The Washington herald., 1913-08-10
WOMEN ENJOY
BATHING BEACH
Cold Plunge Is Becoming
More Popular Among
Far SEX.
NEW MARINE STYLE
Fish Tail" Skirt Rivals lh Sister,
"Slash," sf he Street, but
with Good. Rsasss.
NEW MARINE STYLE

These are the days when the Munici-
pal Bathing Beach comes into its own.
It's popularity is on the now and every
day 1t is the mecca for larger crowds.
And let IT not be supposed that the
beach is merely the gathering place for
gangs OF barefoot boys" No such
thing. 1t is coming to be the rendes-
vous for many of the fashionable
concrete walks and gentle springboards
even the 'slit skirt OF fame has made
its appearance. The beach is not to be
outdone in the matter Of the latest
styles by any Of the summer resorts
In the land.
Woman Bathcrs Increase.
The increase in the number Of women
taking advantage Of the bathing pools
the figures of the books OF DR.. william
B. Hudson. superintendent Of the beach.
and Is a matter for great gratification
10 DIR. Hudson, who has in the last six
years seen the feminine attendance In
crease from a mere handful to large
crowds.
THE idea Of allowing women thai -privi-
leges Of the pools was put into effect
In 1906 said Dr. Hudson yesterday.
sitting in his once In the rear Of the
building where the shrill screams OF
scores Of small boys came in subdued
murmur.
During the next two years water
sports became more popular with woni-
en-, and at the end Of 1909 the books
showed that IS women had attended.
The following year the number was $50:
In 1911 there were 1857; in 1915, 27sl, and
SO far the figures have run over ao0e.
Up to date there are ASS on my books,
but this does not include the many wom-
en- not registered"
But about this up-to-date silt skirt"
bathing suit spoken Of In the first OF
this story
A male audience during women's hours
is frowned on by the guards at the
beach. and. therefore. the male who has
not a wife given to water sports must
remain in ignorance.
fish Tail skirt.
For the benefit of such be II said that
the skirt-which among the initiated Is
known az the fish tail'' skirt-is merely
a skirt made Of strips of cloth that hang
from the waist. falling around the figure
when the wearer Is out Of the water.
and having the appearance OF the ordi-
nary bathing skirt worn by women. but
in the water the strips separate and
allow the freedom Of motion necessary
to swimming
And, unliek the slit skirt Of F Street
and Pennsylvania Avenue. that worn at
the bathing beach does not depend for
its popularity on masculine approval
The hours for women are between
a. m. and 10 on the mornings Of Monday.
Wednesday and Friday. and between 2
and o'clock on Wednesday afternoons.
The morning Is the most favored
with the fashionable attendance. On
those days the roads along the bathing
beach Is lined with automobiles and
the pools are filled with feminines that
range from the age OF five to sixty
one. One OF the regular swimmers at
the beach is sixty-one years old. She
learned to swim there last summer.
and is counted a good swimmer.
Queen Of the Beach.
The reigning queen Of the beach,
and one OF the most expert swimmers
in the feminine ranks. Is Annabelle
Hudson. She is as brown as a berry,
stronger and more expert than many
Of the boys Of her age that come to the
pools, and swims two strokes-the
breast stroke and the overhand-and
now is learning the crawl stroke. She
first took to the water during her third
year. and has been swimming ever
since.
In spite of the protests from the
women patrons against the rule pro-
hibiting women from taking men es-
corts into the pools. 1t appears from
the records that the women Of Wash
ington' prefer to do their swimming
without the aid of men.
Between June 10 and 30. before the
rule excluding made escorts was put
in force, 1.1S7 women went In the pools.
and during the same period Of the
month just passed the number was
raised to 2.25o. :.