Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-24
DISTRICT BATHING BEACH
Report BY Superintendent Stevens of Last
Years Operations.
Estfmate Made for an Appropriation
provements-S0me Suggestions.

MT F. ~ stevens, superintendent OF the
bathing beach, mas submitted to the Com
missioners a statement of the operations
OF the beach. Including in detail the re-
ceipts and expenditures for the season Of
1897
In the course Of his report Mr.. Stevens
recites the fact that by act of Congress
a grant was made to the District of the
lake known as the small tidal reservoir
to be used as free bathing beach. An ap-
preparation of $4,000 was made for improve
ments and $1,000 for care and repairs for
the fiscal year ending June 30 1897.
Recitins the fact that a survey made in
November. 1856. showed that thirty thou
sand yards of filling would be required to
grade the bottom for safety and that as
sufficient money was not available. IL was
decided to make the most economical use
possible of the amount in hand. he says:
Inc Secretary of War approved the
plans submitted. and assigned an area Of
about eighteen acres for the beach, sur
rounding and includir the lake with the
eastern border along 11tn street extended.
on the flats.
The improvements.
I'm May natatorium was built in front
of the old beach, comprising three floors,
about twenty-five feet square, suspended at
depths Of thee and four feet. respectively,
under water, by means of floats, and sur
rounded by fences. forming safe pools for
learners. They are at the same depth at
all tides, and that is what we desire 10
make the whole lake. Their only defect is
the extreme slipperiness of the bottom.
from the Shiny moss that grows on wood
constantly submerged. This does not oc-
cur on bottom of sand.
I'm June a great many fine trees that
had been blown down on the margin of the
lake were cleared away. the banks graded
as well as could be zone with the earth at
hand. a half mile Of carriage road built
partly around the lake. weeds and under
brush cleared away to open the view, a
building spot leyeled and over hundred
cedar pests set as a foundation for dressing
houses and offices. We also succeeded in
obtaining many thousand yards of good
earth free from excavations of cellars. and
have thus partially leveled the side along
18th street, very much improving its condi-
ton, over the common dumping grounG
that it was. More earth can yet he dis
posed t. advantage in the same region.
Work Of Grading.
Bidders to the number of four were
found offering to fill in l5.00 yards of
sand to grade the bottom of the lake, and
the contract was awarded to johnson
Helen at IS cents cubic yard, delivered in
such quantities and at such localities as
the Superintendent should indicate.
The Commissioners, for good reason.
the superintendent says. revoked the con-
tract when it was about one-thrd complet-
ed, ard there remains a large portion of the
$4,000 unexpended. To carry forward this
work, he thinks $lO.000 should be appro-
priated by the coming Congress. to be
made available March I, 1888. Twice that
sum. he says. could be economically de-
voted to the purpose.
Nearly one hundred lives were saved
during the past season. Mr.. Stevens says,
"by aiding persons who could not have got
out of the water alone. and some of them
We're brought up from the bottom by our
life guards diving for them. There was
one drowning. colored boy who was en-
ticed to jump into deep water far away
from our life guards. If the present sys-
tenn is continued another year life guard
should be assigned TO the colored side.
Over Fifty Thousand Patrons.
THE patrons this season numbered over
$4,000, being nearly double that of any
previous year, and there were over ], 100
entries in one day. The employees were
kept at work from eleven to twelve hours
every day in the week, and yet there was
much complaint that the beach was not
open either early or late enough to accom-
MEDIATE people who are employed in the
day time. There should be two sets of
hands,
I'm the first four years of the beach the
superintendent was over $500 cash out of
pocket, besides his labor. The next two
years averaged even. Year before last he
made SIS; last year about sla5. and this
year he has cleared $452.32 from all sources
connected with his money transactions
with the beach"
The superintendent expresses the hope
that Congress will appropriate enough
money TO equip the beach TO accom-
Ilodate, without charge, all bathers who
furnish their own suits.