The record-union., 1891-05-07
MASKED BATTERIES.
The BuIwarks Behind Which Death
Deals Its Blows.
Startling Facts Revealed by an Inves-
tigation of Affairs at the
Orphan Asylum.

y
the effect that there were numerous eases
Asylum, and that the fact had not been
reported to the Board of Health. Yester-
day DIR. Tyrrell, President of the board,
and Health Officer DR.. G. B. Nichols vis-
tied the asylum at the request of the
President of the Board of Managers.
They were accompanied by Plumbing
Inspector Sheehan, and made a pretty
thorough examination Of the premises
and the plumbing connected Herewith.
1t was learned that the report of there
being forty cases of diphtheria among
the children was not true, but that there
were many cases of typhoid fever, pneu-
monia, rheumatism, bronchitis and
other diseases. The fact was developed,
however, that within the last seven
months there have been
FIFTY-ONE CASES OF DIPHTHERIA
In the asylum, and that many of them
proved fatal. The examiners also found
such condition Of affairs to exist that it
is matter OF surprise that any of the lit
tie ones had escaped disease and death, so
| utterly devoid is the place of proper sew
erage.
The doctors say the general manage
and that-aside from the dangers arising
from the lack Of proper system of sew
erage-the well-being Of the children is
carefully guarded. That is, the building
is kept neat, and the children's persons
and immediate wants properly cared for
Health Officer Nichols is credited with
saying that ''It is only owing to the scrll-
! pulous care Of the MatrOn in being care
| ful 10 get the best ventilation for the
/ rooms that everybody in the institution
! has not been carried off by contagious
! diseases" And yet the doctors are out
! spoken in their condemnation of the fact
| that The condition of affairs at the asylum
| had not been laid before the Board of
! Health.
The result of yesterdays investigation
| Will be embodied in a report to be made
| to the Board of Health tomorrow even
ing, and it is expected that that body will
| make some recommendations to the City
Trustees that will cover the case of the
| Orphan Asylum and provide for sanitary
| Improvement elsewhere.
WHAT THE HEALTH OFFICER SAYS.
In conversation with a RECORD UNION
| reporter last evening, Health Officer Dr.
! Z. B. Nichols stated that the state of
| affairs at the asylum, as far as its sani-
| tary condition is concerned, is outrage
J GUS. Why" said the DOCTOR there is
| practically no system of sewerage in the
! order, ,and consequently stencil is noticed
whenever a person nears one of them
| In the court between the old and new
| buildings there IS an clubhouse, not nearly
so large as it should be, and the ventilat-
! ing pipe extends only two or three feet
above the roof OF the closet, or just high
! enough to permit the poisonous gases
that are emitted to circulate through the
second stories of the buildings We
| found filthy cesspOOl, completely filled
with refuse matter, located in the yard
| directly underneath the window Of one
of the rooms. The Matron herself stated
that at times she could not bear to sit
near the window for any length of time
Another thing which l wish to speak
! OF IS the dornltorieS. In some of the
| rooms there are nineteen beds when
| there should certainly not be more than
! ten, at the most. There is room in the
| buildings, but the management does not
appear to know how to utilize it. An ad-
| dltlon built to one Of the wings would be
an advisable thing to do, and l think that
$1,000 spent in that direction, and also in
! putting in an excellent system of sewer
age, would just about put the institution
! IN proper condition. | want to add too,
that as far as general neatness and clean
| illness is concerned ] never visited an
asylum in the State that is so well kept.
The MatrOn is no doubt careful lady.
| but 1t cannot be expected that she should
know the defects in the drainage or sew
erage of the place"
MORE BAD SEWERAGE.
''They talk about the bad sewerage at
| the orphan asylum" said night clerk
Clark Of the police station last night.
why, this place can double-discounti it.
! There isn't trap in all this building that
| is fit to be called such, and there is prac-
tically no such thing as flushing the pipes.
tell you it is awful, and something
| should be done to correct the evil. 1t is
all a persons life is worth to remain here,
and sometimes it is almost impossible to
do so.''
Here, then, is another chance for the
/ new Health Officer and the new Board of
Health to display their usefulness by in
| stituting another investigation. And
they need not cOnfine their inquiries to
| public institutions. There are plenty of
! downtown properties that are harboring
IN their easements enemies that threaten
| the health of the community. China
town should also be given shaking up.