New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-14
THE REFUGE GUARANTEED
HEALTH BOARDS ACTION ON THE
RANDALL'S ISLAND HOUSE

IT'S SANITARY CONDITION SAID TO BE BAD-A
STATEMENT FROM ALEXANDER f. ORR.
PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY WHICH HAS
CHARGE OF THE INSTITUTION
The Board of Health at It's meeting yesterday
sf,crnoon passed resolution quarantinng the
,Io,se Of Refuge at Randa,ls Island. which is
,rder the charge of the Society for the Reforma-
ton of Juvenile Denouents In the city of New
York The Board took this action because the
house Is In n condition alleged to DC dangerous to
ufe and detrimental TO health. report made to
the Health Department on December 10 last by
Dr Van santvoord, the attendant physician of
tho House Of Refuge, and subsequent reports made
nv the INSPECTORS of the Health Department.
showed that the plumbing and drainage in the
ynuse OF Refuge were in bad condition and caused
foul and offensive odors The children confined IN
te institution found TO be suffering from con-
tasious diseases OF the eye. and it discovered
that they were not properly Isolated, and that
enough nurses had not been provided to secure In
mates due and proper care for the personal health
and cleanliness Of the children.
The Board recently took five children from the
institution who were suffering from scarlet fever
and measles, and more to be taken away.
I, ,s said There are at present in the institution
sxtv-eght cases OF chronic diseases OF the eye Pres
,aent Wilson said yesterday that the institution
had recently had trouble with the State Controller
and that the whole Medical Board had resigned.
In order to place the responsibility for the I'M
healthy condition Of the institution on the proper
orsons the Board passed a resolution yesterday
prohibiting the institution from receiving any per-
sons as inmates until further order OF the Board
Of Health. and. for the purpose Of carrying out
the resolution, ordering the Sanitary Superinten-
dent 10 quarantine the House Of Refuge until the
further orders of the Board. Alexander T. Orr is
president of the society having the House of Refuge
In charge
MIR Orr said 10 Tribune reporter last night
that the repor; of the Board of Health was greatly
exaggerated. The plumbing conditions OF the Ref
,,ge he said had been in rather poor order Tor
considerable time. growing out of the fact that the
legislature had refused to make any appropra-
lions for the maintenance of the buildings II mace
approprations for the maintenance OF the inmates
hut declined 10 provide for the buildings, FOR the
reason that the property is not owned by the state
end insisted that appropriations could only be made
for buildings that the property OF the state.
.The pos:tion the Board of Managers has taken,
said Mr. orr lis that unless the Legislature
makes an appropriation for the buildings we cannot
maintain them. We have tried TO economze IN the
maintenance OF the inmates so as 10 be able TO
mako soma improvements in the buildings with the
surpus but the Controller will not allow us 10 ap-
propria.e any that is saved from the mamie
nance OF the inmates for the beterment OF the real
estate We have been frequently before the COM
,njt,ee on WAYS and Means Of the legislature we
were there last year. and they absolutely refused TO
give ms funds for the Improvement of the property
although we presented the condition of the build
ings to them.
I'VE were again before the Legislature this year
md the Controller backed up representations or
the poor condition of the buildings and we We're
urder the impression that an appropriation would
be granted but at the last moment they cut II OUT
Of the bill and since We discovered ths we ne" ,h
again been before the Finance Complete OF inc
SSnate with what success l am unable TO say IL
n,esurne the action of the Board of Health IN
duarantining the Refuge will bring the whole mat,
Ter to an issue think the statement OF me l,oaru
nit that the plumbing conditions are iar IRON
being satisfactory, the health or the inmates IL IN
regard 10 the eye disease is greatly oyerdrawnn
Two years ago we had probably as hlgn a, as ~, 1W
neighborhood OF fifty and except for that' whGh l
prevalent in almost an t hnGrnd is
"chiidren are sent to us from all the counties ss
long Island. New-York Albany and Rensselaer,
counties There three such reformatories IN
the State, and we probably get more children IMAM
either Of the other two 49,. ,,oo.s =. ,roo,tb has
taken this action. because IL will bring the mater
we hayG dome a acC %e can no
say that they cannot make an appropriation Tor
The state We have represented to them that this
would be impossible for the reason that the land
10 ne managers under tine condition that when we
ceased 10 operate the institution for the purposes
verted back to the city of NewYork with all the
bTe a YEARS been Fairs liberal in giving US
means 10 keen up the buildings and keep up the
different departments. it would be impossible for
us 10 make TO the State the property, even II
II was deemed best by the Board of Managers 10
DO so. We have had an abstract OF our title piacea
before the Legislature and certainly did think
they would help out. They made the statement
that they had not known of the complicated con-
dition of the property.
IT is ridiculous say that the managers are
reprehensble in the matter. Instead. the Board
has given great deal of attention TO the instltu-
ton some OF the members giving nearly all their
time TO H. The twenty-five gentlemen who make
up the Board are men of experience and men or
POSITION and prominence. and they give their time
from purely phanthropic motives. and ] think,
with the exception of the plumbing and lighting
the buildings are in very good condllon: But me
nlurbing particularly for the last TWO years mas
heen in poor condition. and We have been exceed
ingy urgent to have il renewed. The OLD gas piant
is over thirty years old and have asked TO nave
il replaced by electricity We have not had DEAN
in the institution and there has been no scariet
fever or diphtheria, as has been stated, ana the
inmates are entirely healthy"