The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-11
The City Hospital.


some melancholy accident or murder; and yet
how few of the mass of the community know any
more about the place, or the real scenes that are
passing inside of those walls and iron fence than
II It did not exist! They are aware that there il
a dark-looklng cluster OF old buildings standing
back from Broadway, behind the green lawn and
magnificent old ems, and that they are called Z" the
City Hospitals" but few have ever penetrated be.
hind the last gate, where the keeper stands from
morning to night, admitting and refusing to admit,
friends who wish to see sick inmates. A long and
interesting history could be written OF that place
and were the doings in 1t faithfully chronicled,
what horrible picture would be presented to the
public gaze But "dead men tell no tales" and
the medical faculty who rule the roast in that old
shop. proverbiay silent. The story is short Of
those who die there, particularly If they have no
outside friends to look after their remains. When
man Is dead, they bring his body into the dead
house-a little two story building that stands away
down IN the corner, near the gate that leads from
the hospital grounds. Sometimes five or eight, or
even q dozen, lie in a small room IN that dead
house, under the dead-man's charge He packs
them IN rough pine boxes, and then when the cart
comes he slides them in it, and away they ride up
10 another dead-house, somewhere up town, near
the river But we getting on too fast: we
commenced this article with the intention of Civ
ing graphic account of this celebrated institution,
from Its foundation to the present time all OF
which we obtained from musty old books, when
we whiied away pleasant afternoon, few days
since, at the hospital
Somew here about ITO, three of the loving sub.
jects of sid George the Third, named Peter Mid
dleton, John Jones and Samuel Bard, physicians OF
New York. petitoned that old yrant TO allow them
and other spirited citizens to erect public hospital
as these medical gentlemen said they had raised
the tin among themselves and their friends, and
that It should not cost him anything. Old George
was pleased to grant their petition, and gave them
charter. That charter 10 4 funny old document,
and was sent to the Earl OF Dunmore, then Co.
vernon Of this Province. The charter is dated the
| aldermen and assistants, the rector of Trinity
church, the president Of Columbia college, and the
senior ministers of nine other churches Of different
members by virtue OF their Office Twenty-slx 20.
venors were also named, and these elected pre-.
sdent, vice president and treasurer, and secretary
tor year. from among their own number.
concern from citizens OF London as well IS New
York, and the Provincial Legislature granted them
$500, or $1,000 a-year, for twenty years, by way OF
a Mr.. Barclay and a Mr.. Rutgers, five acres of
ground; 1t was all open at that time, and q con-
siderable distance 'out Of town." Il now forms
the block bounded by Broadway in front, Church
i
Anthony street on the North. The building was
commenced in July, 1873, and on the 2Sth Of Feb
ruary, when nearly ready to receive patients, was
burned to the ground. BY this fire, the hospital lost
$l7,500. To have 1t 60 ahead again, the Provin.
cal Legislature gave them 80 600 in order to re-
| pair the loss they had sustained. The same year
they went to work, and had nearly finished what
II now known the main building, when the
American revolution commenced. During the oc.
cupaney OF New York by the British, the building
was used as barracks by British and Hessian sol.
diers After they were cleared out, the institution
was allowed to stand unmole.ted tor some years;
but In Jan. 1871, II commenced business a hospl-
talby receiving eighteen patients In 1900 the Legs-
| lature OF New York commenced making grants to
| the hospital, and legallzed the King George char
ter. In 1906 they passed act which gave to this
institution $l2, 500 per annum until 1857. In 1906
| 4 large building was erected on the south side OF
the ground duane streeD for insane patients; but
ed out Of town to the Bloomlngdale asylum, this
building was repaired and remodelled, and has
since been used as hospital for seamen, and
known az the "Manne Building" An arrange
ment was made by the hospital with the treasury
department of the United States, in 1897 and since
| continued by subsequent arrangements from time
to time with the Secretary OF the Treasury, that all
disabled SICK seamen shall ENJOY its advantages
The collector OF this port pays out othe hospital mo-
ney collected by him, for the maintenance and board
OF all such seamen, stipulated price OF 90 per week
for 100 seamen; and the governors of the hospital
never refused admission to more than this number,
| provided they gave evidence that they had paid
hospital money to any collector fthe United States
Without this provision, many poor Jack tar would
have gone to q premature grave from carelessness
and lmProvidence, instead Of being comfortably
provided for within the walls of the Marine
Building. In lS4l, another large building was
finished on the north side Of the grounds
(Anihony street0 a. fever hospital at an expense
Having now given general history of the
institution, we will proceed to details, and 60
over the grounds and buildings, and take look at
IL ekA Do
the sick, dying, and dead. We pass In from Broad.
way; the outer gate is never closed; go toward
the building, passing up the stone-paved walk; a
WIDE sward is on each side OF us, and old elms
scattered about the outer side OF the grass plot
are large stores facing on Broadway, and extend
ing back on what was formerly the original ground,
some 100 feet These lots were sold by the hospl-
tai, and the funds used for hospital purposes. As
we pass aO2g, we arrive at those Two small lodges
and here we find another iron gate, which is closed
The gentlemanly gatekeeper comes out and asks
our business:
"To see the hospital"
"ThIs is not a visiting day; you must come on
Friday or Tuesday, after 3 O'clock. P. NJ"
"Wait a moment we belong to the press"
.p ress-oh! paper-what paperT'
"Oh that's another matter. take twenty Eve
copies here every day
"Posslble l-why you must be partial to it,"
"I don't take 'em all for myself but the patients
sends the money down, and pays the carrier and
takes the paper"
"very kind Of you. say, may | 60 all over the
place alone %
"Don't you know anybody inside -
"Not soul, that am aware Of"
"Then ask for Mr. Roberts, up them steps In
'front.'"
"Who is Mr.. Roberts, prayp'
"Mr Roberts is a ifst-rate good man he's the
clark, and very fond OF literary ducks"
"The deuce he is!-includug reporters, OF
course? I'll find HIM out thank you"
But we have no idea of going about these inte
resting grave diggngs under charge of any official,
and TO have pointed out to us only what we are
wanted to see and not shown what we want to see.
No, no; we trust to Providence, aud enter iacog.
We are clear OF the gates of the Keeper turn to
left OF the main pile, and find ourselves in paved
road that leads to a large wooden gate opening In
TO uane street and sion there cnrnea M IN To-