Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-05-25
SWIMMING POOLS
FOR RECREATION
By John Arson Ford in Pop
uIar Mechanics Maya
zine.

years, toward outdoor recreation and
open air living has been the rapid in
crease in the number of swimming
pools in this country. II was so re-
Gently as 1885 that Philadelphia es-
tablshed what was the first municipal
swimming pool in the United States,
so far as is known. Today the de-
mand for wholesome outdoor recrea-
ton is so widespread that municipal
pools are part of the play facilities
of almost every city; schools are equip
ped with pools; the homes not alone
of the rich but of persons of moder-
ate means have indoor and outdoor
swimming facilities; great corpora
tons are making similar provision for
their employees, and such agencies as
the Young Women's Christian associ-
atoms are spending enormous sums
to make healthful swimming possible
for the young men and women who
belong to these organizations.
Aside from the recreative aspect
there is another incentive for this
movement which has found express
sion in so many different channels.
Estimates based on the census figures
of 1918, and previous years, for a ma
jority of the northern states, indicate
that persons are meeting death by ac-
cidental drowning at the rate of 5000
or 10000 annually. This fact in itself
is sufficient reason for establishing
facilities for supervised swimming in
every city and village in the land.
The cost of constructing swimming
pools-or rather misconception as
to the cost-undoubtedly has prevent
ed many communities from acquiring
proper swimming facilities. AS
matter of fact the cost of many pools
has been very moderate indeed. Oak
dale, CAL, is a town of 1850 which
has a pool that cost 81, 400. 1t is so
situated that water from the pool is
used from time to time to flush the sew
er system. Concrete was used in the
construction. The pool is in the form
of an ellipSe, measuring 40 by go it,,
and has maximum depth of #.
The pool holds 100000 gal. The ex-
pense of maintenance has been made
very slight by placing it in charge of
the fire department. The nearby |
river, which formerly was source
of anxiety to parents because fire.
quented by the boys is now deserted.
The town of Grand Rapids, Wis,
has a very attractive swimming pool
which cost S., 900. The walls are of con-
crete and the bottom is covered with
sand. As "a special precaution against
accidents in the water, large sluice
gates, which can be easily thrown
open, were constructed, by which the
tank can be emptied in two minutes.
But homes, as well as municipal
ties, institutions, public and private,
md amusement parks, are now being
equipped with swimming pools. In
some cases these have cost less than
FOO. Probably the record for cheap
of homemade pool is
held by three brothers, the oldest of
whom is 13 years. These boys did
the excavating themselves for pool
25 by 10 it., and #. deep. On the
fiat ground around the pool, and along
the upper edges of the slanting sides,
boards were fastened to framework
which projected down into the earth
1t the bottom of the pool. The young
workmen purchased % Dbl. OF &C.
nent and with the aid of one man
covered the earthen walls and floor
with a coating of concrete. Their to-
al cash expenditure was only $3.50.
In contrast to these swimming ia
,ilities is the magnificent pool recent
y completed on an estate at Lake
Forest, Ill. AT an expense Of many
Of dollars the reservoir was
quilt on the side of a bluff, some dis
ance below the residence and over
ooking Lake Michigan. A winding
fight of steps leads from the house
Town to the pool. In addition, a
shaft, in which an electric elevator is
was sunk directly beneath
he house TO a depth of so # From
he lower end of the shaft a marble
ined tunnel, $50 fl. long was con-
;tructed TO a splendidly appointed