Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-30
a Municipal Floating Bath.
TWoShinrton Post

Washington is to have it's first float
ing bath this coming summer Here
tofore the public bathing beach has
filled the public want, but now that the
bathing beach is no more, it was the
special effort Of Commissioner West be-
fore the house committee on the district
to have provision made for q public
bath where the populace at large could
enjoy the pleasures of a swim IN the
summer months. AS the district bill
passed the house 1t carried an appropri-
alton for $4,000, which will be used by
the commissioners for the purpose of
giving the city a substitute for the old
bathing beach In modified form of the
Boston style of public bath.
Commissioner West, who has immed-
tate supervision over the bathing beach,
is confident that the $4,000 which will
be appropriated will be sufficient to
construct the bath after the Boston
style and that 1t will be a wonderful
success and an incentive for the cree
ton of other baths at future dates. The
attendance at the bathing beach last
year was 42,145, about 5000 less than
the previous season. Mr.. West believes
that with the floating bath at least tri-
pie that number will visit it.
In New York the public baths are inn
mense floating tanks fastened to the
docks by guys and prevented from
humping by means OF floats. These
tanks are supported by pontoons tightly
caulked. They are towed in to shelter
at the end of the season and beached
by withdrawing the pontoon plugs AT
the beginning of each bathing season.
the pontoons are repaired and caalked
under contract. The baths, except the
dressing boxes, are not covered. Inc
bath houses all face the tank and con-
sequently are under the eyes of the at
tendants and swimmers. Each bath
has an. average OF sixty three dressing
rooms AT the end OF each season the
baths are thoroughly repaired, painted
and cleaned.
Boston has twenty bathing places
open for three months during the sum-
mer and one bath house open all the
year. 1t has two summer swimming
pools in it's parks, which are popular.
The water there is emptied every night
and the pool cleaned. But Bostons
and the pool cleaned. But Boston's
of the type.
AS one crosses the bridge known as
the Harvard bridge, going from Boston
to Cambridge, he will see near the mid
die of the river close beside the bridge,
a building floating on the water, look
ing much like misplaced roof garden.
Steps lead to this float from the bridge.
This is one of Boston's new floating
baths and is the model of the one that
is to be built here this summer, with
the exception that there the dressing
rooms are located upon the float. The
Washington bath will simply have
high railing and seats around the plat
form at the edge of the artificial pool.
The Boston baths are rooted but
omen at the sides, the roof being some
twenty eight feet from the platform
and supported by strong timbers. The
tank proper is approximately five feet
deep. and its floor rests upon a pontoon,
while the sides are latticed, allowing
free flow of the river thru 1t, thus in
surfing fresh water every moment. The
whole affair is built upon stout ship
mass. The entire building, with the
landing, is perhaps eighty eight feet in
length. Eight feet is allowed for the
landing and the next twenty feet for
two roomy dressing rooms for men and
for boys, as we'll as the passage way
leading to the tank. The float is possi-
hly thirty-two feet wide. The tank
proper is about fifty feet long and twen-
ty-three feet wide, with steps down In
ia the water at either end. The floor
Of the tank, like it's sides, allows free
percolation of the water, as the boards
composing the floor are fastened an
inch apart. Often iron air-tight and
water tight cylinders are used under
the water beneath the platforms for
making the entire structure more bouy-
ant. These have been wonderfully sue
cessful.