The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-16
ASYLUM 1T AHOKA
FOURTH HOSPITAL COMMISSION
CONSIDERS PLANS FOR IT'S I'M
MEDIATE CONSTRUCTION.
WILL BE ON COTTAGE PLAN
WHICH WILL BE UNIQUE AS FAR
AS MINNESOTA HOSPITALS
FIGURE.
OTHER HOSPITALS ARE FULL
And 1t Is Case OF Necessity to
Complete the AnOlxn Hospital
AT Once.
WILL BE ON COTTAGE PLAN
OTHER HOSPITALS ARE Full

The state board appointed to locate
the fourth insane hospital held a meet
ing yesterday, approving a number of
bills which We're presented to State
Auditor Dunn for approval, after the
meeting, by Secretary Alvah Eastman,
of st. Cloud, and julius H. Block. Of
st. Peter. Mr.. Block, who is now a
member of the board of managers Of
ell the state hospitals, naturally takes
great interest in the projected hospital
at Anoka and was an active advocate
before yesterdays meeting of immedI-
ate work on the structure there
Exactly what was done at yester-
days meeting seems indefinite The
G o e, however, has information to
warrant 1t in the statement that the
commission decided to begin work on
the new hospital as soon as the board
shall come into possession Of the mon
ey required. The board will ask the
coming session of the legislature to
appropriate In the vicinity of $500 900
for construction on the new site. and
1t is thought that this amount will
give the board fair start. The other
three hospitals in the state are already
ruli. The first Of the month there were
only two vacant places in the three
institutions, and since then the pres
sure has been constantly growing more
severe. 1t Is, of course, understood that
by capacity here is understood the
number that the asylum can properly
accommodate, not the number that
can be stored away hit or miss under
the system that will have to be fol-
lowed il the board Is to receive all
the residents of the state committed to
itS care
immediate additions to its aceommoda-
lions. and, as the supreme court has
sustained its findings in favor Of Ano-
ka, as against Hastings. as the Ioca-
ton for the fourth state hospital, the
consensus Of opinion in the board, as
developed at yesterdays meeting, is
that work should be begun at once
upon the Improvement Of the Anoka
site. It would be practicable to make
additions to the existing hospitals, but
these institutions are now all as large
as can be handled in single establish
ments advantageously, the result being
that the commission is practically
coerced into the construction Of the
new institution at once.
AS Secretary Eastman said yester-
day: We have located the hospital
at Anoka. and the supreme court has
sustained our findings. All that now
remains is TO go ahead with the COM
pletion of the buildings. / do not see
how we can get along without $100 900
to start with. Every day the Twin
Cities are sending inebriates and in
sane persons to the state hospitals,
which are now crowded to their utmost
capacity consistent with capable and
economic management The compile
ton Of the Anoka hospital is an abso-
lutte necessity
legislature in favor of the modified
cottage plan of arrangement, Instead Of
the single large building, which has
been followed in other asylums The
cottage plan in its entirety, applied to
an institution which will hold 900
patients, would involve an expenditure
OF an immense amount of money for
the plant, and would entail a very eX-
penSiVe system of maintenance
During the morning the commission
visited the offices Of Architect w. B.
Dunnell and examined the plans pre-
pared, which were found satisfactory
AS the specifications have not yet been
completed, no definite estimates or
cost have been made
The members present were: ]. H
Block, st. Peter: A. j. Carlson. East
Union; Q. c. Merriman, Minneapolis:
Alvah Eastman, st. Cloud; Henry
Hooper, Stephen.