Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-20
MUNICIPAL PUBLIC BATHs.
Too Little Attention Has been Given
Them On the Past.


Them On the Past.
From the Scientific American
In the United States too little attention
Is paid to the individual comfort of it's
Citizens Everything is done for their safe
~, but in many little ways we are still far
behird our transatlantic brethren One Of
our greatest municipal defects Is the lack
of public baths. IL is not necessary to dwell
Upon the need for public baths among all
civilized peoples the virtue of water and
soap In conceded. Unfortunately among
tie poorer classes It is not always possible
Tor them to obtain adequate bathing faciIi-
Ties liz the denseIy populated districts IN
which they live. Public baths properly con-
siructed and handled form one OF the most
eHectlve and far-reaching of municipal in
sututions for the promotion of cleanliness,
good health and good citizenship Boston
MASS, is notable exception to The aver
age American city as regards the bathing
facilities which this city furnishes TO her
lhhapitiEts. The experiments OF Boston
are mighty instrllctire TO all cities looking
30 civic development in the direction OF
mihistering to the practical and essential
needs OF community. Public baths in Bos-
Ton cate from 1866. and these were We be-
neve, the first public baths 10 be estab-
lshcd by municipality in this country
Al slrst provision was made for a sNs;etn of
paths distributed at various points on the
lohg shore line rather than for a few CEN
tral establishments according to the. British
plan Five floating baths were CONSTRUCTED
al THAI time. and the general type was a
low wooden building supported on a f,oat-
ing platform. Within each WAS a shallor
tank through which the water flowed FREE
~, air and light being admitted through ~.
Iooi- me usual dressing rooms. etc were
provided. These proved so satisfactory
that row there are ten Of these floating
baths.
In lSs the number Of bathing establish
wa
there were 2.00oOoO bathers. an increase ~
one ana one-quarter millions over the pre-
vious year. New styles of floating baths
nave been devised in which the tank is
ieit open TO the sky and the capacity OF
one of them is 100 to 500 persons per
DAY. In addition TO the floating baths two
swimming pools were established to supply
Inc wants of the population which lives
IN the center of Boston. One of them is
located in the small park contiguous 10 the
tenement district of RoNbury fresh water
helng supplied TO the tanks by the city
water works. $1,000 to $4,000 gallons being
used per day. and from 1900 to 500 pa-
irons daily attend this bath. Men arr al
lowed to battle in the early morning and
evening. the boys in the forenoon and girls
ana women In the afternoon. That a pool
OF TINS Kind Is not necessarily an expen-
sive luxury will be seen when il is said that
1t cost only 5000 to complete it.
The most important of Boston's beach
baths is at the North End Park which
with its pleasure piers and improvements
cost the city Ss50O00. Frequently 5epo
people lathe per day at this point. The
baths which W. have mentioned so far are
of course. restricted to summer use: hut
new public bath house. open all the year
around. will be opened on June II. The
building is most substantial and is thor
oughly fireproof. Separate bath rooms for
men and women ara provided on the second
floor, and ample waiting rooms occupy the
first floor The mems rooms are provided
with thirty iEolosed shower baths and three
Enclosed tubs. while the women have eleven
shower baths and six bathing cabinets.
Each shower cabinet contains a dressing
alcove and seat. All the partitions are OF
marble. and the fittings are of the latest
sanitary type and the bather can regulate
the temperature of the water flowing from
the spray desired The tubs are of heavy
white porcelain, with nickel-plated fittings,
and il is doubtful If there is any more READ
comfort to be obtained in the luxurious
bath rooms of the Back Bay district
In the practical working of the entire
system in Boston fatalities are practically
unknown Swimming instruction is given
to thousands. and remedies are provided for
use in case of cramps other illnesses. In
order to connect the baths more closely
with the city schools the head swimming in
structor visits the public educational in
stitutions before the close of the school
of swimming. The aim in Boston has been
to dignity the practice of bathing and 10
FURNISH an innocent recrca ton and to
cause the people to regard bathing estalp-
nshments as necessary to their Well-beirg
as the water supply. school house. library
or parks The course of Boston in this
matter cannot be commended too warmly
ana The OBJECT lesson is of great value out
SIDE of the immediate advantage to her
citizens