The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-09


pie, without distinction Of. race, religion OF
nationality. 1t is now owned by board Oh
trustees, appointed by the Charleston Medical
Society, and is not occupied In any way at
present. - -.
The necessity of increasing the capacity OF
the City Hospital has been admitted and the
subject discussed for several years. AS long
ago as March "a, 1872, Mr.. Louis Barbot, then
and now city engineer of Charleston. made
careful estimate and report, accompanied by
accurate drawings, of what 1t would cost to
remodel the Workhouse so as to fit it for 8
Civ Hospital. Mr.. Barbot in his report pro-
posed to remove several Of the massive walls
inside of the building, which greatly OBJ
structed the air and light aid were by no
means essential to the strength of the building,
having been provided rather to. prevent the
escape of prisoners when the building was
devoted TO Its original use. He also recon-
mended and strongly urged increasing the
size of the windows, which now narrow in.
ward in trne prison style, and Of course
removing the prison bars. He then pro-
posed to utilize the large space that would be
furnished In the central portion OF the build
ing BY knocking away the massive partition
walls andby arranging the various rooms on the
several floors indicated by the capital letters
in the a6oTe diagram Of the Workhouse.
These would be all the offices necessary for
arst-class hospital, and would all be Of ample
size for their respective purposes. The plan
also proposed The erection OF wide piazzas on
the three sides of the; Workhouse looking
toward the yard, with staircsses from the
ground to the highest floor on each side. In
each OF the outer angles Of the Workhouse
building there are massive circular towers,
having an inside diameter of six feet each,
and 1t was proposed to utilize these by
arranging bath rooms. and water-closets
IN each of the corners marked n IN the dia-
gram, making four on each floor; a circular
stairway in each of the towers on the corners
marked O, and an elevator for raising very
sick patients in each of the corners marked s.
In addition to all this there would be two
large L shaped wards on each floor, In the
east and west sides respectively, each having
an area of thlrty-seVen hundred and fifty
square feet. Altogether there would be room
| for two hundred: and fifty patients, allowing
twelve hundred cubic feet Of atmospheric air
TO each, and the building, which might be
made attractive on the outside by q coat of
stucco similar to that on the Mills House,
would be made In all respects model hos
pltal.
The cost of all this reconstruction was estl-
mated by Mr.. Barbot, at that time, as follows :
Total cost OF Improvement ..slS,ss2 90
iess. 4 IL the enlargement or ~
windows be not adopted.... 5000 90
II ar this amount, we have. on an average,
900 lbs. or iron, which can be sod
at 2hc. per ID. a,ooo w
|. sll,ss2 90
v,naows he adopted. 5000 90
which viii give the perfect and com.
ps' her plans 1882 90
Cost Of either eastern or wess=z -.
|, ern section ............:... 7,ooo w
Making the total cost. ,ls8 o. -
From this amountdeduct. for
old iron. on...................... 1000 90
W. ------$ ,s.1ss 90
The plan was strongly recommended by the
Board of Health, and was discussed at length
BY the City Council, but nothing was done at
the time, and the matter remained In abey.
ance until recently, when the necessities oi
the institution, as shown by DR.. j. Somers
Bulst, the surgeon in charge, became more
pressing than ever, and the Board Of Health
were again stimulated 10 action. They had
| before them the original plans of the city en-
gIneer, aud another proposition, which was
made at their request by the trustees of the
Roper Hospital. This proposition was thatthe
city, instead Of going to- The large expense OF
making a hospital out Of building
which was but poorly adapted for
such purpose, should rent from
them the Roper Hospital, which was
all ready or nearly ready for use as hospital,
for five hundred dollars per year, they agree
ing to devote two thousand dollars or four
years rent of the building to puttiug lt IN
thorough repair. This proposition was urged
on the ground of economy, and Is now be-
leved by many physicians and other getle-
men fully competent to Judge OF the matter,
Il
to be the very best thing the city could do,
The Board of Health, however, thought other.
wise. At the meeting of that board held on
the Sd ultimo, DR.. Geddlngs while acknowl'
edging the cordially exhibited by the trustees
of the Roper Hospital, and the liberal charac,
ter of their proposition, opposed 1t as tenn,
porary expedient, and was Of the opin!on that
mo temportzing expedients would reach the
ends desired; no law Of sordld economy would
secure the fulalments of the mandates of the
Most High In relation to their duties to the
poor." He continued as follows:
Such an arrangement, while 1t would be ad:
vantageous to meet pressing emergency,
I feel, would prove very different IN Its ina
results. In the altered condition OF our popu'
lation, with Its steady increase OF pauperism
and consequent steady augmeniatiug demand
for hospital accommodation, should nationally
admonish US not to quietly content ourselves
with temporizipg e1pedients, but to meet a.
once. permanently and efficiently, a provision
for the poor, the suffering and the afhlcted
weighed down by disease and destitntion.
DR.. Geddlngs then went on to speak witt
warm approval of the plans OF the city engi
neer, as described above, and the Board
Health, In their report 10 the City Council, re
commended those plans for adoption.
The City Council, upon hearing from thf