The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-28
STATE LAW TO BE INVOKED.
The Old Building Declared
Nuisance.
A CONFERENCE OF OFFICIALS.
Mayor ElIert to Call a Meeting OF
the Board of Health for I'M
mediate Action.

Mayor Ebert. Health Officer Keeney and
Coroner Hughes held consultation yes
terday in regard to the question of new
Morgue.
There is every possibility that the
Morgue will be moved out to the new CITY
Hall within the next few months if the
plans now arranged go through. The mat
ter has gone so far as 10 select the site, and
to determine the interior arrangements
In the course of a few days the Mayor will
call special meeting of the Board of
Health. at which health Officer Keeney
VIII present his report based on an official
examination OF the present Morgue build
ing. His Recommendation will be the i'm
mediate condemnation OF the building
Under the law the Supervisors must be
notified, as they are the legal custodians of
the building. A reasonable time Will be
given to the Supervisors in the notice for
the removal of the Morgue.
The law under which the Health Officer
obtains his authority TO act peremptorily
in the matter is section 1888 of the Politi-
cal Code, which reads as follows:
Section 3033. Whenever 1t shall be certified
10 the Board of Health by the Health Officer
mat any building or part thereof is unfit for
fected with disease as TO be likely to cause
sickness among the OCCUPANTS, or, by reason of
us want OF repairs, has become dangerous to
life, said board may issue an order and cause
the same 10 be ai1xed consplcuopsly on the
building, or part hereof, and 10 be personally
served upon The owner. agent or lessee, if the
same can be found in this State. requiring all
persons therein IL yacate such building for the
reasons 10 b. stated therein as aforesaid. Such
building, or part thereof, shall, within ten DAYS
thereafter. be vacated, or within sucn shorter
tA.G han g AO
SAID notice may be specified; but said board,
II It shall become satisfied that the danger from
said house, o: part thereof, has ceased to exist
may revoke said order, and IL shall Ihenefor-
ward become imperative.
The Health Officer. after examining The
present public MOrgue, has come to the
conclusion that there is no worse nuisance
10 the city than that place, and he intends
to exercise his full powers under the State
law. In an interview yesterday DIR
keeney said ''lf it were not that there /:
no present place Tor the MOrgue / would
condemn it Immediately. The place il
rotten. filthy and dangerous. OF course al
this has been said before. put il cannot bt
realized except by visit. In the storage.
room. where there is a lot of Valua biz
effects. there Is one and a half feet OF
water. The foulness of the operating
room and other departments is such AS
description. But the whole thing is a dis.
grace aud a shame"
After the Board of Health condemns the
present MorRue building on the recon.
mendation of the Health Officer, Mayor
Eiiert Will address mmunieation to
the Board of Supervisors, asking that
BODY to designate place in the new
City Hall for new Morgue.
Ii is thought that within two, or at most
three, months the site which has been
picked cut can be fitted up, and Coroner
Hughes, who is enthusiastic on the SUBJ
lect, ihlnKs II the plans are carried out he
VIII have the best Morgue in the United
States. The portion of the new City Hal
selected by the Mayor. the Health Officer
and several OF the Supervisors who are
favorable 10 the proposition. is that part
In the Larkin-street quadrangle Just CD.
poslte the City Receiving Hospital. There
Is quite large space there. composed OF
the basement and sub basement, which
can be transformed into a model Morgue
there being room for all the various de.
partments of such an institution, incud.
Ing rooms for The Coroner and his work.
Ing deputies.
The plan Of those interested In the re-
moval of the Morgue to the new City
Hall has received considerable encourage
ment from some of the Supervisors.
Supervisor Refs said ne was in favor of
the proposal on the ground of economy.
as al present it would be impossible 10
provide new building for tie Morgue.
If the Board of Health declared It was
necessary TO remove the Morgue, he was
in favor of having it located in the por-
ton of the City Hall mentioned
Should the Bard of Supervisors locate
the new Morgue in that portion of he
City Hall slated, the New City Hall Com
missioners will proceed to fit il I'D under
plans ana specifi atoms TO be prepared by
Arehitapt FRANK Shaa