The times., 1899-10-24

The second report of the superintendent
Of the bathing beach was given out yes
terday. This report is in the nature Of a
correction Of the one which was presented
to the Commissioners at the end OF the
bathing season. and contains the estimates
of the superintendent of the expenses OF
the beach for the fiscal year ending June
60. 1901 The statements contained in the
! document as received at the District Bald
ing yesterday are as follows:
! The total number of bathers for the
! season Of 1899 was 54,910. The largest
days attendance was 1,1SO, which was on
July %. The total receipts were $6S2.SS.
One drowning occurred, Louis Herzog, a
! boy eleven years old, who lived at All E
Street northeast, who was discovered on
the morning of July p. Tne records shoH
that ffty-three lives were saved.
Since the new key system was estab-
lished one theft of % cents has been re-
ported, but the circumstances leave a
doubt. Pilfering from dressing rooms has
always been a source of very great annoy
ance. but when this key system can be
perfected it is thought that will be i'm
possible. There have been five arrests
made The amount OF fines imposed in
these cases by the Police Court is $50.
Repairs Needed.
The doors of many of the dressing
houses have been pried and broken open
and patched until there is nothing whole
in the room fronts strong enough to hold
q lock- Considerable carpenteTing viii BE-
required on them next year.
The open cracks in all the board walks
and in most of the floors are a source Of
great annoyance. The lumber Of the walks
is old scrap, attached in many places to
rotten supports. and these walks are likely
to be found after every winter in the con-
dition that your committee termed dan
gerous to life and limb in their first re-
port.
The south wharf has been wholly built
three times, and three times it has been
destroyed by thesiee tides, and storms Of
winter. For TWO years past no attempt
has been made TO maintain a wharf for the
coored bathers. The north wharf has also
been built on its present site three times.
Being in a less exposed position, some OF
its timbers have stood to rebuild upon, and
il may stand another winters wrecking.
With the present key system, one fnan-
Cial clerk at 81, one key clerk at 80 cents,
and one watchman at IS cents a day can
easily handle more patrons than all the
houses can accommodate. laundress at
75 cents and a helper for her, in the busiest
season, at 80 cents a day are required.
Three life guards have been on duty on
the white side at $15O each per day, and
one guard on the colored side at 81 per
day.
"A key boy has been employed on the
colored side some of the time, but the
/ patronage Of the colored people is so very
limited and irregular that | think the
guard and the key boy for that side have
time to keep the beach raked and the
grounds clean. The condition Of the bot
tom is not good where wading may be done
at low tide. 1 think that 200 yards Of
sand should be so distributed as to level
the holes.
Nine hundred and fifty dollars covers the
pay for the above named employees for 100
days. $50 for sand and $3.50 for placing
the sand and making repairs, which makes
a sum total OF 81 500, which seems TO me
all that is needed TO run the beach for the
coming season.
Suggestions for Safety.
Many years study of the pleasures and
dangers of bathing, and careful analysis
Of the conditions attendant upon the
! drownings that have occurred at the beach,
/ lead me to the conclusion that safety de-
mands:
! First-There must be no element Of uncer-
/ taiuty 10 the depth Of the water.
/ Second-The place for beginners should be deep
/ enough 10 swim in. but not overhead anywhere
/ Thrd-The surface water OF the Potomac River
I is often unit ior bathing when below it may be
! clear and healthy.
! Fourth-Wharves, spring boards, and some
gy1nnastic appliances coHduce very largely to the
enjoyment and healthy development Of the beach
! patrons.
Fifth-Bathing in open water with friends and
tasE grFTHIf fn yf4i
. and insures pToDnety while giving mutual en-
joyment 70 the bathers and spectators.
That Afty-three lives have been i'm
periled at the beach this past season, many
more last year. and over a hundred the
] year before would seem to be argument
sufficient TO demand a safer bathing place
! Immediately
The inner basin offers every facility
I for an ideal swimming lake. more Commo-
dious. more beautiful, and better in every
respect than can be had by any other large
city. and the full cost to Washington
/ would be only a small percentage of the
value Of the land so centrally located in
any large city. I estimate the cost OF
completing it with commodious Offices, 400
new dressing rooms, Il shore wharves, 400
/ feet of wharves around the diving pool as
per plans submitted, to be $4,000 with
| sand and lumber at present prices, and
| ! offer 10 do il for that.
The Improvements Suggested.
The advantages 10 be gained by the
| change are: With a dam and gates, the
| tides may be controlled to keep the water
at one level in bathing hours. A larg,
diving pool with spring boards, trapezes
] and other gymnastic appliances will ac-
commodate the athletes, while there vii
/