The Washington times., 1901-08-03
A BATHING BEACH REPORT.
Plans Submitted for Providing
Greatly Improved Facilities.
Suggestions for Permanent Struc-
lures to Supplnnt the Temporary
Ones-FittinE Up the Inner Basin
-WashingtOn Behind Other Cities.

-Wnshington Behind Other Cities.
w. Y. Stevens, Superintendent of the
Bathing Beach, yesterday submitted to
the Commissioners his report for the fiscal
year ended June 30 1901. He states that
the bathing season is a definitely fixed pc
riod limited by the warm weather of
each summer. Last season, he says, 1t
extended from May 80 to September 10,
1900, and this season opened about June
l. Therefore the fiscal year covers two
and one-half months of last years sea-
son and about one month of the present
season. Mr.. Stevens discusses the present
condition of the buildings and facilities
for bathing and shows that they should
be much improved. He refers to the
granting OF the inner basin by Congress
and presents a strong plea for its i'm
provement and use as the bathing beach
To this end a detailed estimate is sub
mitted of the cost of running the beach
for the next fiscal year. MIR. Stevens asks
that appropriation be made for fitting
up the inner basin according to the plans
submitted.
With reference to the present structures
Mr.. Stevens says:
They are all OF Il very light. temporary
kind, and they are now old to be al
most beyond repair. The office has one
small window and that is the only glass
on the premises. Tie swinging shutters
are ragged and warped SO that it is with
great difficulty that two persons can shut
any one of them, and there are so many
wide cracks in all sides of the Office that
the employees who gather there in a driv-
ing storm have to huddle together at the
spot where the least rain drives in.
Il hoe -,
report, since the inner basin was granted
| by Congress for bathing beach. and the
premises were then old and dilapidated.
From year to year they have been patched
up at the least possible expense to meet
| the public necessity, while waiting for
| the new premises.
The first set of locks, put on ten years
ago, were cheap things. They were easily
| picked with a crooked wire or nail and
there was much thieving. The next set
were spring latches but the doors were
often shut, fastening the keys inside the
rooms. Then they were usually opened by
| prying with hand axe, SO that now there
are very few solid stanchions to which
to lock the doors. Then the present locks
were applied as well as they could be on
+, the doors. already fun of holes and splits
in the lock region. On busy days it is
necessary to require four boys or two men
| together to take one house 3x5 feet. Nat
urally. this is cause of much dissatis-
faction, and many are thus turned away.
one boy would come out first and, If so
disposed, take anything he could find in
the clothing Of the others and go away.
Even "A good suit of clothes has been
taken and old things left that the loser
would not put on, so he stayed in the
! water until we could send to his home for
another suit of clothes. Then began
requiring all the occupants of a room to
come out together before we let them
have the key. But some wanted to stay
in only one hour. while others would stay
in all the afternoon, so the time of the
| manager is constantly demanded to set
tie quarrels and say who shall come out
and who may stay in.
Washington has never furnished
tenth of the money expended by other
cities of equal population for bathing IA
ciiities. and yet the great mass of inhab-
itants are employed by the Government
and must remain in the city all summer
There is no other free public bathing beach
in the world that has to accommodate
both free bathers and those who hire suits
while and black 7aristocrat and gafnin,
at the same time, in one establishment,
and yet the Washington Bathing Beach
has continued to do so and to grow in
popularity for ten years with inadequate
funds. The theory that has produced this
result is very simple. To ensure pro-
priety bathing is done in the open and the
public is the censor. Order could not be
gether in bathing. so that they are kept
far apart. Ladies with their families
patroniZe the beach at all hours. They
are welcome and they shall set our stand
ard of propriety. II the street gamin or
the lowdy comes to the beach he must
forget himself and he gentleman while
! he stays or his stay will be short.
in the process of reclaiming the flats
of the Potomac Rtrer Congress is con-
structing a great national park which is
to be devoted to public recreation. In
harmony With this plan the small tidal
reservoir. with eighteen acres of ground
around IL in this park, has been given to
the city of Washington for use free
public bathing beach. II lies against Sew
enteenth Street near Street northwest.
only one square from the White Lot. 1t
is entirely surrounded by high shade
trees and could not have been better
adapted for bsthing beach if made on
purpose. a million dollars could not fur
nish such LAKE TO Boston. New York.
J ire Though They've do spend millions for
less desirable bathing places. Yet Wash