BATHING PARADES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144856, 7 December 1915, Page 8

BATHING PARADES.

HOT SHOWERS AT TRENTHAM. THE HUMORIST AT THE TAR. Every soldier in Trentham Camp }ias three baths a week (says the Dominion). On Wednesday and Saturday afternoons the whole of the men in camp march in companies down to the Hutt River, hnd have a swim or splash about in the water. They wear their towels round their necks, like scarves, when they march to and from the water, and kettle-drums, side-drums, </“ bagpipes play them along. On these occasions ‘The men are allowed to wash their clothes as well as have a dip. The third bath of the week is the hot shower. After six o’clock each evening at least one company, and usually two companies of 300 men each, are due for bathing parade at the hotwater bathhouse. The building consists of three parts. In the centre is a two-storied portion, with a ladder leading to the loft, where six large water-tanks are. As wings on either side of the central part are two bath-houses, with a concrete channel down the centre of each, into which 50 showers, arranged in double rows, discharge their downpours. GETTING THE BATHS READY. When bathing parade is held, members of the Engineers Corps are on duty where the taps and boilers-aro situated. Cold water dows into the six largo tanks in the loft from the camp reservoir up in the hills. Into four of the tanks steam from the boiler situated behind the bath-house is carried by means of insulated pipes and an injector, the temperature being raised to about 100 degrees. Pipes from the cold water tanks also lead down to the showers, and it is the practice, after the men have had a hot shower, to give them a cold one, so that they will not catch cold afterwards. There are speaking tubes between the bath-rooms and the loft. Thermometers sot at an angle, with their bases inside the tanks and the remainder outside, show plainly the temperature of the water. When the tanks are filled, word is sent to the engine-man to send the steam through. Tho hot vapour surges through the big pipe, and is turned into one tank first. Inside the tank a gurgling and boiling is heard, and tho mercury in the thermometer soon begins to rise until tho water is hot enough. LAUGHTER AND SINGING. A general idea, of a bathing parade is as under. While tho water was being heated the first 100 of tho men have been undressing in the dressing rooms. They are singing and joking, for bathing parade is rather a joyous business. The only injunction is that the men 1 must move in and out of thg. shower baths in hatches of 50; the individual showers hove no taps, excepting half-a-dozen of them at one end of the row, which are provided for the use of officers. There is usually a little hot water remaining after'the men have finished, and this keeps warm till morning. So a fow officers who dosiro it may occasionally have a warm shower in the morning. The fifty men made noise enough. Those who were undressed urged' their slower comrades to hurry up. “Jimmy’s shying at his weekly again,” one man said. “See that ho gets it good and hot this time, Tommy.” Tommy promised he would see to it. The N.C.O. in charge began to hurry tho men who were slow, though tho whole hpsiuess of undressing had not taken long. Tho men in the loft heard tho order for the men to step under the showers. An Irishman was singing “Killarney.” and a chorus had begun the chant, ‘‘Hero we are again.” Suddenly the whistle of tho speaking tube screamed. It was tho signal for hot water. Almost simultaneously the whistle from tho other bath-house sounded. Both taps wore 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 the showers. Then as it hissed down noon bare shoulders and tousled heads exclamations, yolls, and whistling arose. “Hool” called one man, “that’ll take the hide off you, Billy.” “Look, you’re getting red all over,” retorted his friend; “like a lobster 1” A COLD WATER JEST. The happy chorus was still going strongly. The men were as happy as , .iiidboys under the warm flow of water. But .the gauge in the tank was movijjg. These squads had had their share of hot water. The taps turned, and tho showers ceased. Then the voices changed their tones to one 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 the sizzle ol the steam as it heated more tanks of water for the squads that were to follow. “Are you ready for tho cold?” he added. “Stand by, here she comes!” He spun the cold water tap with , a will, and the fifty voices took on another and a sadder note, which was followed, however, by the sound of clean, healthy soldiers singing as they stepped from under the showers and nibbed themselves down with their towels. The man at the wheel shut off the water and turned his attention to the tanks that would be needed for the next batch.

Tbo other operator of taps and gauges was a grim kind of humorist. When the request for more ho't water was made he answered cheerily : “Right oh, boys! Just this once I’ll do it. Stand by.” Instead of giving them more hot water he turned on a deluge of cold. The uproar which followed suggested that the 50 men were being murdered. Through the din, could be distinguished dire threats upon the life of the perpetrator of the joke; but the victims of his practical joking saw the fun, as healthy men usually do, and were soon rubbing themselves down, while another SO tooS- their places under the hot showers. So, squad after squad, the two companies, 600 men in all, underwent bathing parade. The stars were out and the street lamps were burning in the camp wh» the last lot were finished. But there was hot water for all, the steam from the big boiler being directed first into one and then into another of the four big tanks, under the skilful handling of the. men- at the.,

taps and gauges. Tho sallies of the men were a continuous fusillade of wit and sarcasm, and the humorist in the loft worked his chilly jest with tho cold water with considerable success from time to time.