The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-02-26
Mr.. Sutro's Enterprises.
From the Boston Transcript.

DChS5 ~ -
ifornia correspondent
Fame and fortune came to Sutro through |
the Comstock tunnel, which bears his
name, an enterprise which he conceived
and carried out in the face of opposition
that would have discouraged and crushed
another man. The tunnel was begun in
1864 and completed in 1878, and then
Sutro was millionaire By judicious in
vestments his wealth steadily increased.
He is of luxurious tastes, and has gathered
about him treasures of art to enrich his
home, Sutro Heights, and made it beauti-
full with rare vegetation. 1t is his design
to give it to the city some day. He has
library of great value, also to be given to
the city. He despised capitalists who
seemed to him to combine against the peo-
pie, and this has been the keynote Of his
great popularity The baths adjacent to
Sutro Heights are undoubtedly the finest
and most spacious in the modern world;
and 81, 900, 900 hotel has been added to
the property. 1t is his lavish expenditure
on great enterprises and his opposition to
the Southern Pacific that have made Sutro
the object of the people admiration. He
is widower and has two children.
1t has been source of much delight to
Mr.. Sutro to entertain strangers in Cali
fornia. When large parties of invited
guests have driven out through Golden
Gate Park, they have seen him as they
approached his house, riding down on
blooded horse attended by a groom, to
greet the visitors; and when they have in
spected his grounds, the curiosities and
works of art which he has collected. and
particularly the great baths, he has taken
keen pleasure in setting before them, per
haps in tent on the lawn. feast tlt tor
a king. with wines Of the rarest vintage
and every other luxury to tempt even an
epicure. And all done, too, i'll Il modest
manner. When one is told that the blue
Pacific dashes on the cliffs just in the rear,
and on the rocks where the seal comes year
| after year. and creeps up on fine beach
70 the south of the estate, while roses and
other flowers are seen all about-when one
mixtures an open-air luncheon III mld-wln-
fer with such delightful surroundings, he
NAV imagine what a pleasant experience 1t
is; and it is Just such an experience that
Mr.. Sutro has been happy to offer so
iourners from the East, and one by which
he will be kindly remembered by many
Brief mention of the great baths has
been made, but they deserve Il fuller de
scription. They exceed the famous Ro-
man baths of antiquity in size as we'll rs
equipment. The largest Of the Roman
baths had about 200 feet Of frontage, to
use the modern commercial terms of desig
nation. Two Of these great bathing places
might be dropped within the Sutro baths
and still leave room enough for men to
walk about.
Sutro has been 50 Skilliul an engineer
that he has enjoyed solving problems IN
construction or breaking through difficulties
in mechanics az he has enjoyed imvi9nrating
exercise. He designed the building over
the bath. devised the plan for water supply.
invented and patented the apparatus for
heatin. the water The Sutr" tunnels.
second series. are part OF his scheme OF
construction.
With the ocean at his feet. the breakers
dashing against the rocks. MIR. Sutro
deemed that nature had so well provided
power to send the water to the bathing
tanks that artificial means would be I'M
necessary. Therefore he blasted out Il
basin in the solid rock Over the edge of
this basin comes the water of the huge
rollers. Instead of riding the crest OF the
wave. Mr. Sutro traps the crest OF the
wave and uses it for his own purpose.
From the basin the water flows through
tunnels and canals, passes gates until 1t
reaches the reservoir. where it is warmed
by the Sutro patent process, and then 1t
flows into the great tanks in the huge
glass and steel building.
On the road to the tanks through the
canals and the tunnels the water has to
pay toll of sand. OF course, it would not
do to have the waves carry their load Of
sand into the baths, so Il settling place Is
provided. BY automatic arrangement. also
the device of Mr. Sutro. the sand is washed
back into the ocean. while the water,
cleared. goes on its course through tunnels
and canals to the tanks.
Sometimes the tide is very low. and
sometimes the ocean. even at the cliff. Is
quiet There might be times when the
water could not dash over the rock wall
into the basin. Artitce is employed to
take the place of nature when nature is in
quiet mood. An emergency pipe pokes
its black proboscis under the waves, and
pump can draw through it 5000 gallons d
minute, whenever the 5000 gallons are
wanted in minute.
Having made enough tunnels to admit
the water, sandless and tepid, to the tanks.
Mr.. Sutro had to provide for sending the
water to sea again, that the ocean might
not be drained. Dropping out the water
at the place at which it was taken in would
not be satisfactory. Mr.. Sutro did not
want the baths to be receiving the same
water over and over again, That plan
would be too easy. In it there We're no
obstacles to be overcome. He laid an
outlet pipe through tunnels probably sew
eral hundred feet long, and through this
! the water flows from the tanks and returns
to the sea several hundred feet from the
place whence it was taken.
The water that comes in through the
tunnels must fill six tanks The largest of
these, the main swimming tank, is 275 feet
long, and at the place of greatest breadth
is $50 feet wide. The other tanks are
smaller. Some are used for women and
children, some for beginners-each one has
its particular use One tank is filled with
cold salt water for swimmers who want Il
shock Then there is little tank filled
with fresh water supplied from the Sutro
Water Works on the bluff above. And
the dressing rooms, everyone provided with
fresh water shower and an electric light.
and the clubrooms for the companies of
bathers-they are counted by hundreds
and built tier upOn tier. until the VISITORS