But the Schencks wanted more than just the world's largest
pool. The brothers hired William F. Mangels, a well-known inventor who five
years earlier had patented the system that gave carousel horses their galloping
movement, and they directed him to design and install a wave-making machine for
their novel swimming pool. This is how the wave machine worked.
The 1 2 million gallons of saltwater needed for the pool
were siphoned from the Hudson River at high tide by enormous pumps. Before
entering the pool, the water flowed through six large filters to clear it of
any contaminants.
On June 8, 1913, the large pool officially opened at
Palisades Park. Billed as being able to accommodate ten thousand swimmers, the
pool was constructed entirely of concrete. Its depth ranged from a few inches
to fourteen feet; at the deepest end, diving boards built from hickory timbers
lined the sides. Bathhouses were divided equally among the sexes and provided
accommodations for more than two thousand bathers. The Park even offered free
swim instructions to all patrons.
Every night at eleven o'clock the entire pool was drained, a
process that took an average of five hours to complete. Six barrels of lime
were used to thoroughly clean the bottom and all the walls. The pool was then
refilled in plenty of time for the early morning bathers.
