The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-29
PUBLIC BATHS OPEN
FOR SUMMER SEASON
Threat of Rain Keeps Public
Away, but Small Boys
Chance a Swim.

The FORMAL opening of the st. Paul
public baths for the season of 1904
| TOOK place yesterday. A hundred boys
went bathing who We're willing to
oraVe the low temperature of the wa
ter and the wind. A few score of boys
and girls patronized the outdoor gym
naslums. The somewhat reasonable
weather, however, and the threatened
| rain Kept the public away from a re-
sort that will be crowded on the first
| hot day.
We opened today only as a precau-
t1on' explained DR.. Justus Ohage, city
| heaIth commissioner, the father" of
the baths. I'VE wanted to take care
! Of the small boys that have already
begun TO tathe here. Now that we've
regularly Started, the guards are at
! their posts and the few boys here can
go in safely
The principal improvement at EIar-
rlet Island this year is the boulevard
! ing Of the approach from the Wabasha
street bridge. In place of ash heaps
and refuse, the approach now shows
Ieveled surface within which broad
roadway, encircling the site. for fu-
ture fountain, traYerses what will soon
be attractive turf. The ground has
been seeded and the grass is already
springing up. The terrace from the
river shore up to the bridge approach
was sodded last year and is now green.
Within a few weeks only the railway
tracks will remain to show how little
the former approach resembled the
new park
This Transformation is the more
agreeable in view of the fact that it
J was effected at the cost of few hun
| dred dollars, contributed by Dr. OhagC,
without expense to the park board
Dredse Boat Hard at Work.
Another Improvement of nearly equal
value is in progress on the lower end
or Harriet island Here Capt. Fielder,
of the government dredge boat Geyser,
has agreed to deposit on Harriet island
all the sand that he will pump from the
river bed while he is enlarging the
channel of the river along the east
bank, opposite the island. About 30,-
600 cubic yards of sand will thus be
deposited upon the end of Harriet isl
and SO as to bring it's extreme lower
point within 100 feet Of Raspberry ISL
and. The work is already in progress
and Will consume two months
A long pipe has been laid across
barges from Harriet island to the
dredge boat Geyser, near the east bank
VI IuG IlN6T 1DEOuSn Cn1S pipe
stream Of sand and water is discharged
upon the island. The mechanical wa
terfall and the bed of wet sand afford
delight to boys, who, wading about
barelegged before the outlet of the
pipe, find that the stream of sand and
water surpasses in cleansing power a
bath with Soap and towels.
The sand will be covered this fall
with "dumpingsa and fertilizers, so
that grass may be planted early next
spring.
When the additional land ID all
made" Harriet island viii possess
about year hence, the finest baseball
Twin Cities The araa Of the new
field will be 700 by 370 feet 1t viii
be, perhaps; as large again as the
present DOWN town ball park at
Twelfth and Robert Streets
Ball Club Wants the Park.
So well is the future value Of the
new field understood that the ST. Paul
Baseball club is said to have offered
DR., Ohage $1,000 towards the cost of
the improvement and $4,000 a year for
the use of the field four days out of
each week, not including Sunday. On
the other days the field will be open
without charge to contests in base
ball or in any sort of field sports.
Open to the river on three sides, cool,
isolated, yet in the heart of the city,
this additional attraction upon Harriet
island will be worth not less than
$50000. Yet it will not interfere in the
least with any of the various forms of
recreation afforded by this ideal home
for the peoples outdoor amusements.
The lighthouses, the outdoor gym
nasiums for boys and for girls, the
picnic grounds, the "zoo" the luncheon
pavilion and the refreshment stand
were all ready for business yesterday.
Additional apparatus has been in
stalled in the girls gymnasium by Carl
Rothfuss, gymnasium director. Three
new bicycle merry rounds" much
liked by the children. are almost COM
pleted. A giants stride" will soon be
ready. This is a modification of the
May pole; a fringe Of ropes revolve,
like hanging spoles, from wheel at
the top of the pole, and the girls, run
ming around the circle, cling to short
ladders attached to the lower ends of
climbing poles, which also swing, the
adjustable ladders, and the elevated
"teeter-totter," were enjoyed yeSter-
day by several score girls with the
same zest displayed last year for
those media of pleasurable exertion.
Boys Brave the Cold.
A few boys in bathing trunks defied
the cold I'VE have only 100 boys in
the water today" said Prof. G. J.
Hermann, superintendent of the pub
lie baths. IF the day had been warm,
we should have had several thousand.
But the water at 81 degrees is not over
comfortable and the cool breezes are
worse than the water"
Bronze paint has restored to its origi-
nal beauty the large fountain secured
by DR.. Ohage last year from the
grounds Of the dismantled residence of
the late Horace Thompson on Lafay
cite avenue. This fountain now at
tracts admiration at its new site near
the boys gymnasium.
The various animals of the zoo ap-
peared yesterday in excellent health.
This list of fauna includes bears, pra-
irie wolves, coyotes, badgers, coons, |
gophers, white rats, guinea pigs, eagles, |
owls, etc.
Next Wednesday, June 1, the day
nursery at the island will be opened. !