Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-26
READING THE CHOICE.
That Point Favored as the Site of
the Chronic Insane Asylum.
BELLWOOD HAS STRONG CLAIMS.
It Is Close to Altoona and Backed by Pitts
burg and the West.
DIR. WILEY'S ARGUMENTS IN ITS FAVOR
rspEcrAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.1
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 25.-The men,
bers of the State Commission having in
charge the selection of site for the new
asylum for the chronic insane, met in the
Office of Wharton Barker to-day and practi-
cally finished their work, subject of course
to the approval of Governor Pattison, the
final power in the premises. The commits
sion agrees upon Reading as first choice,
and in view of a certain contingency, Bell
wood borough, point on the Pennsylva-
vania's middle division, seven miles from
Altoona, has a strong preference. No de-
cided recommendation is made.
Wharton Barker is President of the COM
mission. Henry NJ. Dechert, DR.. John Kir-
wan, of Warren; John NJ. Reynolds, of Bed
ford, and ex-Congressman John B. Storm
are the Semaining members of the commits
sion, and all were present with the excep-
tion of Mr.. Storm. Since the last week in
June the commissioners have been visiting
a number of places in the State, investigat-
ing a wealth of offers and making personal
inquiry into the claims made by various
sections.
AIM OF THE COMMISSION.
The last Legislature appropriated the
sum of $500, 900 to cover the expense of
erecting a new asylum, in addition to the
ones at Norristown, Harrisburg, Danville,
Dixmont and Warren, and the single aim of
the commission has been to carry out the
terms of the law. This the members believe
will be thoroughly served in the selection
of a site near Reading, but the Bellwood
premises meet with much favor.
Bellwood town is at the junction Of Bells
run and the Juniata river in Logan Valley,
Blair county, and has 300 population. 1t
is 130 miles east of DiXmont Hospital; 127
miles west from Harrisburg; $50 miles west
from Danville; 140 miles south from War
rem, and 200 miles from Norristown. These
facts were presented by Secretary Reynolds
to-day as newly-discovered matter respect
ing a location. The commissioners discussed
the situation and found that by the terms
of the act Bellwood was the central point,
embodying every direction of the law. The
average distance by railroad is 14s miles
from the five hospitals from which the in
mates must be taken.
THE BELLwooD PROPERTY
The property to be secured is in the Hen
sey, Shaffer and Willig farms, south from
the Pennsylvania Railroad. A phenome-
nally large spring is on the Hensey farm;
there are II acres of orchards, 80 acres in
woodland, exhaustless quarries, coal and
clay. There are 700 acres in all, and $50
600 is the price demanded. DR.. c. Chase
Wiley, of Pittsburg, connected for six
years with the Dixmont Hospital appeared
before the commission by special invita-
tiOn, and Mr.. j. h Ewing of Uniontown,
was also present.
DIR. Wiley said very frankly that Pitts
burg and the West are positively in earnest
in their desire to have the new asylum west
A
done they would appear before the next
Legislature to press their demand for re-
lief He said that Bellwood was an entirely
new location, but very suitable, and the
claims for Hillside, Ligonier. New Flor
euce and Uniontown would be waved in
favor of the freshly discovered section in
Logan Valley, as it was the most eligible.
DIR. wILEY's ARGUMENTS
''We seek relief" said DR.. Wiley, "and
there is no question of the rightfulness of
our demand. The combined hospital
capacity of the three Eastern institutions is
$685. to population of 3, ,008, ,632, or about
l to 1000 Dixmont and Warren care for
1000, to 200,000 population, or in /, ,50O.''
DIR. Wiley advocates manual labor at the
new asylum and demonstrated to the COM
mission how this object can be served. He
said:
"An erroneous impression prevails that
the acute cases are the only insane who are
able to perform manual labor, when the
facts are that the acute cases. as a Glass; are
totally unable to work, as their disease at
this period is exceedingly active and there
is marked physical disturbance, general de-
bility and mental perversion. 1t is only
when the acute stages of excitement and
furore have passed away that physical re-
cuperation and increased bodily health and
strength return, and where the intellect re-
mains defective that the patient is classed
as a chronic, and as such, under proper
directions, is able to perform many kinds of
manual labor, surprising in many instances
those who are sane.
WOULD SAVE THE STATE 500, 900.
DR.. Wiley said further that a large part
of the work on the contemplated asylum
buildings could be done by this class 81
am familiar with this bill,' said DR.. Wiley,
in conclusion. 81 am also the author of
section Z, which says that as soon as tenn
porary quarters can be provided the trans
fer of 90 able-bodied, harmless insane from
each of the five hospitals shall be made to
the premises and farm to engage in farm
work, grading, macadamizing, excavating
for buildings and other employment. It |
will save at least SOC, 900 in two years
time"
The result of the Commissions finding
will be forwarded to Governor Patttison |
and the State Board of Public Charities, |
and there is nothing more before the mem
bers unless the Governor should refer the |
matter back to them for positive decision, a |
thing he is not likely to do. They are |
almost a unit in the selection of one of the |
Reading sites, said to be along the Cushion !
Mountain, at Wernersville, in the Lebanon |
Valley, nine miles from the Berks capital, |
but the Bellwood suggestion finds large !
favor and will be pressed upon the Governor |
by Pittsburg delegation.