The daily gazette., 1880-04-01
FIRST EDITION
ALMSHOUSE Removal.

HOW THE TRUsTEEs OF THE POOR SAT-
DOWN ON THE PRoJEcT--THE IN
SANE DEPARTMENT NOT TO BE I'M
PROVED AT PRESENT. lkp
When the Trustees of the Poor, in
monthly session at the Aims house, reas-
sembied after dinner, yesterday, Drs.
Ogle and Springer, The visitlngphy ysicians,
were heard in. relation to the sanitary
condition and ventilation of the alms-
house. During the morning session,
DIR. Read j. Mckay, one of the cltizens'
"removal committee" had asserted that
the almshouse was poorly ventilated
and was infected with q nauseating
smell.
|. DR.. Ogle said DR.. Mckay was certain
ly mistaken. The almshouse was very
well ventilated and all the windows
were hung so as to come down at the
tap, except In the colored department.
Here, 1t was impossible TO secure prop
or ventilation, as the inmates would
never allow q window to be Iaised for a
minute If they could help 1t. DR.. Ogle
said In his opinion there was less OF
what is known as the "hOspital smell"
about this almshouse than any other
institution OF the kind he ever visited.
II was certainly much better In this re-
spect than tho Blockley Almshouse, or
the one at Media, Delaware County,
Pa. a.
Dr. Willard Springer followed In q
similar strain, aud said although he bad
great faith In DR.. McKAy's ability and
Judgment as q physician, he certainly
though the latter was mistaken In his
opinion Of the almshouse. DIR. Springer
said the buildings were never perIneate
by any bad smell, and he frequently
heard visitors, on entering the premises,
make surprised remarks in relation TO
the general cleanliness that prevailed,
and the absence of any dissgreeable
odor. p1.i ss...ti b
The Board then considered the appli-
cation for almshouse removal, ON reso-
luton offered by VIM. y. vandyke
which read as follows:
Rssolpsd, That the petition of citi-
zens Of Wilmington, for the removal
Of the Almshouse buildings, be refer
red to committee of five, to report at
the next meeting of the Board, upon
the propriety and practicability of pro-
curing a new and improved location
for buildings for the accommodation
of the poor and insane Of this county.
Mr.. Vandyke said he offered this
resolution merely out of courtesy to
the petitioners, who, he felt, were en-
titled to respectful consideration.
Other members opposed this resolu-
tion on the ground that it would delay
action on the proposed improvement Of
the insane department., and Mr..
Stephen Springer offered the following
as substitute -.4
Res0tged, That as certain citizens of
Wilmington have petitioned this Board
to remove the Almshouse buildings,
this Board would say that we have
duly and conscientiously considered
this subject, in all its bearings, and
have solemnly concluded that it is in
expedient and improper to remove the
buildings. 4O5-
Through courtesy the Board allowed
Mr.. Vandyke's resolution to be acted
upon, when it was lost, by the follow
ing vote: t-r
Ayes-Messrs. Daniel Farra, W. 8.
Vandyke, j. Vandyke and J. p. Arm
strOng-4.
Nays-Messrs. II. d. Hickman, G.
Hill Brinton, DIR. Groves, Milton
Lackey, ]. w. Cooch, J. w. Evans,
Stephen Springer, Samuel Armstrong
-S.
Mr.. Springer's resolution was then
adopted, unanimously. 1'
The bids for erecting the addition to
the insane department. were then read
and considered, MS follows. The time
mention ed after each name indicates
the period within which the bidder off
ers to complete the contract;
Henry M. Barlow, months, 81, ,074 90
VIM. G. Pierce, 8 MONTHS. 6,938 AZ
j. ID. Winslow, 8 months, 49,, 1900 90
Peter U. Furry, no time mem
toned, &C.,. ................. 7,943 90
M. r. Poole, months,....... 1850 90
E. w. Thorne & Bro, A
months, ........................ 7,17O 90
time, ,......... ................... 7,O7o 90
Vim. II. Foulk, months, ... 1858 90
Henry Lape, 3 months, ....... 1883 81
These bids were for the building, ex-
elusive of plumbing, gas fitting and
heating. For this work the only bid
was from VIM. 8. Watt, as follows
Gas fitting, $67; plumbing, $235; heat
ing, $640; total, 81, 142.
The lowest bid, that of VIM. G.
Pierce, added to that of Mr.. Watt,
makes total of So, ,040 AZ. The total
of the highest bid (Wm. H. Foulk' s.
and Mr.. Watts bid, is 80, 100. Diff
ference between the highest and low.
est bids, $1,000 So.
1t was announced that about 5000
would be received from the msteriA
of the old building, which would reduce
the cost of the building, by the lowest
old, to about $7,S0O.
The bids were thoroughly discussed
but to q majority Of the Board they
seemed too high, as they did not desirt
TO spend more than six thousand dol
lars on the improvement. Mr.. Brintor
maintained that the bids would yer,
probably be even higher in a montl
from now, and that the condition of thu
insane department was such as to de
mand Immediate action.
A motion to accept the lowest biz
was made and rejected by the following
vote:
Ayes Messrs. Brinton, Springer
Evans, Lackey and Bird-5.
Nays-Messrs. Hickman, Grove. Far
ra, VIM. 5. Vandyke, j. Vaudyke, Sam'