BATHING PARADE

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15453, 4 December 1915, Page 9

BATHING PARADE

SOLDIERS' BATHS AT TRENTHAM. (SPECIALLY WRITTEN* FOR '-'THE FBKSS.") (Br Will Lawsox.) The day had been hot and long on the dusty parade ground. But the evening "assembly'' and the "dismiss" had come at last; arms had been thrown aside, and pipes lighted; then had como the evening meal and the loafing which always followed. Yet, for three companies, tho day's parades were not yet over; at a quarter-past: six they were to attend a bathing parade at tho new hot-water shower bathhouse. Tho building consists of three parts. In tho centro is a two-storied portion with a ladder leading to the loft, where six large water tanks are. As wings on cither side of the central part, are two bath-houses, with a concrete channel down the centre of each, into which CO showers, arranged m double rows, discharge their downpours heading into this place: on both rfides are doors from corridor-like dressingrooms. When bathing parade is held — it is rarely held at Trentham at an earlier hour than G p.m.—members of the Engineer Corps are on duty iu tho loft, where the tans are situated. Behind the bathhouse building is tho engine-house, where a large steam, boiler is. Cold water flows into the six large tanks in the loft, from the cam D reservoir up in tho hills. Into four of the tanks steam from the boilor is carried by means, of insulated pipes and an injector, and the scalding steam soon raises the temperature to about 100 degrees. Pipes from the cold-water tanks also lead down to the showers, and it is tho practice, after the men have had a hot shower, to givo them a cold one. so that they will not catch cold afterwards. Thero are speaking tubes between the bathrooms and the loft.

While the mon of the companies due for bathing parade were having their tea, the fireman was raising steam in the big boiler. Up in the loft two men were seeing that the tanks were filled to tho correct level —a weight and float moving to a graduated scale indicated how much water was in each. In tho four hot-water tanks were thermometers set at an angle, with their bases inside tho tanks, aird the remainder outside, plainly to bo seen. The tanks were filled, and word was sent to tho engineman to send tho steam through. The hot vapour surged through the big pipe and was turned into ono tank first. Inside the tank a gurgling and boiling were heard ; the mercurv in tho thermometer began to rise. It reached a hundred degrees, and was still creeping up. up, when some taps were turned and tho steam hissed into another tank, leaving the first one to maintain its heat for soma time by virtue of the thick insulation it had all round it.

All this time, the first hundred of tha men had been stripping in the dressingrooms. Above the noise of the steam, tho sounds of them rose into the loft. They were singing and joking, for bathing parade is rather go-as-you-please, except for the fact that tho men must move in and out of the shower baths in batches of fifty; the individual showcia havo 110 taps* except for half a dozen of them at. one end of the row, which, are provided for the uso of officers. There is usually a little hot water remaining after "tho men liavo finished, and this will keep warm till morning; so a few officers Who desire it, inay occasionally have a warm shower in tho morning. Tho lil'ty men make noise enough. Those who wero stripped urged their slower comrades to hurry uo. "Jimmy's shying at £is weekly again," ono man said: "see that he gets it good and hob this time. Tommy."

Tommy promised ho would see to it. Tho N.C.O. in charge began to hurry the men, who were slow, though the whole business of undressing had not taken long. The men in the loft heard the order for the men to step under the. showers; an- Irishman was singing "Killarney.' and a chorus had begun to chant "Hero We are Again." Suddenly tb© whistle of the speaking tube ( screamed. It was the signal for hot water. Almost simultaneously tho whistle from tho other bathhouse sounded. Both taps were turned; they are like steam valves, and worked by a small wheel. There was a moment of quietness while the water travelled from the tanks to tho showers. Then as it hissed down upon hard shoulders and tousled heads, exclamations, yfells, and whistling arose. "Hoo!" called one man. "That'll take the hide off you, Billy." "Look, you're getting red all over,'* retorted his friend, "like a lobster." The liappy chorus was still going strongly. Tho men were as happy as sandboys under the warm flow of water. But the gauge in the tank was moving. These squads had had their share of hot water. The taps turned-, and the showers ceased. Then the voices changed their tones to ono of expostulation. They wanted more hot water. Both whistles screamed. "Give us just a drop more," a voice cajoled. ' "Can't be done," replied one of the operators through tho sizzle of the steam as it Jientcd more tanks of water for the squads that were to follow, "Arc you ready for the cold?'' he added. "Stand by; here she comes!" He spun the cold water tar> with a will, and the fifty voices took on another and a saddpr note, which was followed, however, by the sound of clean, healthy soldiers singing as they stepped from under the showers anil rubbed themselves down with their towels. Thy man at the wheel shut off tho water and turned his attention to the tanks that would be needed for the next batch. The other operator of taps and was a grim kind of humorist. W hen the request for jnore hot water wn= made he answered cheerily: '•Right, oh! bovs; just this once, I'll doit. Standby!" Instead of giving them more hot water, he turned on a deluge of cold. The uproar which followed suggested ■fhnt half of the 50 were being murdered. Through the din could be distinguished dire threats upon the lifo of the perpetrator of the joke. But the victims of his nractical joking saw the fun, as healthy men usually do, and were soon rubbing themselves down, while another n0 tcAk their places under the hot showers. So, sauad after souad. the three eomnanies. 90f) m<"i in all. underwent ba+hjng narnde. The stars were out, and the street lamps were burring in the cam') when the last lot wero finished. But. there was hot water for all. the steam from tho Ivoi'er being direeted first or.o and then into another of the f«ur bi" tpnks, under the skilful the humorist and his mate. The sn"'es of the men were a continuous fit*i!l*»de of w>t and and the humorist worked his chil'v jest with the cold water with considerable success from time to time.