Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-22
NEW ASYLUM NEEDED.
A State School for Feeble-Minded
Children Suggested to Be
ERECTED AT OR NEAR PITTSBURG
A Recommendation to Be Presented to the
Next legislature.
ONLY ONE NOW IN THE COMMONWEALTH

A movement is on foot here for the estab-
lishment of an additional State School for
feeble-minded children in Western Penn
svlvania near Pittsburg. The State Medical
Society adopted resolution at its ses-
sion few days ago indorsing the
project and appointed committee
to have the matter presented to the
Legislature and ask that the new school or
asylum be located near Pittsburg so as to
take care of the large class of those un-
fortunates in this end of the State. One of
the gentlemen interested in the movement
said yesterday that Senators John Neeb
and William Finn were to be asked to look
after the matter.
Dr. Kerins, who was the author of the
resolution in the State Medical Society. is
Superintendent of the Elwin Asylum and
School for feebleminded children at Elwin,
Delaware county.
The Only One In fhs Stats.
This is the only school of the kind in the
State and is located 15 miles from Phila-
delphia. On the 1st of October, last year,
there were S55 inmates, while there is not
accommodations for near that number.
OF this number 525 are boys and
332 are girls. At this institution
there is one main building where all the
pupils are quartered and that there are
three school buildings for the three different
grades into which the school is divided
according 10 intelligence.
1t is intended to build the new school on
about the same plan, and the buildings will
cost in the neighborhood of $3.50, 900, e1clu-
sive of the ground. The trouble with the
Elwin School is that besides being State
institution it is supported by private
patients and subscriptions so that children
from anywhere can be admitted. The idea
of the new school is to make it exclusively
State institution, but to receive pay pa
tients from this State only.
Candidates for Admission in Pittsburc.
When Chief Elliot was asked for his views
on the subject yesterday he said: ''The idea
is good one and should be
carried out. DR.. Kerins is a bright
man, and knows what he is talking about.
His school is badly overcrowded, and some
thing will have to be done very soon to re-
lieye that institution. The school ought
to be located near here in order to
take care Of the big number
of children of that kind here. We already
have number Of feeble minded children
from this city that are supported by
this department. There are others that
should be there, but we are unable
to gain admission for them owing to the
overcrowded condition of the school at
Elwin. There are also many such children
wandering at large upon the streets who
ought to be placed in such an
institution to teach them cleanliness, if for
nothing else. There are a!so large num-
Der OF children in the school from
this section that are paid for pri-
yately Such a school will have
to be built as soon as it is possible to get
the measures through the Legislature, and it
ought to be as near Pittsburg as possible,
as this is central point and the cost OF
sending children here will be less than at
almost any other point in Western Penn
sylvania-