St. Paul daily globe., 1895-09-08

which he invested in San Francisco
property. He now owns the entire
ocean front of this city and over 1000
acres of the suburban lands that lie
between the ocean and the improved
districts. He owns the Cliff House,
a magnificent road house, now build
ing to replace the one which was
burned, and all the land about it,
seal rocks, everything. And above
this region is his own extensive es-
tate, Sutro Heights, where he lives
in princely ease and luxury.
THE SUTRo BATHS
For years Mr. Sutro's ambition has
been to make the Cliff house not only
the best on the Pacific coast, but one
of the most famous in the world. He
has thrown open his private grounds
to the public and permits free access
to them at any time. Five years ago
he began what are now the largest and
finest public baths in the world. The
Sutro baths exceed the famous Ro-
man baths of antiquity in size as well
as in equipment. The largest of the
ancient Roman baths had only 200 feet
frontage. The Sutro baths are $50 feet
long. The building is of iron and glass.
Sutro is a finished and practical engi-
neer. and nothing so delights him as
a, difficult question of mechanics or
construction. He designed the build
ing over the baths, plans for water
supply and invented and patented the
apparatus for heating the water. In
this scheme of construction Mr.. Sutro
used the second series of his tunnels.
Finding the ocean at hand, the break
ers dashing upon the rocks, this clever
engineer decided that as nature had
provided power sufficient to send the
water to the tanks he would waste
no force cn artificial means. Accord
ingly a huge basin was blasted out of
the solid rock. Right over the edge
of this basin comes the water of the
huge rolling pillows of the Pacific.
Now, instead of riding the crest of the
wave, Mr.. Sutro traps and snares it and
turns it to his own purpose. From this
basin by tunnels and canals the water
flows to the reservoir, where it is
warmed by a. patent process, and then
it flows into the vast tanks in the
building. BY an ingenious automatic
device the water is cleared of sand,
as it would not do to have the waves
carry their load into the baths. A set
Ting place is provided, the sand is
washed back into the ocean, and the
clear water goes on its way through
tunnels to the tanks.
In case the tide is very low and the
water cannot dash itself over the rock
wall into the basin, an emergency pipe
has been constructed which will draw
5000 gallons a minute whenever it is
necessary.
TUNNELS AND TANKS.
Not satisfied with all these various
constructio, q these canals and pipes
and tunnels, Mr. Sutro devised an out
let pipe to send the water back to sea
several hundred feet from where 1t
was taken, in order that the water
might not be used over and over. The
tunnels for this pipe are several hun
dred feet long.
There are six tanks in the baths.
The main swimming tank is 275 feet
long and $50 feet wide. The other
tanks are smaller. One is filled with
cold salt water for those who wish
bracer. Some are for beginners, 9TH
ers for ladies and children. There is
one little tank of fresh water, supplied
from waterworks above on Sutro
Heights. Every dressing room is pro-
vided with a fresh water shower and
an electric light. Then there are tiers
upon tiers of clubrooms for bathers.
The building itself is one of great
beauty. Elevators and grand stair
cases afford communication from one
tier to another. Stairways and halls
are filed with statuary and palms and
tropical plants. There is a museum
crowded with curios, which Mr.. Sutro
has brought from the four corners
of the globe. There are three restau-
rants and an aquarium and conserva-
tory. The lofty spanned roof, that is
more than two acres in extent, gives
an effect of space and grandeur sim
ply indescribable, About the bathing
tanks are seats for over 5000 people
with ample room for 5000 more tc
promenade. At the ocean end Of the