The times., 1898-11-15
BATHING BEACH DANGERS
Report Submitted by the
Special Committee
MANY REPAIRS ARE NEEDED
Annual Statement of the District Re-
CIay-New City and Suburban Rail-
road Makes Deposit for COnstruc-
tion Permit-Other District News.

The special committee consisting of DIR.
William Tindall, secretary to the Board
of Commissioners; Snowden Ashford,
James Keemle, and Charles A Mc6in-
ney, which was appointed on April 10
last. to confer with the superintendent
of the Bathing Beach. made its report
to the District Commissioners yesterday.
The committee found the beach greatly
in need of repairs and Improvements. In
enumerating the repairs which have been
made, the committee reports, in part, as
follows:
"a coating of several inches of coarse
sand was placed on the beach almost its
entire length and for a width of sixty
feet. The beach was also extended and
cleaned up. A system of checks on the
receipts at the beach for rents was also
adopted, which rendered it desirous to re-
arrange the entrance stiles and to erect
a small suit house, adjacent to the Office
building.
THE existing bath house accommoda-
tions during the buster portions of the
bathing season were found to be too lin
tied to meet the demands An additional
double row of twenty-four bath houses
was erected. covered observation
stand was built for the accommodation
| and protection of visitors from the wealth.
err"
The report then enumerates the duties
of the officers and emploles of
the beach. as follows: One superin-
tendent, at $500 per annum; one assistant
superintendent, who also performed the
duties of life guard; one life guard at
s2 per day; two life guards. at 81 each
per day: two key boys. at 70 cents each
per day: one laundress. at 10 cents per
day; one suit clerk, and a check clerk.
The report shows that there is an IN
necessary source of danger in the bath
ing facilities at the bathing plant as now
arranged. II says:
The plant consists essentially of large
basket formed structures suspended in
the water by means of large box floats
There are three of these baskets. Two
of them, one of a depth of three feet, the
| other of four feet, are stationed at the
northerly end of the beach, and one,
| three and a half feet deep. at the south
| erly end. The object in having them was
| to furnish bathing enclosures of unvary-
4 ing depth, as they rise and fall with the
| floats to which they are attached. and
| consequently have the same relative posi-
! ton to the surface of the water in the
! basin, at all stages of the tide. AS mere
bath tubs they are excellent, and If they
were housed in or fenced, so that those
| who use them could only get In and out
! of them through one well guarded way
would be theoretically perfect. so far as
I safety is concerned, but as they are only
,.Iz.1.
( surmounted and penetrated, it is not diff
ficult for those within to get out of them
| into the surrounding deep water. This
i often occurred, and was frequent source
| OF solicitude to the life guards.
Again, when the tide is low, these bas-
| kets may be reached from the shore by
most persons without getting beyond
their depth. Many beginners who have
thus waded out to them at low tide or
/ at stages of tide requiring only few
strokes of swimming. attempt the same
feat when the tide is higher and the
swimming distance much greater, and
ind their strength and skill insufficient
for the task. Fortunately all of those
thus endangered fell under the obserya-
ton of the vigilant life guards, and were
promptly rescued. One of the most seri.
Gus risks from these appliances is the
\ possibility of bathers getting under the
exceedingly difficult to extricate them A
few such accidents have occurred, but the
persons thus placed in jeopardy have
either escaped through their own effort.
or the timely action of the guards
ANY structure at a public bathing
place located in or having any frontage
on deep water. and which can be readily
reached from the shore by non-swimmers
is source of danger. The guards can,
not know whether all who come on tbs
floats can swim, and some who canno
swim would not hesitate to deceive ol
evade the guards in order to crafty thei
desire to go there. Many very narrow
escapes of such persons have occurred
The ideal public bathing facilities fol
the locality of the present beach shoult
consist of a well-sanded bottom. regu
larly sloping outward to a depth of abou
six feet of water at mean low tide, ol
nine feet at high tide, at an angle ap
preaching one foot perpendicular to four
teen feet horizontal. The risks at sucl
a beach would be at the minimum. L
would be impossible for a non-swimme
or a beginner to suddenly get into deel
water; while it would be a very cas-,
matter to rescue anyone struggling OF
the surface, or quickly and readily re
| cover anyone who might sink