New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-24
INCREASE IN BATHS IN TEN YEARS

~. po4so-,a new pllbIc bathhouse given to the
Association for Improving the CohuluOh U 10
Poor by Mrs. A. a Andersen Is nearing cOllp47
tio7 and will be opened with appropriate cere-
r-orfas rrobaEIy on January l. This batdhouse
has heeu erected at cost Of Sl4OVJV ana $ prOOa
bv not exceled in completeness Of appointment y
any similar building Finished IN marble through
Out. # supplies accommodations for three lhou-
sand bathers daily The ceilings are very h-sh
and the ventilation IS admirable
BEFORE deciding On the location OF this oathnouse
at No s27 East Thirty-eighth-st. near secondary
the Association for Improving the Condluon OF lhe
Poor made canvass OF this neighporhood II
4o,.75 that between Twenty-third and Ffueth SITS.
east Of second-ave there were eleven thousand
families or fifty thousand individuals. living in
houses which contained no bathrooms Whatever
The completion Of this bath recalls some inter
esttng facts in connection with the long fight this
ozgootatfou has vaged for public baths in New
York It erected the first public bath IN the city
ten years ago. at Centre Market In the last ten
wears on dve-cent fee. for which towels and soap
were supplied. there has been deficit OF only
s7c oa1 This argues an average deficit OF $1,000
wear but as a matter Of fact while the first year .
deacit was $3.50. that OF last year was only 800
The difference in the two sums shows the growth
IN the habit OF bathing IN that neighborhood
There are some patrons Of the bath who have been
coming there steadily for the last ten years
The object Of the association is not only to sup
ply public baths. but to snow how cheaply such
batt. can he after the initial expense With
SO sAght a uelicIl any SUN ON14 1N"S e AA1-
pected TO become self-supporting in time with a
hve-eent fee. In fact. for two years during the
ten the bath earned few hundred dollars more
rban IFS EXPENSES. Children accompanying their
mothers are always allowed to battle free.
1t was largely due TO the efforts Of the society
that the first and as yet the only. free bath pro-
visad BY the city OF New-YUrk erected. in
F{ivugt0n-st. This bath had over seven hundred
4 ouesnd bathers last year During the present
administration the association had a special com
ulittee at work which submitted plans for public
baths Tor New-Tork, and asked for appropriations
for cirty new baths. The administration adopted
its plans. and made appropriations for eight new
baths On three Of these the city IS at work
one in One-hundred- and-ninth-st-, near Second
ave: in Forty-firSt-st., near Ninth-ave-, and
one ct Nos. 153 and 135 Allen-st Sites for five
others have been selected, follows: In Seventy
sfxth-st. near John Jay Park: In SiXty-seventh-
ST. west OF ArnsteTdaIl-a in East Eleventh-st.
near Tompkins Square, and at the foot OF East
en ty-third-st The latter will be the largest and
drest Of all. costing $500.
During the recent campaign both parties made a
feature or increased bathing accommodations IN
the4r platforms and public addresses and the
cation viii continue its efforts for lighthouses
during the coming administration.