The times., 1897-05-30
BATHING BEACH OPENED
Considerable Improvements Made
for the Public's Benefit.
Supt. stevens Thinks Congress Ought
to Appropriate $4,000 for
the Inner Basin.

The free bathing beach made its an
nual debut among the summer attractions
of the city yesterday nori\lg, and the
sTnall boy is happy once more. Owing to
the comparative coolness of the weather
ana the uncertainty as to the date of the
opening of the beach, however, the said
small boy was not numeroUsly in evidence
there yesterday morning, and the opening
OF the establishment passed into history
without exciting Incidents.
The beach has been considerably i'm
proved for the season, about $500 having
been expended for the purpose. There are
five flopts, three for white and two for
colored bathers. Attached to these flcats
are three baskets, or safety swimming
pools, Intended for the use of learners
These baskets are 80 feet long by "a feet
wide, and have depths, respectively, of 8,
3 1-2 and 4 feet. There are 200 bath
houses on the beach, twenty-five being set
apart for ladies.
An innovation this season consists N
checking patrons by cards On these
cards are recorded the name, age, resi-
dence, date of use of beach, and the niinl-
her OF the batii-house used by the patron.
The beach viii be open daily. Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays are to he set
apart rs ladies' days. Until July /, wnen
the appropriation will he available, all
persons over sixteen years OF age Will be
charged 3 cents for the use of the
beach, and 25 cents for the use Of
bathing suit and towel. For the use If a
bathing suit and towel children viii be
charged cents. After July l, the beach
Will he free to all.
Mr. Philip Tindall, the weliknown ama
teur athlete, has been appointed life
saver at the beach. The corps in at
tendance at the beach this season is as
follows: Superintendent, w. Y. Stevens:
clerk, Miss Nellie Egbert; officers, de
tailed froul the regular police force, John
Seares, from the First preci net and
Samuel NJ. Brown, from the Ninth pre-
cinct, life-saver. Philip Tindall.
The beach wasinauguratedi in SSS, when
forty boys subscribed 81 apiece, and pre-
pared the site for their exclusive use. In
September, 1891, Congress passed an act
creating the establishment as a municipal
bathing beach, and appropriated a nominal
arnount for support About $4,000 will be
available on July / ), but in the opinion of
the superintendent, 5000 are needed To
place the beach in proper shape.
Iti the intention Of the management to
remove the beach Co the bend in the inner
basin Of the river, a few yards north of its
present site, and To make the beach one of
the most magnificent in the worl,l. The
removal will be effecte / as soon as Congress
makes the necessary appropriation, prob
ably within the next year
Superintendent Stevens is of the opinion
that Congress should not hesitate to
appropriate at least 900 for the cs-
tablishment OF a beach in the inner
basin. in view Of the fact that the Gov
ernment will eventually have to con-
struct a wall along that portion of the
flats or entirely fill up the inner basin
To construct a wall wo Id cost about
$40, 900, and to fill up the basin ahout
$50, 900
Neither work would have to be done in
proposed beach, and he therefore argues
that it would be q matter of economy
to make an appropriation for the beach.
Mr.. Stevens also calls attention to the
fact that in New York the annual budget
for bathing beaches and similar institu-
tions is about S29. 900, as against a total
available fund of $4,000 for the bathing
beach in this city.