The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-13
FROM THE INSANE ASYLUM.
Letter from the Superintendent OF
Regarding the Proposed ApPropri-
alton of si5,OOU for an Engine

House.
The following letter has been received
in this city by member of the Legisia-
ture. and handed to us for publication;
DEAR SIR-From the remarks, as
stated in the REGISTER, of our friend
Dennis, | fear the engine house for the
Hospital is imperfectly understood. Its
various uses is to the Hospital what the
health is to the body. II supplies us with
steam for heating and for cook
ing, for power to run the pumps
for water. aud also for running the wash
ing machines, wringers, soap making
and supplies the entire building with hot
water for Washing. bathing, &c. All the
motive power is generated there.
When we use the term "englne house
We do not mean to say that 1t is onl i"r
nm engine. for an engine occupies but
very little part of it. We had IN our I'm,
perfect engine house an engine ana
washing machines, a centrifugal wringer,
run by steam. steam soap-boilcr, laun-
drv above with dry room heated by
.tcar, sufficient 10 dry clothes every
twen,y minutes. The next room was a
carpenter shop. We have two boilers ior
hot water. Then in row we have five
Iarrn boilers. - feet long and nearly .
foot in diameter set IN brick work; also
two pumps, besides third pump in the
basement.
These boilers consume nearly eight
thousand bushels of coal per month IN
cold weather.
Then the stack of any engine house Is
the great purifying agent. Foul air
fues from all the water closets run INTO
il, and all obnoxious gases are set tree
high in the air Ours (the ore we have
SETS the smoke and foul air free bciolc the
building, and we doubtless suffer from 1t
most ali the time. One of the most I'M
portant items Is the stack. 1t should be
ut least 200 feet high, and will, of itself,
cost 1000 to $4,000.
An engine house should contain our
bakery. The present bake oven ls In the
basement Of the center building and We
are in constant danger of fire from 1t.
Our kitchen should be IN It also, rs we
have to use fire in the range. This Is a
source of danger to the centre building.
The risks on these two alone Is worth
more to the State than al entire engine
house. The carpenter shop and machine
hop should be in it also. so you can
form some idea of the various uses and
magnitude of an engiac house. II will
take building equally. 6OX6O feet, with
tire proof projection for the boilers OF
80 feet long by 90 wide. The other part
should be two stories high, for wash
rooms, laundry, bakery, kitchen,
&c, &c. If you remember. in
the original plan of the building
there was intended to be large fan, to
he kept constantly running to force pure
and fresh air throughout the building
and exchanging fresh for foul air every
few moments. | am firmly CONVINCED
this should be done, to keep up the health
of the Hospital. In case we carry out
the plan it would be necessary to look to
II in building the engine house. Nearly
or | NAV say every we'll ventilated Hos
pital has the fan and all deem it neccs-
sity. will close, although | cannot say
| have stated all the requirements of an
engine house.
| must insist that the SIS, 600 asked for
i not too much, and it is to be hoped
that no one after realizing the necessity
Of the building, will oppose the appro-
prlation.
Yours truly, 1. i. CAMDEN.