BATHING PARADES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2635, 4 December 1915, Page 6

BATHING PARADES

HOT SHOWEKS AT TRENIHAM

THE HUMORIST AT THE TAP

Every soldier in. Trentham Camp lias three baths a wee];. On Wednesday and Saturday aftornoons tho wliole, of tile men in camp march in companies down to the Hutt River, and have a swim or splash about in the water. Thoy wear their towels round their necks, liko scarves, when they march to and from the water, and kottledrunis, side-drums, or bagpipes play them along. On these occasions the men aro 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, aro .due for 'bathing parade at'the hot-water bathhouse. ' .

The building consists of three parts. In the centre is a .twoHstoried portion, with a ladder leading to the loft, where six large water-tanks are. As wings on either side of the central part aro two bath-houses, with a. concrete channel down- the centre of each, into which 50 showers, arranged in double rows, discharge -their • downpours. ■

Cetting the Baths Ready. When bathing parade, is held, members of tho Engineers Corps are on duty •whero tho taps and boilers are situated. Cold water flows into the six large ■tanks in the loft, from the camp reservoir up in the hills. Tnto four of tho tfinks steam from tho boiler situated behind tlio 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 'ead 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 bat-brooms and the loft. Thermometers set at an angle, with their; bases inside tho tanks and the remainder outside, show plainly the temperature of tho water. When the tanks are filled, word is sent to the en-fiiiiG-maii to send the steam : through. Tiie- hot vapour surges through the big pipe, and is turned into one tank first. 'Inside tho tank a gurgling and boiling is heard, arid " tho mercury in. t.lio thermometer • soon begins to rise until the water is hot enough. Laughter and Singing. A general idea, of a bathing parado is as under. While the water was being heated the first 100 of the 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 must move in and out of the shower baths in batches of 50 j the individual showers have no taps, excepting half-a-dozen of them at one end ot the row, which are provided for the use of officers. There is usually a little hot water remaining aiter the men have finished, and this keeps warm till morning. So a few officers who desire it may occasionally m a 17arm shower*in the morning The fifty men made noise enough, lliose who were undressed urged their slower comrades to hurry up. "Jimmy's shying at his- weeklv again, one mail said. "See that ho gets it good and hot this time, Tommy » ™ ?T m^ pro - mis< ; d 110 wou]d see to it. liio N.C.O. :n charge began to hurry the men who were slow, though the whole business of undressing had not taken long The men in tho loft heard the order for the men to step under ® rS j', 1 * ns hman was singinoliillarney, and a- chorus had begun the chant, Hero we are again." Suddenly the whistle of the speaking, tube w°S ned \ 1 It Y as signal for hot water. Almost simultaneously tho inundorl J ° ther bat h"houso sounded. Both taps wore turned—they are like ste,-im valves and worked by m,1 m + wlw el-, There was a moment of quietness while the water travelled from the tanks to the showers. 'Then as it bar ® sh ™lders and i? exclamations, yells, and whistlmg arose.. ' "Hoc!'; called one man, "that'll t-ako (it you, Billy." Looki you're getting red all over" retorted his friend; "like a lobster!" ' A Cold-Water jest. straitii Chonl3 was going stiongiy. Ihe mejl werQ , st sandboys under.the warm flow of P wate/ Tlipco g! "i g6 i ll^ 6 ta «k was 'moving' hJt wa?er ad Th fi ad t <W§f not water, ine taps turned, and tho ed°Z ? T Sed ". Then tl)e voices chang! TW ono of ex postulation. 10010 hot water. "Roth ivhstles screamed. cajoled. 0 U3 JUSt a more " a voice

Can't be done," replied ona nf +>,« operators, through the sizzle of the steam as it heated more tanks of water for the squads that were to follow er f r6 .you ready for the cold?" he added. Stand by, here she comes!" He spun the cold water tap with a will, and the fifty voices tooE on another and a sadder note, which was followed, however, by the sound of clean, nealthy soldiers singing as they stepped from under the showers and. rubbed 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 baton.

Ihe other operator of taps and gauo-es was a grim kind of humorist. When the request for- more hot water was made ho answered cheerily, "Eight oil, 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.' tlio 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 50 took their places under the hot showers. 1 . So, squad after squad, the two'companies, 600 men in all, underwent ba'thing parade. The stars were out and the :street lamps were burning in the camp when the last lot were finished. But there was hot water for .ill,- the steam from the big boiler being directed first into ono and then into another of the four big tanks, under the skilful handling of the men at the taps and gauges. The sallies of the men wore a continuous fusillade of . wit and sarcasm, and the humorist in the loft worked his chilly jest with' the cold water with considerable success from time to time.