The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-11

while roses and other flowers are seen all
about-when one pictures an open air
luncheon in mid-winter, with such de-
lightful surroundings, he may imagine
what pleasant experience it is; and IT
is just such an experience that Nr. Sutro
has been happy to offer sojourners 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 fuller &C.
scription. They exceed the famous Ro-
man baths of antiquity in size as we'll as
equipment. The largest of the Roman
baths had about 800 feet of frontage, to
use the modern commercial terms OF de-
| signation. Two of these great bathing
places might be dropped within the Sutfo
baths and still leave room enough for
men to walk about. h
Sutro has been so skillful an engineer
| that he has enjoyed invigoIaIing exercise.
He designed the building over the bath,
devised the plan for water supply. in
vented and patented the apparatus for
| heating the water. The Sutro tunnels,
second series, are part OF his scheme 9oi
construction. ~,
With the ocean at his feet, the breakers
dashing against the rocks, Mr.. Sutro
deemed that nature had SO we'll provided
power to send she water to the bathing
tanks that artificial means would be I'M
necessary. Therefore he blasted out a
| 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 Mir. Sutro taps the crest of the
wave and usss it for his own purpose.
| From the basin the water flows through
| tunnels and canals passes gates until II
reaches the reservoir, where it is warmed
by the Sutro patent process, and then it
| flows into the great tanks IN the huge
glass aud steel building.
On the road to the tanks through the
canals and the tunnels the water has to
nay toll of sand. or course it would not
| do to have the waves carry their load OF
sand into the baths, SO q settling place is
provided. BY automatic arrangement,
also the device Of Mr.. Sutro, the sand
| is washed back into the ocean, wihe the
water cleared, goes on it's course through
tunnels and canals to the tanks.
| Sometimes the tide is very low, and
| sometimes the ocean. even at the cliff, iT
ouiet, There might be times while the
| water could not dash over the rock wall
| into the basin. Artifice is employed to
| take the place Of nature when nature is
| in quiet mood. An emergency pipe
pokes its black proboscis under the waves AYES,
and a pump can draw through it 5000
gallons minute whenever the 5000 gal
| Ions are wanted in minute.
Having made enough tunnels to admit
the water, sandless and tepid, to the
tanks, Mr.. Sutro had to provide for send,
| ing 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 prob
ably several hundred feet long, and
through this the water flows from the
| tanks and returns to the sea several hum
bred 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 tank:
are smaller. Some are used for womer
and children, some for beglnners-eacf
one has it's particular use. One tank il
filled with cold salt water for swimmers
who want O shock. Then there is littlt
tank filed with fresh water supplied
from the Sutro Water Works on the bluff
above, And the dressing rooms, every
one provided with a fresh water shower
and an electric light, and the clubroomt
for the companies of bathers-they are
counted by hundreds and are built tie
upon Tier, unUll UHe FlS1ool Ao aiila16u a
their numbers AS mucn as ne wondered a
the maze of tunnels.
The spectacular effect of the baths wa
prominent in the purpose of Mr.. Sutrc
in planning them. The glazed roof, tina
great span that is more than two acres il
area, , is so high above. the tanks tina
looking up to the vault seems like peer
ing to sixth story. Elevators and grant
staircases give communication ~ endf5a. from on
tier of the building 10 another. Ahou
seats for $500 people in a great amph.
theatre, and there is room for 5000 nor
to stand and to promenade. A place tha
can accommodate 10000 people at on
time must be of some size. At the ocear
end of the tanks there is a great stage
fifty feet broad, on which musicians ar
seated. By the sides of the staircase
there are planted wonderful tropioa
plants, and in great boxes above tb
promenades are growing palms. ri
baths are full of beauty and color