Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-14
SPENCER ASYLUM.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NEW IN
STITUTION
Meet in the City Yesterday, and Talk Over the
Progress Of the WOrk-AnOther Session
70 Be Held This Morning.

The newly appointed Board of Directors
of the Spencer Insane Asylum met in the
city Yesterday afternoon at the Mcclure
House. The Board is composed Of j. NJ.
Sydenstricker. President, Lewisburg,
Greenbrier county; j. A. A. Vandale, Sec
rotary, Spencer, Roane county; Senator
b Smith. of Hancock county: c. G.
Higginbotham. BuclIhannon, Upshur coun-
tv: G.. B. Harmon, Petersburg, Grant
county: David Simmons, Shelley, koane
county: F. p. Jepson, Ohio county; Sena-
tor VIM woodward, Spencer, Roane coun-
ty. and H. S. Wilson, OF ParkersDurg,
Wood county.
When the meeting was called TO order all
the members were present, except the two
latter named gentlemen, who were expected
to arrive last evening After the minutes
of the previous meeting, which was helu
in Parkersburg last July, were read by the
Secretary, they were approved ana signed
by the President.
Mr. Vandale then said there were three
things to be considered by the Board. An
estimate was 10 be placed on the work so
far as completed by the contractor; pro
posed changes in the building were To De
considered and acted upon, and the heat
ing, plumbing, sewerage, Nc, OF the ouild-
ing were TO be considered.
Mr.. Henry O'Bleness, the contractor, was
nresent. and he stated to the Board that he
had no specified estimate as TO the amount
of work done on the building, and suggest
ed that the matter be left to the Executive
Committee At the request of the Board
he made Il statement of the progress OF the
work. He said 80, 900 brick have been made
and burned, all of the necessary lumber
has been sawed and put in shape for use,
the stone trimmings have all been quarried
and most of them cut, the carpenters have
commenced making window frames, all
the iron has been contracted for and made,
and a lot of il is lying at RavenswoOd,
ready to be hauled to Spencer as soon as
the roads are in good condition, the sand is
on the ground and the lime is now being
hauled from RavenswoOd, so that he eX-
poets to have the bricklayers at work in
lust one week from yesterday.
Mr.. Vandale moved that the matter Of
making an estimate of the work done be
left to the Executive Committee, which was
carried, as was motion by Mr. Higgln-
botham to the effect that a suitable archl-
tect be employed TO make plans and speci-
fications for a system of heating, light
ing. sewerage, etc, in the building. Inc
Board then went into a general discussion
of the changes that might be made from the
original plans for the betterment OF the
building, the matter of deadening the floors,
and changing the doors of the rooms TO
swing inward instead of outward, being
the principal points of discussion. Nothing
definite. however. was done with these
matters, il seeming to be the desire of all
to wait until the other gentlemen of the
Board arrived, and motion to adjourn to
meet at the Hotel Windsor Wednesday
morning at 9 o'clock, carried. This was
done because there had been mistake in
the call. Arrangements had been com
pleted TO meet at the Windsor. and through
an error the call was issued for the Nc
Lure.
The foundations Of the new asylum were
contracted for and built under the direction
of the State Board of Public Works, and
about all of the first $4,000 appropriated
was used up. Another appropriation OF
$4,000 was made by the Legislature. and
Mr. O'Bleness was awarded the contract
for the completion of the building at s'53,-
600, which leaves a deficit of $4,000 to com
plete the building However, $4,000 has
been appropriated for system of furnish
ing the building with light, heat, water,
sewerage, &c.
zThe building will be three stories high,
containing about one hundred rooms for
patients. The plans and specifications
were furnished by w. J. Kitson, of Wes-
ton, and they were as much after the
style of the main building at Yves
ton as was possible TO make them.
So far no provision whatever has been
made for quarters for the officials of
the asylum TO live in, and of course until
such a building was erected the asylum
building proper would be practically use
IL. Ia IN make another
for this and to finish the
building already contracted for, so that it
will cost the State at least 100 before
they are through with it, according to the
opinion of several members of the commit
tee