New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-26

up with sanitary plumbing and Win -
modern improvement for heating. lirh,,.S
ventilation They will accommodate co-s'~
bly, ia persons each Water tower, ..-.'.s'
ing bathrooms. washstands and cIo,...
being erected at each Of the main hr,,.,-
afrording every needed convenience ana
protection In case Of fire. These tower, ps
elevators by means OF which helpl.s. ~a
will be transported. who. during the Ia. ~
century have been taken up and A.. aa9
outside stairways exposed to wind. g. IN
cold The dining-rooms are being mo,. -
doubled IN capacity. and modern heating =.
paratua Is being put In throughout IN. 49, ~
ings.
REPROACH TO HUMANITY
The buildings Of the New-York CITY A.v,.-
for the Insane. located on Blackwelrs 49,.
Randalrs and Long islands. were wor.e %
sible. than the Almshouse buldines In ~.
airy Of 1892 the Tammany Mayor CGr,,N
pointed an Advisory Committee on the Co.
the Insane in New-York City. This AA.,'.~
Committee. Of which Elbridge T. Cor, ~!
chairman, was obliged to report thar N. w. J.
the insane in the New-York City asvlu,,. ~
indescribabIy miserable. Their report 49,
The condition Of these insane Door - ,,.,-..
Their accommodations a reproach - sue Sle
mainly. Overcrowdng exists In every ~. ne'
ing OF every department. and their vrs JIG.
existence Is rendered still mora ,,,,.eQ
by the absence of comfortable surrom"s1ote
Of proper accommodations Of every kisS ass.
by insufficient protection. In the case ~ 90
Of the smaller buildings. from the incen,s ~say
the weather..
In the Blackwel's Island asylum. with =.
connnodations for LODI people, there wer. /, o.,
insane persons.
In regard to the buildings on Wards ISLAM
the committee reported:
Extra beds are placed In every ward a..
even the cellars have been utilized for ths,
purpose. . . . These latter buildings ar. -.
terly insufficient and unfit for the purpose ~.
the insane must be put somewhere"
Again. In regard to Harris Island:
Three Of the buildings are one-story fr,u.
structures, the woodwork OF which Ia fast M.
ting The walls are wood and whitevashsS
and 1t Is with the greatest difficulty that ~
stoves create any degree OF heat whatsvs,
Into these the unhappy lunatics are PACKED
The beds are close together. and In the daytime
there being no room whatever for recreation a,
even for a sitting room. the patients are hua.
died together on benches In the centre Of thNss
pavilions.' as they are called, without any com.
fort and with absolutely no ventilation. Ths
plumbing ARRANGEMENTS are simply disgusting
The buildings themselves were erected durins
the late war, about 1861. as temporary barrscEs;
for soldiers"
STARVING THE POOR.
So much for the buildings Of the insane asy.
lums and upon Tammanys authority. How
were these wretched insane people fed. Lex
official authorities again answer. In October.
1893 the president Of the Department of Char.
tiles and Correction. asking a larger allowance
ounces OF meat are ordered for them by the
physicians and we can give them but eight
We had to underfeed them last year and
That will do said the Mayor sharply. "you
don't get it," This is but one instance Of what
happened over and over again when the appro
priatons for the charitable institutions VEN
being made.
Although the number OF people to be provided
for was continually increasing, the appropris
tons were ruthlessly cut down TO about what
they had been in preceding years. and the head
Of the department were told with scant cour
tesy, to get along as they got along last year.
In vain they objected But We did not get along
last year"
Insanity ia Q disease which is usually curN
quickly, IL at all Under pleasant, healthfd
surroundings and with the aid Of proper food
kind and intelligent attendance and the best
medical treatment, nature may soon make .
cure but in such circumstances as are a6ow
described the diseased condition tends to become
permanent
With the approval Of the present aiminlsus
ton the city's insane have been transferred 70
the care of the State. Two things are gaaa
by this step First better treatment Of the To-
sane. The State allowance has been - - week
for each patient. Under the city the allowaaS
was 81 "a. In the second place. the city save
nearly 81 900, 900 a year. New-YOrk City hai
been paying its proportion Of the state tax Ia
the care Of the insane. but chose at the SAM
time to support its own insane at its own e.
pense Why? Because OF what there was