The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-16

THE PROPOSED CITY HosPIrAL-THE Work.
HOUSE TO BE REMoDELLED FOR THAT UnPosE.-
A communication was presented at the recent
meeting of the City Council asking that the
building known Us the Workhouse should be
remodelled and transformed into city hospi-
tai. This work, to be done under the super
vision of the City Engineer, and to be COM
pleted by the 1st OF May, when the lease OF the
Tucker Building-the present Hampstead Hos
pital-wll expire. The cornerstone Of the
Workhouso was laid in 1850, and it was COM
2leted in March, 1852, during the Mayoralty Of
the Hon. I. L. Hutchinson; Mr.. David Lopez
was tho Chairman Of tae Board, Edward c.
Jones the architect, and C. @. Trumbo the
builder. The nature of the building required
that 1t should be constructed in o substantial
manner, AMI the contractors faithfully por-
formed this part of the contract. It presents
an imposing appearance, while the solidity OF
the walls shows at once that it was intended
as stronghold for refractory characters.
Every portion OF the building is massive, from
the thick walls 10 the heavy iron work, which
extends through every portion of the interior.
Few persons are aware that the interior CT
the Workhouse has but one main floor, from
which the various stages are raised. broad
aisle separates these from the walls, and each
stage or flooring consists Of huge wooden
cages, secured with heavy iron gratings. The
corridors, which border these, have strong
iron ratings, and the whole interior Of the
building was arranged to give the utmost pos
sibe security to both the inmates and the
keepers. This iron work was furnished by
MIR. Werner, OF this city, and is artistically
constructed.
To make the necessary transformations, it
will be requisite to remove these stagings,
throwing the wings into two large halls; the
centre abutment being reserved for the officers
of the building. These halls will be high, well
lighted and ventilated, and the mass OF iron
and lumber that would bo removed could be
sold for more than the sum the contemplated
improvements would require. At present
portion of the lower story of the building is
occupied by the city insane, who are kindly
cared for by Mr.. Farley, the steward of the
adjoining hospital. Every insane patient sent
to Columbia by the city costs about 5000. BY
the proposed transformation not only this sum
will be saved, but room will be afforded in the
two hospitals for nearly three hundred pa
tients. AS the Tucker Hospital is rented for
$1,000 per annum, and the Workhouse is NUM-
cipal property, it viii be seen that the sugges-
ton Of DR.. Pelzcr, il carried out, will cause
great saving to the city. There are at present
in the Mazyck-streot Hospital about one hun
dred and sixty patients, and probably half that
number in Hampstead. These could bu fur
nished, under the proposed plan, with COM
Portable quarters i'll the heart of the city.
The City Engineer has been authorized to ad-
vcriise for proposals, and there is little doubt
that The scheme OF the Board of Health will
be carried into eject and useless building
be converted into {. fine hospital at small ex-
pense. The roof has been lately repaired, and
the cutters and pioi1g are furnished complete;
the only change now required will be to re-
move the staging, which viii convert each
wing into large ward, and give the city
hospital building which will compare fayora-
bly, with those of other cities.