New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
TO OPEN NEW BATHS.
NEAR THE MY YARD
viii Be Most Costly ard Elaborct,
Yet Buit IN Brooklyn.

| Down In the Cd 18th Ward the navy ya-i 9.s-
trct the latest and finest Of the interior public
| baths of Brooklyn Is to be opened this week u
! comes opportunity. Just at time when the
Dock-st river bath is about 10 be closed. IN
inspection os this new public building shows
what the city is doing for the physical snd
moral weIbeing of its poor peoplc-Inoral we'll
| being. because philanthropic workers Geclare
that cleanliness has no inconsider1ble effect fo-
| good upon that class whose home is in crowded.
tenernents or the streets
At the same time this bath is a striking
ample Of the way in which public contracts AZ
dragged out. This building which is such
might have been completed in siz months, If it
had been contracted for ny q private corporation
or individual who insisted prompt work.
should have been completed more than year
ago In spite Of the efforts Of Superintendent
Wise. of the Department OF Pubic Buildings. tho
work has proceeded at a snail-Hkc pace. In his
annual report for the year 1901 he said.
The building should HAYS been completed On
July last When it will be completed. unless
heroic measures ere instituted. is j problem that
the Sphynx might die guessing"
The building is constructed Of marble and
limestone. and is of classical design. being By
far the finest building srchitecturally. il tee 9th
Ward The architect was Axel s. Hedman
There are separate entrances for men and We
men. The name of the bath is placed in large
copper letters on a polished marble tablet in the
centre Of the FACADE.
The interior Of the building is divided through
the centre one side being devoted 10 men and
the other to women. the Office Of the keeper
being between them in front. The trimming IS
entirely in white marble and oal,. The decora-
tons are all in a dazzling white. giving the i'm
preston of absolute cleanliness. on the main
floor there are twenty-six shower baths and
two tubs on each side of the building. The tubs
are large porcelain lined affairs. as good as are
to be found in modern apartment houses The
showers are free but modest sum of FIVE cents
is asked for the of the tub.
over the rows of shower baths are large sky
lights. which furnish abundant light and ex-
cellent ventilation. The stalls inolosing each
bath are Of white marble and the interior Il
finished in Virginia soapstone. The floors are
laid with light coored terazzo. Each bath in
cludes a dressing apartment. with a seat and
hooks and a mixing or shower room The
shower fixtures are of the most approved pat
tern. having anti-scading attachments. so that
the water cannot be admitted through the
showers above certain temperature, which
may be regulated to suit below that mark The
pa irons of the baths will be encouraged 10 bring
their own towels and soap. but If they desire.
these things viii be supplied them at the rate OF
one cent tor a piece of soap and one cent for
bathers will take that amount OF time, half an
hour will be allowed for each bath.
Upstairs there are thirty-seven showers and
one Tub which will be devoted 10 youths and
boys This room is also lighted by huge sky
light. The tops of the stalls are almost entireiy
covered with wired glass. space oeing leIJ SUI
fcient to allow the escape of the steam. The
drainage system is of the latest design and Is
of such nature that it will be almost impos-
sible to clog up the pipes. The building is
lighted throughout with electricity, gas also
being installed for use in emergencies
=ba1 by hiGh e.
" water tube boilers in the basement From
these the steam is distributed through wrought
iron pines to the various fixtures required for
heating and ventiiating the building, for provld-
ing warm water for the baths running the
pumps and various other services me water
for the ba tbs is heated IN large horizontal leeu
water heaters which are connected with the
steam pipes from the boilers. The steam con-
nectionS to these heaters are provided WITH au-
tomato thermcstatic valves. so arranged that
when the water in the tanks is heated 70 a
rronar tenoDarature for bathing purposes the
steam will be automatically closed
To prevent the possibility OF the water tenn
perature rising to the scalding point a second
therrnostat valve is provided in the hot water
supply pipes. These thermostats are set lew
degrees higher than those in the tank, but below
the scalding point. and in case the thermostats
in the tanks fail TO work properly the rise II
temperature will automatically operate the sec
ond tkermostat valve and close the main steam
supply.
ing room and each individual bath stall. The
fresh air, which is filtered through cheese cloth
drawn in under the door and the old air is drawn
out through the registers near the top OF the
shower rooms The exhaust fans are located IN
separate compartments on the roof
The large waiting rooms, one on each side OF
the front of the building, are light and pleasant
and are furnished with large. cOmfCrtd ole Cak
benches. A force of competent attendants, both
women and men, is being selected
The Duffield-st. bath cost $4,000 The Others
ana their cost are: HicKS-st- near Desraw-st,
So. 600; Pitkin-ave.. near WatkinS-st-, SSS.VCo'
MontroSe-ave. near UniOn-St.. $1,000; Huron
st. near Manhattan ave. S1O4OCO- The Hcks-St-
and Pitkin-ave. baths. which were the only ones
open during the entire period of 1904. were pat
ronized by 1858 and S30.5I3 bathers respect
lively site for sixth public interior bath has
been purchased at 4th-ave and President-st.
and plans for the building now being made
have also been made for two
more baths in Brooklyn.