The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-19
HISTORY OF THE BATHS
HEALTH COMMISSIONERS OHAGE
GIVES THE COUNCIL FACTS AND
FIGURES
FINANCIAL STATUS OF WORK
How Strip of Waste Land Has
Been Converted to the Most
Popular Summer Spot
in ST. Paul.

At the meeting Of the board of alder
men last night Health Commissioner
Ohage presented his report to the city
council, telling of the public baths on
Harriet island and their management.
After keeping twenty-six employees on the
pay roll and paying-au other expenses,
the enterprise has earned $15.12, although
everything was conducted as near cost as
possible. The commissioner tells of the
innumerable ways that the baths have
helped the city. The report follows:
To the Honorable the Common Coun-
Gil, City of st. Paul-Gentlemen: 1 have
the honor of submitting for your inspec-
ton and kind consideration this report of
the financial status and the management
of the st. Paul free public baths:
Cleanliness and healthy outdoor exer-
else being absolutely necessary to the
maintenance of good health, I came to
the conclusion that the establishment of
public baths and Fairgrounds, where
they could be in reach of all, came under
the province of the department of health.
With this conception of duty, and encour-
aged by ex-Mayor A R. Kiefer, this de-
partment took the initial steps towards
the accomplishment of this object in the
fall of 1899
After thorough and careful inTestiga-
ton strip of waste land lying in the
Mississippi river, in the midst of our city,
between Wabasha and high bridge. was
found in every respect suitable for this
purpose. This tract of land, known as
Harriet island, was virtually the property
OF no one, but huge sandbar overgrow.1
with brush willows and other trees
After considerable difficulty. those parties
having an interest in the land were To-
| Gated and most of those donated their
rights and titles to the commission of
health, for the purpose of establishing
| public baths. Notably amongst these
were ex-GoV. Ramsey, Mr.. John Earring
ton, Messrs. Bernheimer, of New York,
and others, while the interest others had
| In the property was purchased All back
taxes We're paid, and all right title and
interest in the property was vested by
deed i'll the commissioner of health.
| The water front. on the north side of
the island facing the city, consisting of
| a sandbar, of an even gravely bottom
more than 100 feet in length. and from
| l0O to 200 feet in width, covered by from
| one to five feet of water The water wa 8
many times examined chem. cally and
oacteriologically, and found satisfactory
| in every instance.
| Inc land was of absolutely no CONNER
cial value, except for this purpose, as II
i Is often, in the spring; covered with wa
lster a nd AN for shabitatien. A crew of
men were set to work early In October,
last year, to rid the island from under
| prush and get the ground in shape for
putting up the buildings. In planning and
designing these the engineers department
very cheerfully lent willing help, which
/ this departments hereby gratefully &C
knowledges.y
The object of the health commissioner
4 IS to have this whole work done and
paid for, with the. aid of some of our
public-spirited citizens, so as to make
i this entire establishment gift to the
people without any incumbrance to the
city.
COST OF THE IMPROVEMENT.
The total cost amounted to about $4,000
OF which nearly $1,000 has been paid, leav-
Ing an Indebtedness In the neighborhood
of $1,000 to be paid, which 1 have no doubt
VIII be within very short time
Most of our fellow citizens who are
financially able to assist us as yet have
not been seen. and only lately has the
Commercial club expressed enthusiastic
| Willingness to help In this matter In or
der to show the necessity of such an es-
tapHshment, and the good it has done
I wish to submit the following figures:
During the season, comprising exactly
100 days, beginning on the 9Th of June
| and ending on the 18th Of September
1900, 2o7,172 bathers were registered. OF
| these Il, 6S1 were males and IS 491 females
The number of visitors to the park and
Fairgrounds connected with the baths
exceeded 1000, 600. These numbers would
undoubtedly have been larger but for
| the unfavorable weather and low stage Of
the river during the greater part Of the
| season, and the closing of the Wabasha
street bridge On the warmest DAYS large
numbers had to be turned away, simply
/ for want of adequate FACILITIES to accom-
| modate them.
While the average death rate in the civ
by drowning amounts TO about fifteen
| lives a year, during the entire season
there was not one single accident of any
| moment, nor a single case of drowning
which fact was due to the care and
watchfalness of the attendants Of the
bathers, eight were in danger of drown
| ing by being seized with cramps, but al
were recovered, FIVE by life boats and
three by diving after them. There were
at all times three or four overseers OF
the water one Of whom was always il
lifeboat. All were regularly commits
stoned police officers, and the strictest or
der was always maintained by courteous
firmneSs
The first paragraph of the notice to the
public, which was posted in all the dress
Ing rooms, read as follows: "These baths
and Fairgrounds and everything pertain
ing thereto belong to the citizens of st
Paul-to you. You are part owner Of
them, and therefore interested in theil
success and reputation. Interest your.
self sufficiently in them by your owl
good conduct and your treatment OF
others that they may be a source OF
healthy and joyful recreation for our fell
low citizens, as intended
This seemed: to have created the feel
ing of mutually and the desire to pleas:
one another. At any rate, the spirit pre-
vailed at all times over the entire island
that every sentence laid down In the fore
going paragraph should be carried out t.
its full extent. The department of tn,
visitors and bathers was highly commend.
able, each Striving to make the othe
feel happy and add to his enjoyment Mel
were acting as guardians and instructor
to the boys, and many a little fellow
who never had kind word spoken t,
him, but had been cuffed around an,
abused on the streets, at last found