New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-16
THE UTICA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
corsspoaasree Of The n. Y. Tribune.


UTICA, n. Y, Wednesday, July 10, 1855.
Having in the course of travel a few hours
leisure at this place, friend We met invited us
to visit the State Lunatic Asylum located here.
No urging was necessary TO induce US 70 comply,
for We have several times before visited the
Institution, and have always found it model
one Of its kind. 1t is under the superintendent
Of a very capable and gentlemanly man, DIR. John
P. Grey, who untiringly and enthusiastically
devotes his energies TO the interests OF the
asylum. Thebuildings are very finely situated
on a commanding eminence in the suburbs of the
city The grounds around are tastefully laid
out The farm attached, which is extern
siye, is in very fine state Of cultivation. The
buildings are substantially built of stone and are
massive and imposing Their form is that of a
hollow square and some idea of their ex-
tent may be obtained when We state that the
area enclosed contains about one and a.half acres
of ground. More than five hundred patients can
be comfortably accommodated here some fifteen
hundred could BE-, If they were slowed our super
intendents in Kings County have had to do some
times in the old asylum at / latbush. Ny opinion
is that the asylum at Utica is too large, and that
Of the kind as ought TO be in one institution.
But the matter of which l wish particularly to
speak is the method Of yentilating at this nstitu
ton. II is by far the most thorough any process
have ever seen. In Summer We find cool and de-
lightful current OF air passiDg constantly through
each room. No matter what tire weather Is outside
though there be not breath of air stirring, and all
as still, close and sutry as it is possible for an
August day to be, inside is 10 be found the same
cool changing, liiegiying current And also in the
Winter they have the neyer-failiDg supply of mild
warm air penetrating to every room. There is no
such thing as one room being oppressiyely warm
ard another shiyeriBgly cold, is the case in so
mauy institutions but the openings are so regu-
lated as to admit proper quantity lntOeach room
The great point about the arrangement is the GER
taintu with which the thing operates ust as sure
as you open the register you get stream OF warm
or cold air las the season may be-, as certainly as
you get stream Of gas when you open the stop
cock or a stream OF CrOtOn when you turn the fau-
Get. 1t is bound to come, and this is effected by
the simple contrivance of fan blower, forcing the
air in and through the alr-chamber in the basement
hallway, from which the air is carried in copiOus
streams through air-fues built in the walls to every
room in the building register in each room
gives more perfect control of the admission of air
to the apartment The arrangement for Winter
and summer differs IN this respect, that in Summer
the air is forced through the ar-chamber and into
the rooms in its cold state in Winter il is warmed
in its passage through the same air-chamber by
coming in contact with heated stean-pipes these
pipes remain constantly in the chamber, but in
Summer are in disuse.
The great beauty ofthe plan, must repeat, is its
certainty Of action. Open your register and fresh
air must come. suitable fue takes Off the superb
bundance Of air in each room. 1t is true this plan
is expensive, but it need not be extrayagantly so if
t is begun and carried on with the erection of
the building and the fues and chambers then put
in The steam-engine and boiler all large instltu-
tons most have to do their pumping, washing,
ironing, heating water &c, and what is needed is
to increase their capacity enough to do this extra
work. The time will come when our best public
institutions will be ventilated on this plan yes;
and our large hotels also. Can you imagine the
comfort that would be added to hotels by such an
arrangement Whole blocks Of buildings will be
warmed and ventilated in this way in few years,
and families will turn on their cold and warm air
with as much certainty and ease as they now do
their gas or Croton water. c. F. T.