New-York tribune., 1896-11-01
THE CITY'S HOSPITALITY.
PLANS FOR THE NEW LODG1NG-HousE
IN FIRST-AvE


x1ven up last June did lot of good ana serVen
70 demonstrate the necessity for such an IN
stitution. Within its comfortable quarters
8 OoO mon were bathed. lodged and fed in sew
enty davs and Just that many wretched hearts
were made 10 beat to a happier and more en-
co,,racing measure All sorts and conoltions oi
men went to that lodging barge when was 'ieo
I'd alongside the pier at East Twenty-s'N'n-S''
The fear that the accommodations would D"
overr,ln with professional hoboes was specify
dispeled for those chaps qualleo peiore '"7
music OF the shower bath lf they Wanoeu any
thing less than another II was bath' Coione'
White who is avoided by the deadbeat because
q, h,s certainty Of Judgment in sizing up a case
OF that peculiar malady. remarked to the lrln-
,ne reporter who was asking some questions
hon, u that he only remembered one instance
of q professional tramp coming to the hoatins
lodging place 10 ask for a bed. That was on 'he
opening night.
1.-The chap came sauntering iD. remarked the
r.o,one1 with A broad smile AT the recollection,
land Of course he was sent downstairs 10 strlp
,or the bath. He slipped his clothes in the bag
all right and then when the men weren't watch-
ing he tried to slide by and into his nightshirt
Rut we were after him IN n minute ana sent
him back into the bath. Then he stood there
,,ke a child that breads the cold and slipped
Arst one hand and then the other under the
rlear running water and then quickly drew
shen hack as though he feared some kind or
contagion He did wash his hands finally ana
the next saw Of him he was reaching for
towel yelled at him TO get his blasted oody
and bones back under that bath and stay there
tin he was clean. The poor devil saw he was
IN for IT, and got under with many a shake and
O shiver of disgust When he came out Vo"
10 YOU he didn't know himself. Had to he in
troduced the next morning in order to ask him"
self to take a cup of hot coffee No. he never
came hack to us. for he found that he had to
work as we'll as bathe.''
THE BARGE PLAN SUCCESS.
From the numbers that were entertained and
made to feel that the municipality does care FOR
its own unfortunates II be seen that the
barge was success. and this 1t was which slim
nlated the department to ask for the new lodg-
ing-house which has just been leased at Twen-
ty-third-st. and First-ave The building. which
has been leased for three years with privilege
Of renewal Of the contract was once 1actory'
but the owner has consented to lay new floors
and to put in iron stairways In place OF the old
wooden ones that are now there. This is neces-
sary for every precaution has to be taken 10
keep the house clear Of vermin. The newly
acquired lodging house is % by IS feet ground
dimensions 1t Is Ave stories in height and con-
fains a basement the full extent Of the walls.
In fitting It out the officials have availed them
selves fully Of the lessons taught them in the
noating lodging-house. In the basement will be
the kitchen. the washroom for cleaning the
clothing Of the dodgers. the closets and the
baths There will be twelve open shower-baths
30 that a large number of men can be handled
expeditiousy Rapid disposal Of individuals Is
a necessity for experience has shown that the
men come in a crowd just as soon as dusk falls
ARRANGEMENT OF THE BUILDING.
On the first floor Of the building the offices and
investigating rooms will be placed. There are
two entrances. to the Office and the other
leads through side hall and into big waiting
room AZ by about % feet. Entering by the hall
way the dodgers will pass into the waiting-room.
Then as their turn comes they will pass from
this room into the physicians room. where they
will be examined. Going out by another door
they will pass before the record clerks who Will
take each mans name and his last address in
the city. There also each man must make dec
laration of the property he has in his possession.
If an applicant has any money he is at once
told to go to a public lodging house and pay for
his he'd. No money will be received from him
at the city lodging house. One of the requisites
out the means to pay for bed for himself.
Colonel White was asked how far attempts were
made TO evade the vigilance OF the officers in this
regard
Il think" he said "such instances were rare
at the floating lodging house. We never
searched the men ourselves Each one was eX-
pected to clear out his own pockets so that the
clothes might be run through the fumigator,
all of that work. of course being done at night.
1f any attempt made to conceal money 1t
was generally discovered. for the coin would
drop out of the pockets while the clothing was
being sent through the cleansing machine.
knives and lunches Of keys found TO he the
main possession Of all the men with whom
had to deal If man came there with money
Il was patent that he was simply trying to save
j. cents that the bed would have cost him in
one of the regular lodging houses on the East
Side, and we discouraged that sort of business
from the very start"
CAPACITY OF THE BUILDING
All the floors above the first will he given over
90 sleeping arrangements. Single iron bedsteads
will be placed in four solid rows. running the
length Of the big rooms each floor With
single beds the place can be made to accom-
1nodate about 300 men. Since the Department
of Health. however. has given it's sanction to the
use of what are called the double-decker iron
beds the capacity of the place can be raised to
$50. This. II is believed. will furnish ample &C
commodations for all that will apply throughout
the winter months Exactly the same rules will
be laid down for the government Of the appli-
cants for bed and board They will receive a
cup of hot coffee and something 10 eat in the
morning, and after that they will be sent to do
work on the grounds about Bellevue for a couple
of hours. No heavy tasks will be exacted Of the
men. II is simply desirable to let them feel that
they are earning hat they have received
This plan works better than we could pos
sibly have anticipated" said Colonel White
and any number Of the men would willingly
have worked all day II it was necessary. One
or two instances We found in the floating home
where the men on the to their work Jumped