The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21
STATE LUNATIC ASYLUM.
EXTENSIVE AND NEEDED IMPROVE
MENTs MADE AT THE INSTITUTION.
The Burned Northwest Wing Completely
Renovated and all the Other Buildings
to be Thoroughly 0verhauled-An
Asylum Fire Brigade Organized.

For some months past very extern
sive Improvements have been in prog
ress at the lunatic asylum in this city.
Before the last session of the legisla-
ture the asylum was in rather bad
condition, caused by the wear and tear
of years,
DR.. White was very anxious to have
the institution put in first class order,
and so successful were his representa-.
tions before the finance committees of
the two houses that very liberal APP
preparations were made. Since that
time he has been hard at work. He
is not yet through by any means, but
his Iabors 30 far snow that vast
amount of work has been done and
Improvement made. Those who have
not recently visited the asylum
will be very much sur
prised or driving out there
some day and noting the changes that
and in the interior ofthe buildings.
A STATESMAN reporter made the
place visit yesterday and was very
courteously shown over the grounds
and buildings by DR.. White.
The wards in the main build
ing were first gone through and
inspected. 1t is in these wards on
which. the bulk of the work yet to be
done will be expended. All of the
doors and windows have become old
and some of them from hard
usage have become very frail. The
contract has already been let for re-
placing them and the task will now be
begun very shortly. All of the new
material will be in light wood finish
ed in natural colors thus making the
necessarily gloomy and sombre rooms
and corridors much more bright and
cheerful. In each ward there has
been fitted up reading room and
library and from them the Latients
seem to derive much enjoyment.
Heretofore all the water closets and
bathrooms have been within the
buildings. This is now being changed
At the end of each wing there is in
course of construction a separate and
distinct building, the wards being
connected with it by mems of covered
galleryways. This change will not
only remove all foul smells from the
building but will make room for
number of additional beds in each
room, the old bathrooms being uti-
lized for this purpose.
The north wing, in which such an
exciting fire occurred about two years
ago, has been completely renovated
and is now like new building. Be-
fore the fire it was only two and
balf stories in height, but now it lie
full three stories, 1t has been fin
ished in bright, hard wood and is the
brightest and most cheerful looking
section of the whole lot. All of the
beds in iG are of wood and OF the same
color as the doors and window trim
mings. 1t is DR.. Whites intention to
move out all of the old iron bedsteads
in all of the wards and replace them
with the wooden ones.
Outside the buildings the biggest
work done was the erection OF a stand
pipe north Of the central wing. 1t is
% feet in diameter and IS feet high,
but as it stands on ground Is feet
higher than that on which the build
ings are erected, a downright pressure
of 100 feet is thus obtained. 1t is
kept filled all the time with water
pumped directly from the artesian
we'll. DIR. Whites arrangements
for fire protection are all that could be
desired. A fire brigade has been Or
ganized among the asylum employees,
of which Engineer White is the chief.
They drill regularly and are very eff
cient. Their power is supplied by the
stand pipe, reinforced by powerful
duplex engine. Yesterday they re-
ceived from Gleason & Bailey, Sen
anca Falls, N. Y, a hook and ladder
truck and hose jumper, in addition to
which they have another jump
or and 900 feet of Eureka
hose. The reporter was on the
ground yesterday when the boys
arrived with their new apparatus,
their passage through the city with it
attracting quite good doal of atten-
ton. They immediately proceeded to
give an exhibition. A line of hose was
quickly run out and the couplings
made. With the pressure from the
stand pipe and so pounds of steam
on the engine good stream was then
thrown clear over the main building
Chief White told the reporter that
with full head of steam
on the engine stream had
been thrown over the cupola on top Of
the central wing. Having such all eff
ficiept department always on hand tc
be depended on, DR.. White said he
, was contemplating cutting off the
1925 per month he is now paying fol
: the city fire protection which he is no
getting when It was needed most, al
was shown by the breaking of the bis
water main when the big fire occur
t red.
, SHOT nNnRR THE ARM