0
patent process, and then 1t flows into
the great tanks In the huge glass and
steel building.
On the road to the tanks through
the canals and the tunnels the water
has to pay toll of sand. OF course, It
would not do to have the waves carry
their load of sand into the baths. SO
a settling place is provided. BY au'
tomato arrangement, also the device
of Mr.. Sutro, the sand Is washed back
into the ocean, while the water
cleared, goes on Its course through
tunnels and canals to the tanks.
Sometimes the tide is very low and
sometimes the ocean, even at the cliff,
10 IultAs hNtt ihiShN Nv tiiiNH "'iNi'
the water could not dash over the rock
wall into the basin. Artitice Is en-.
ployed to take the place of nature
when nature Is in quiet mood. An
emergency pipe pokes It's black pro
boscis under the waves, and "A pump
can draw through IT five thousand gal.
Ions in minute whenever the i've
thousand gallons are wanted In a min.
ute.
Having made enough tunnels TO adj
nit the water, sandless and tcpid. to
the tanks, Mr.. Sutro had TO provide
for sending the water to sea again,
that the ocean might not be drained
Dropping out the water at the place
at which 1t was taken In would not
be satisfactory. Mr.. Sutro did not
want the baths to be receiving the
same water over and over again. That
plan would be too easy. In 1t were
no obstacles to overcome. He laid out
an outlet pipe through tunnels prob
ably several hundred feet long, and
through this the water will flow from
the tanks and return to the sea sew
eral hundred feet from the place
whence it was taken.
The water that comes In through the
tunnels must fill six tanks. Tae larg
est OF these, the main swimming tank
Is 275 feet long, and at the place OF
greatest breadth Is $50 feet vile. The
other tanks are smaller. Some will be
used for ladies and children, some for
beginners each one has It's particular
use. One tank will be filed with cold
salt water for swimmers who want a
shock. Then there is a little tank
filled with fresh water, supplied from
the Sutro water works on the blum
above. And the dressing rooms, every
one provided with a fresh-water
shower and an electric light, and the
club rooms for the companions Of
bathers-they are counted by hundreds
and are built tier upon tier, until the
visitor Is amazed at their number an
much ms he wondered at the maze OF
tunnels.
The spectacular effect Of the baths
was prominent In the purpose OF Mr..
Sutro In planning these baths. The
glazed roof the great span that ~
more than two acres In area, Is 80
high above the tanks that looking up
to the vault seems Ike peering from
the court of the Palace Hotel TO the
sixth story. Elevators and grand
staircases give communication from
one tier OF the building to another.
About the bathing tanks are seats In
tiers; seats for $500 people In great
amphitheatre, and there Is room for
1900 more TO stand and TO prone
made. A place that can accommodate
10000 people at one time must be OF
some size. At the ocean end Of the
tanks is a great stage, fifty feet broad,
on which musicians viii be seated.
BY the sides Of the staircases are
planted wonderful tropical plants, and
In great boxes above the promenades
are growing palms The baths are
full OF beauty and color. Through the
glass side walls Is the ocean view.
Provision Is made for three restau-
rants, each one on a different tier Of