The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
AMERICA is UNWASHED
EVERY CITY THROUGHOUT EUROPE
HAS ITS PUBLIC BATHS.
Only Two of Ours Are So Equipped
Iin-CuriOus Foreign Devices.
Letter in Boston Transcript.
Are Americans less clearly than Euro

The Labor Department has been probing
this problem indirectly, with some startling
results 1t has just completed a special in
vestigation in all cities of the world where
people who cannot afford bathtubs at home
may go to public institutions and battle
themselves for nothing or for a few PEN
MES Perusal of data collected by an agent
Of the department who has travelled abroad
astride the public bath as his special hobby
justifies the fear that, although we smart
Yankees can set the old world many a
good example our European cousins. never
theless, can give us some practical pointers
anent public cleanliness. Perhaps we are
too busy to keep clean!
Public baths accessible to the poorer
classes and open the year round are found
completed only in two of our hundreds Of
progressive cities and towns-Buffalo, N Y,
and Brookline, Mass. It should be added
however, that New York, Chicago and Bos-
ton have appropriated for such public es-
adjustments within the past two years. In
some scattering cities-as Washington, for
instance, public baths are open in summer
only. But our poorer classes should be as
clean in winter as In summer. Up-to-date
municipal housekeepers are agreed that
free public baths are GROWING need in all
tenement house and other overcrowded city
districts. Authentic statistics from eight
cen flourishng American cities which rep
resent a cross section of the country at
Ia rye tell the disgraceful tale that only
fire-sixths of their citizens have facilities
for washing themselves other than afforded
by pail and sponge or the flowing streams
planted by nature.
Although public baths are relics of glori-
Gus classical times, when men found time
to cleanse their bodies as well as improve
their intelects, the general introduction of
the modern public bath in Europe-where
it is now found in every progressive city of
any size-is said to be due to John Bull,
who in spite Of his faults and narrowness,
has always believed in keeping clean. Pub
lie baths have been the thing in Great Brit
ain since more than century ago, when
they were first introduced in Liverpool. In
that city to-day men and women of all
classes can take a sea-water bath in any
season OF the year. In winter the water Is
pumped out of the sea, warmed and col
lected in monstrous tanks, where it may be
enjoyed by anyone who has cents in our
sheltered pools is the good record of the
mother city of the institution which we
most need Three of these establishments
have attached to them public laundries,
called 'washhouses," where inmates may
have their clothes as we'll as their hides
made Immediately clean for few cents.
One large free public bath establishment in
Liverpool is for the exclusive use of boys
under fifteen. Sixteen thousand youngsters
sometimes battle here in week. By most
of the baths of this cleanly city special
rates are offered to public school children.
swimming clubs and other associations. In
some establishments schoolboys can enjoy
a warm swim in winter for cent
GLASGOW'S RECORD.
T,,b1io harnS boua hao, asta hIichad IN, fuya
hundred cities of England and Wales and in
many of Ireland and Scotland. There are
said to be more club lighthouses in Glas-
cow than any city in the world. In Man
chester there has lately been established
tremendous public bath establishment
which cost 100000 It contains two large
pools one first and the other second class,
after the aristocratic notion of the Brit
Usher. These are patroniZed by men and
women separately. The building contains
a gymnasium, lecture hall, retiring room,
waiting rooms and cafe. The typical pub
lie bath of the British is a monumental
structure containing swimming pools and
additional private rooms equipped With
tubs. AS a rule, public laundries are at
tached. England and Wales have spent
more than seven millions of dollars on such
establishments in the past dozen years.
The most elaborate institution of the kind
in Great Britain is believed to be the
Roman road bath, a parochial establish
ment erected in East London at cost of
100000. The immense pools are lined on
the sides with white tiles and on the bot
toms with white glazed brick. The second
class pool is surrounded by galleries from
which the bathing may be viewed by spec
tators.
The floating bath attracts the foreign eye
in Paris. Many of these are conducted Gn
the Seine) by private parties. They consist
liz Of ffncr fT~on ri "a c
for dressing purposes and surrounding
perforated tank through which the river
water can freely circulate: NO matter how
for from shore the bather ventures, he
never gets into deep water Swimming
POOLS or ''piscenes''-as they are called by
the natives-are of more modern adoption
i'm the French capital. They are erected at
public expense in many parts of the city.
To go farther east, Vienna within the past
ten years has established ten new public
lighthouses, and is increasing the supply
until each ward of the city shall have been
sufficiently equipped with such means OF
keeping all Of the common people clean.
These consist simply of shower baths, hot
and cold.
GERMAN ECONOMY.
Germans have more economical and more
practical ideas concerning public baths
than other European cities. Their typical
establishments OF the kind as now built are
simple one-story buildings provided with
rain baths" as they are called. German
sanitarians consider shower baths to be
more clearly than tub or pool baths. Cases
of disease in Berlin have been traced to the
swallowing of water during recreation in
swimming pools. 1t is now urged that bath
ers must thoroughly wash themselves be-
fore entering such pools and that self
cleansing expectoration troughs be placed
along the sides to be used by those who
wish to emit the water from their mouths
after diving. Before entering the typical
German showerbath. the bather soaps him.
self thoroughly in closed cabin. He then
enters the showerbath and by pulling down
a chain brings down upon his head show
er first of warm and afterward of cold
water. The physiological effect Of the
shower bath is believed to be less weaken
ing than that of the plunge. Furthermore,
the cleansing is absolutely thorough, since
all the dust and dirt with which the water
becomes saturated is constantly carried
away and the water continually refreshed.
In the case of the tubbath, which Amer
leans commonly indulge in, one finally
bathes in dirty water, especially the work
ingman, who generally leaves all of the ac-
cretions of an entire week in the tub. The
showerbath is preferred by the Germans
also because it requires very little warm
water for one bath and enables many peo-
pie TO battle quickly one after another.
board of German judges who lately award
ed a priZe for the most perfect pattern for
a showerbath ruled that the spray should
be directed against the bather obnquely and
rot vertically since they believed that
water rushing straight down might cause
a rush of blood TO the head in some weak
persons A model Showerbath exhibited in
Berlin year ago employs sprays from all
eidps above and below, both hot and cold.
so as not to miss any of the surface area
of the bather's body. 1t generally costs 2l2
cents to indulge in one of these German