Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18

boxes and floating platforms The entIre
plant is worth s1,0O0.OOO. and is a paradise
for vast thronss from the congested tene-
ments OF the North End Every country
in Europe is said to be represented among
the 800 FATHERS who frequent this oeGcn
on one 81 these midsummer days. Bos.on's
ten bathing beaches are under the new
city department of public baths. Lauanries
operated by the department wash all OF
the towels and suits used by bathers
Large awning tents shelter spectators from
the sun, and the attendants are drilled In
first aid to the injured as we'll as In re-
suscitat ton of the apparently drowned.
Emergency cases containing IMMINENT Tor
Bruises Jamaica ginger for cramp, am
monia fer fainting fits and bandages Tor
wounds are always accessible Lie guards
not only patrol the water but the shore.
and fatalities are practically unknown. In
the vicinity of Boston there are also two
large beach observation-disclosures beach and
Nantasket beach-set apart by act of the
state legislature. Here every provision mas
been made for saltwater bathing. the city
Of Boston bearing half of the expense.
Floating Baths.
Boston was the pioneer in establishing
also municipal floating baths. of which it
now maintains twelve, New York having
fifteen and Brooklyn five. These consist of
a platform placed upon floats. the bathing
pool occupying the center of the platform
The water in which the bath floats enters
the pool through Stats in the bottom. Such
baths are especially suited to small cities
which have available bodies of water free
from pollution. Bostcns twelve baths Of
this type are oblong tanks built Of open
slat-work. and. being foated with empty
casks, rise and fall with the tide. They
are connected to wharves by long runways
with lower ends on Wheels, moving back
ward and forward as the tide serves. To
one of Bostons floating baths for women
many grateful Italian mothers come regu-
larry to wash and dress their infants. An
other has a patronage almost wholly of
Irish laborers, who pause there on their
way home from their work. One Is used
exclusively by negroes and still another by
Jews from the Ghetto.
A million and half of people patronize
Brooklyns five floating baths In summer.
These are substantially built. with sixty
dressing rooms each, and cost about $l5,OoJ
apiece. They are equipped With canvas
belts suspended over the pool from the roof
apparatus designed by regular swim
ming teacher of the board of education.
The borough of Manhattan maintains nj
teen more floating baths of similar design,
and they are great boons to the poor OF the
tenement house districts Women and chill
dren have the exclusive use OF them
three days of each week and free
instructions in swimming Is given by
the teachers of the board or edu-
cation. AS a precaution against disease
bathers must supply their own suits ana
towels. In many cases recently the poard
of health has had to condemn the loea-
tons of these floating baths of Greater New
York on account of the increased amount
of sewage being discharged into both the
North and East rivers. Philadelphia was
compelled to abolish Its floating baths oW-
ing to pollution of the Delaware and IN
1855 was the first city In the country to es-
tablish pool baths of which it now has if-
teen. But these have no shower baths and
are available only in warm weather.
All-the-Year Baths Demanded Now.
Now the all-the-year cleansing bath Is
being demanded by specialists in hygiene,
who point out that public baths should De
available to the poor, especially In winter
when thick clothing and unventilated rooms
| cause the greatest excretion of impurities
upon the skin. Hot water Is essential to
thorough cleansing of the body In summer
as well as winter, and hence the modern
ba tn, constructed primarily for cleanliness
rather than for GOODNESS and sport must
have a heating plant. The bath tub until
recently the only agency Of the not path'
has now been abandoned In up-to-date pup
lie cleansing baths, where the shower-long
in favor in Europe-is being substituted
The only two modern types Of baths lot
the poor are showers either alone or IN
connection with a pool-never pool, now
ever, without the shower-where each bath
er with hot water and soap must thor
oughly cleanse his body before entering
the same water with others. over forty
Of these combination baths are already in
operation in the country. New York and
Brooklyn recently opened elaborate public
bath houses, equipped almost exclusively
with showers.
Shower Bath the Cleanest.
That the shower bath is superior to all
others as a means Of getting next to godli-
! ness is now conceded by the medical fra
ternity. The danger Of communicating DIS
ease is here placed beyond the possibility
even of careless attendants. The cleansing
of the shower is thorough. and its tempcra-
ture may be gradually reduced after the
cleansing, thus preventing danger from the
relaxing effects of the warm tub bath. the
shower bath has the further advantage over
| the tub of economy in space and in cost
OF wear and tear: of avoidance OF filing
| emptying and scrubbing the tub for each
bath, and of saving of 30 per cent OF
water.
The first absolutely free, permanent pub
| lie cleasing bath in the United States was
| the Carter Harrison bath, opened in 1874.
| The building of pressed brick and brown
| stone. Is situated in the midst of a district
| thickly populated by working people, and
| contains q waiting room and laundry, be-
| sides the bath rooms proper, equipped with
| thirty-four showers. Combs, button hooks
| and toilet articles are supplied Ten min
| utes are allowed here for undressing and
4 hot tnD tl,n Tor hoin frrp M M