The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-29
SOMETHING OF PUBLIC BATHS
A Movement Which Is Gaining
Roadway in America.
EXPERIENCES IN EUROPE
The Tank, the Tub and the Shower = Englauds
Monumental Cleanliness Labor Bureau
nvestigation-The German Idea.
From, t,o c,ohs.De,oocraf r,-s-,r-

ject of public baths is receiving increas-
ing attentioLa in this country. Rec sntly
the Mayor of New York appointed
special committee to investigate and re-
port upon the advisability of establish
ing baths and comfort stations. The re-
suit is an urgent recommendation for
such institutions. Other municipal gov
ernments IN the United States have be-
gun to discuss the wisdom of like action.
Anticipating the interest that is growing
in this direction, Commissioner Wright,
of the Bureau of. Labor, has had an ex-
animation made of what cities of other
countries have done in the way of public
baths. Prof Edward M. Hartwell, of
Boston, has recently visited and ex-
amined the most notable of the public
baths in Great Britain and Europe His
description and conclusions have been
embodied in a very interesting report.
1.-THE City of Liverpool" said Mr.. @.
A Weber, of the bureau, in speaking of
some of the more important facts found
by Prof. Hartwell, lis credited with be-
ing the first foreign municipality of COM
siderable Importance to establish a pub
lie bath fo.- the benefit of the people,
This was done in 1894. The idea gradu-
ally spread throughout England. In 1894
an enumeration showed that 191 munici-
pal boards or parishes in England and
Wales were maintaining baths of some
sort at public expense. Thirty of them
were expending over 1000 a year for the
purpose. The corporations of Liverpool
and Manchester were maintaining, each,
nine of thes+ establishments. Glasgow
had five. In Lordon, twenty-four par
ishes owned and maintained public bath
houses. On the continent, Vienna has
|. ten bath houses. Berlin, Bremen, Frank
fort Lelpsic, Paris, Stuttgart and many
oithsr cities have baths maintained by
the municipal authorities.
1.-THE cost of these institutions varies
greatly said Mr.. Weber. "Of the five
Glasgow baths, for instance, the least
expensive cost 1872, 49, and thu most elab
crate, $165,461 In London, one public
bath house cost s131, 1896. On another was
expended v175.194. London has spent
cts much as 1920 151 c,a the construction
of a single bath house for public use,
Probably the most peril ct bath house of
England, in design, fittings, ventilation,
materials and workmanship is one built
five years ago by the vestry of St. Mary,
Stratford Bow, in the east of London. 1t
cost $204,393. This establishment in
cludes a first-class swimming bath 80
feet long and so feet wide, with fifty
two dressing cabins. 1t has a second
class swimming bath SO feet long and 80
wide, with seventy-one dressing cabins.
There are nineteen first-class and thirty
eight second-class private baths, va
por bath and a public wash house to ac-
commodate forty persons. The sides of
the swimming baths are lined with white
tiles and the bottoms with glazed brick
The partitions between the private baths
are of enameled slate. The bath tubs are
of porcelain. For these splendid ac-
commodiations the following mod rate
prices eyre charged: First-class swim4
ming bath, lie; second-class, 4c; first
class private bath, warm, 4c; cold, &c.
Washers in the public wash house pay
&c am hour for the use of stall, drying
room and hot and cold water"
Prof. Hartwells Investigations go to
show that to reach the clases NEST In neel
of these facilities the cheaper shower
beth has lis decided advantages
while SD mr1ih HAS been accomplished
| in England in tfhe provision of swimming
| and tub baths" Mr. VS. Der said, every ut
tie has been done in the simpler shower
bath. For this we mus, look to continsn-
tai Europe Thsr's the plan of providing
small shower bath Houses is rapidly gaia-
ing favor. Even the larger public bath-
ing houses of recent construction which
ccrilasn swimming and tub ba his are be-
ing generously supplied with shower
baths. AS ruie school baths, which have
become popular in Germany, Switzerland
zl.i Scar, inavia Within the past len
ysal Is, ccr9!s1t solely of shower baths. For
workmen's baths, which are frequently to
be found in mines, founldries and facto-
riss in Germany, shower baths greatly
outrnmber tub Ea-hs.
Perhaps THE b<t. form of an establsh-.
meIat for shower baths, adarted for u,e In
schools and fac ories as we'll as for public,
PURPOSES is the model bath house of the
Berlin Eoedsty for Peoples Baths. Bath
iDor.oss similar to this model, which are
KNOWN as the Lassar Grove type, have
been built in Munich, Magdeburg, Hano-
ver, Frankfcr. and other German cities.
The usual price cha ged for sho wer baths
in These esta bhEh mants Is 21ac a bath.
The actual GEE of the model, including
fixtures, is $4,760, but the same conven-
ierJces of this type can be furnished at
considerably less expense. The. mtde1
contains ten shower cabins, five cabire
being placed ON each of the corridors,
which are reached from the waiting room
The cabirs, corridors ard waiting noonrs
are on The same floor, which is raised
two steps above the ground level The
boiler room Is fest inches below Line
ground level, and the laundry Is above
Iihe boiler room. The shower csbirE ara
inclosed by wallis of ma.'ble placed upon
brass supports. The floor consists OF a
layer of cement, over which a light hat
tice work lis placed in THE dressing and
bath cabins. The bath consists net only
of an overhead shower, but there are also
three side pipes, whieh are SO placed
that the baJher can spray any pa-lt OF
the body. The bsthcr stands ii dep.'s--
sion I'm the floor. which forms a feot tlEe.
When the showers are openeld this .fls
with water. THAT covers the feet as h.ga