The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-27
THE SALT SULPHUR ASYLUM,

Some Account Of tho Property which
Il Is Proposed the State Shall BuI
for an Additional Insane Hospital
In the last Charleston West VTryiRiGn
we find the report Of the legislative com
mittee which went to Salt Sulphur
Springs, Monroe county, to examine the
property there which it had been propos-
ed the State should buy for hospital fol
the insane. The following are tho ma
tcrlal parts Of the report: II
There are quito number OF stone
brick, frame and log buildings upon the
property, some Of which can be rendered
.'suitabie for the care and custody Of In
sane persons" or the stone buildings,
which are all undressed limestonei there
0re seven ~
The largest ono is thlrty.three feet
wide and two hundred and seven ieet
long, three stories high, the ceilings being
respectively, ten, nine and half, and
nine feet high In the clear, with q base
ment under tho whole building seven
feet high. The building contains seventy
two rooms, besides the necessary halls
and stairways. The foundation and base
mcnt walls arc three feet thick, and those
above, two feet four inches thick. There
arc also three wooden porChes, twelve feel
wide, one above tho other, running the
entire length of the building. This housI
could be adopted 10 "lhe care and custody
Of insane persons" with very little re
modelling, each room opens into hal
running the entire width Of the building
and are all well ventilated
Tho next largest building is thirty.five
feet wide and eighty ieet long, two stories
high, the ceilings being, respectively
fourteen and nine feet high in the clear,
with q basement under tho whole build
ing seven feet high. This house has two
large rooms and hall on the first floor,
while the second floor is divided into CON
yenient bed rooms. The walls are two
feet thick. Immediately adjoining this
building Is one that Is twenty.three feet
wide and forty:six ieet long, two stories
high, the ceilings being, respectively, nine
and halt and nine feet In the clesr,
which Is divided into bed rooms. These
two building could DO easily converted in
10 ward for convalesents and tho more
docile patients, or even for the care oil
that class Of patients known as incurabler
and for whom nothing can 6e done turth'
er than ministering 10 their daily wants
The next building in size Is thirty.fve
feet wide and iorty.tour feet long, two
stories; the ceilings being nine feet in the
clear, with a good cellar underneath
This house Is now used as store house
By running hall through the center o.
It on each floor, It could be made into
twelve rooms, and capable OF accommo
dating all oi the ColOred insane Of the
State.
OF tho remaining thrcc stone buildings
one Ia thirty.one feet wide and forty.threG
feet long, ono story high, ceiling fourteen
feet, and was built for chapel; a batl
house, two stories high, twenty four fec
wide and tWenty.nine feet long; and
story and hall spring house, twenty-five
feet square.
OF the brick buildingsr there arc two
each two stories high, thirty.three fee
vide and thirty.five feet long, containing!
respectively, eight rooms and hall
These are adjacent to the large ston'
house and could be used for hospital pur'
poses or rs residences for the Superin
lCndent and other officers.
OF tho frame and log buildings, NJ
memorandum was made, as tho commit
tee did not deem them suitable Tor INT
purpose OF an insane asylum.
The committee estimates the cost o
putting this property and the buildings
into condition for receiving and treating
insane persons at about $4,000. Thtl
sum Is in addition to the purchase Of thu
property, and includes the remodeling o
the buildings, the building Of fences ant
sewers, and the purchase OF gas ant
heating apparatus, water works, kitcheI
and laundry furnishings, beds, bedding
furniture, sc.
The country about the Springs Is notet
Tor ils salubFIous climate AMI genera
health(ulnesS, and has long been resor
toI invalidS,
The price asked for the property
$4,000, payRbleSin one:and Two year., ,ou
however, should tho State not desire
purchase the whole Of the tract, 1t CO
purchase so much oft as Is necessary to
its purposes.
The property contains nine hundre
and three acres Of medium grass lane
about one hundred and fifty acres
which Is cleared. II Is situated two an
halt miles from the town Ol Union, th
county seat Of Monroe county, and four
teen miles from the Chesapeake and Obi
railroad. Indian creek runs through 4
aaotding fine drainage, and would DO va
liable In carrying away tho filth and slo
IRON the sewers that could be cOnstructe