Evening star., 1909-09-13
PLANS FOR WINTER URGES PUBLIC BATAS
German Societies Preparing PIumbinu Inspector Davis
Entertainment Features Makes Annual Report
VARIED PROGRAM IN VIEW CJTYs HEALTH INVOLVED
Sangerbund Would Make School
Carnival. - cum
IUANVEhEiN LAWN FESTIVAL NEW BATHING BEACH TOO
g. ,,....o. + mav Bbind
at the Iono OF washington other -MoreC
oher 'uhciohs' fences
CITY'S HEALTH INVOLVED
Would Make School Children Learn
to Swim.
A NEW BATHING BEACH, TOO
Says Washington Is Way Behind
Other Cities-More Conven-
ience Stations.


ience Stations.
Compulsory swimming lessons in the
public schools to reduce by at least one
half the death toll of the Districts waters
and to save on the average twelve ives
per year.
Public baths to relieve washington OF
the stigma of being the only city of any
size which cannot give free bath to ITS
citizens.
A large bathing beach in the tidal
basin, affordng adequate facilities lor
adults and children of both sexes.
These are recommended in the annual
report of Henry B. Davis, inspector OF
plumbing, submitted to the Commission
ers today. He also advocates the con-
struction of more public convenience sta
tions, an enlargement of the inspection
force of the plumbing office and the con-
ferring of police authority on assistant in
spectors.
washington is the only city of any
size In the United States says Mr..
Davis, which cannot give municipai
bath to it's citizens or visitors. free
baths have been furnished for hfteen
years all the year around by Chlcago TO
its adult poor. and Boston. Balllmore'
Brooklyn, New York, Albany Syracuse.
Cleveland San Francisco and score OF
smaller cities have followed the lead set
by the more progressive cities
"A plea for public baths has been made
in my annual report for several years
past, and In the estimate of last year
submitted to Congress the Commission
ers inserted an item for building. 1t
is probable it was cut out from the bill
r., 70 ho nf item
the demands of the Playground Associa-
ton. While the vicinity of a playground
might be selected as a site Tor puDHc
bath, the fact should be borne In mind
play building. 1t is primarily establish
ed to promote cleanliness among the
poorer class of adult population. as an
aid to civic improvement and as ne
cesSity to certain classes of our popula-
ton. The child should be made as well
come as the adult, however, In such
building.
No Free Shower Baths.
There is not a place in Washington
where one can get a shower bath for
reasonable price. Clubs of the ex-
elusive type and the Y. NJ. c. A. have
baths for members only. There are Turk
ish baths, charging a dollar a bath or
eight for IS, and at a few barber shops
one can secure tub bath at from 25 to
30 cents each. Three months in the year
the bathing beach is open, where you
must provide your own bathing suit and
towel; but even then the beach Is SO 10
Gated that you must take long and
hot walk from the nearest car line o
reach 1t, and 1T Is several miles from the
congested part OF the city where a pub
lie bathhouse is most needed.
In the present location and condition
the bathing beach or pool is very unsat-
1sfactory and expensive, except to the
adults IN the immediate neighborhood and
the small boys who are willing to walk
almost any distance for a swinl-not
wash-and who can shortly be accom-
modated in the playground pools about
to be built.
1T is not for the citizen in whose home
there is a bath tub, or the member of
the exclusive club, whom the public bath
is intended to reach, but those people
who have no home. or the dweller of
the alley. The former would be glad to
have bath, but cannot afford one at
fancy price, and the latter could be
taught Gin fact, would teach himselD the
benefits Of frequent bathing If the priyi-
lege were only extended to him. It must
be remembered, however, that we cannot
get those persons whom we would try
to teach cleanliness to walk great dis
tances for bath.
1T Is a known fact that some people
are exceedingly careless regarding bath
Ing or keeping themselves clean; this
may be due to lack of bathing facilities
or gross carelessness. If these persons
walking distance, as Well as a shower
bath, with plenty of good hot water and
soap without cost to themselves, the in
vigoration, freedom of expense and the
proximity of the building would teach
them bathing as habit
The benefits of public bathhouse
would certainly be felt in the improve
ment OF the slum and alley conditions
or the city. and | earnestly recommend
that these items in my estimates be
again submitted and that an effort will
be made to have them retained and suit
able appropriation made"
As means of saving lives otherwise
lost by drowning, Plumbing Inspector
Davis recommends the establishment Of
compulsory swimming classes In the
schools and urges the construction of
swimming pools in connection with the
schools, where such instruction could
be given.
Pools for Schools.
There should be one large bath in
white school and one in colored
school, which would be sufficient ac-
commodations for the teaching of the
art of swimming. hold-breaking and
the conservation of strength in water
to every pupil in the fifth or sixth year
in the schools, thus making every grad
ington schools) In a few years proof
against inclusion in the annual harvest
of sad drowning accidents he declared
The ability to swim properly and to
break the holds of non-swimmers should
be made subject for examination as
much as any other of the various stud
les. half-hour week for one-half a
school year is more than sufficient time
TO teach swimming thoroughly
During the year 1908 there were
fOrty-SiX taI
in the District Of Columbia, twenty
four Of the unfortunates being young
persons. While from the data at hand
1t is not possible to determine the vari-
Gus circumstances under which death
occurred, 1t is fair to presume that a
majority Of these young persons either
suddenly got just beyond their depth
while bathing on a supposedly level
bottom, overturned canoe or boat or
We're accidentally crowded into the
water, and it might also be fair to pre-
sumo that many of them were either
attending the Washington schools or
had recently graduated.
Cases are almost common in which
the victim browns within a very few
feet of safety and continued life. but