The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-24
ST, JosHpn's VILLAGE.


st. Joseph's Industrial School at Clay
| ton will be dedicated on July Is. Tho pro.
| CRANE of exercises has not been completed
but will In a few days.
There are few people who have an IDEA
Of what the school Is and what ground it
covers. 1t Is for the purpose of educating
the colored orphans OF the state, forty now
being in the institution. Though known
as q school 1T is really n village containing
four hundred acres on which are erected
fourteen buildings.
The plans of the village were de 4 gned
and worked out by the late Father do
Ruyter, and later by the Rev. Father We'll
bers, who succeeded him in the work. Ii
belongs to the ST. Joseph's Society, that
great missionary factor In the Roman
Catholic Church, and 10 Intended to be
carried OH In connection with st. Joseph's
Orphanage in Wilmington. The orphanage
will take the small colored orphans, educate
them until they are Of sufficient age to
learn some useful employment. and then
send them to the industrial school to COIN
plete their studies.
A description of the buildings may prove
interesting They are all Of fraine and In
ciude the church, the house for the priests.
the home for the sisters the inflrmary, the
school house, the gymnasium, the laundry
and kitchen, the two dormitories, the
boiler and power house, and the stables,
and three OF the older buildings which
will some time be used as factories In ad-
dition to the water tower and gas plant
room, which are in the same structure.
The gas will be made and the water for
the grounds and buildings will be furnish
ed by the plans of the school which are al
ready in, and which will be ready for OPP
Grafton in q few days.
Perhaps the prettiest building Of the en-.
tire number is the church, which occupies
q place in the centre Of horseshoe. 1t Ia
q long rectangular building with tall
tower. The interior resembles a picture
Of some of the churches In foreign lands.
The roof is of open frame work finished
In oak and the pillars which support tho
framework are Of the same finish, while
the other woodwork Is of white finish.
The altar is Of brass, wnile the ornamen-
tation Is moulded instead Of painted, as in
most cases. In the rear Is small choir
gallery. A choir will be formed from tho
boys who are at the school.
The sisters house is three stories high
and will contain ab ht twonty five rooms.
The sleeping rooms will be on the upper
floors, and each sui, has bathroom On
the first floor will be the seWing-room
The house is finished in natural wood.
Pie clustering is-plain white adamant.
The priests house Is somewhat similar
to that of the sisters but is not SO large.
priests. Each suite will contain Sleep
ing-room, bath, study and an extra room
to be used as astting.room or as desired.
On the top floor, which Ia really u half
story above tho third floor, will be o recre-
alton room in which it is proposed to have
billiard or pool table.
The kitchen and laundry building is two
stories high. On the first floor are dining
rooms for the sisters and the priests--four
in nj n Hpnp Ia
which it is proposed in time to fit with a
steam engine and all Of the necessary laun.
dry appliances. On the second floor is
the dining-room of tho boys
Ono Of the prettieit buildings of all is
the gymnasium, forty feet square. 1t Is
two stories high but really one story ao-
tually. 1t will be fitted with apparatus
usually found in u gymnasium In one
end is pretty stage, on which entertain.
ments can be giyen. Dressing rooms are
provided on each side Of the stage.
Near the church Is the infirmary. The
lower floor of this three-story building
was intended originally to be used as
offices, but it has not yet been decided how
they will be fitted. On the other floors arc
rooms similar to those found in any hos
pilal, This building, like the Others, Is
finished ia hard wood.
The school building Is two story
structure, with two rooms on each floor.
1t will be fitted like city school and
intended to accommodate 2o) pupils
There are two dormitory buildings.
They are exactly alike. AT either end on
the first floor are reading rooms, light
and Of good size. Between these rooms.
Oh the same floor, arc shower bath rooms.
The system used is tt one adopted in all
the modern hospitals and schools. The
floor is of zinc.
Overhead is a perforated pipe, which
forms gigantic shower bath. All that Is
needed for a thorough washing is for tho
bather to take off his clothing, stand In
the middle of the floor, and allow the
water to fall upon him. On the second
floors are the sleeping rooms. These arc
large, and at either end is an observatory.
IA small room outside the sleeping room,
but having q window opening into it by
which the preCeptOr, who sleeps there, can
keep an eye on the inmates.
The water tower completes the list OF
new buildings. 1t is about six feet high
and has three tanks at the top. The water
is pumped by steam into these tanks. kn
electric signal tells when the water Is high
enough, and also when it fails in tho
tanks. This gas plant III which gasoline
will lie used, is GA the first floor of the
water tower. The process is vol known,
and dous not need description. The gas
will be conveyed to the principal buildings
Of the village, but all Of them will not be
lighted at first.
The Old buildings are now used as
church and priests house, factory aud sis
tors homo. 1t is intended in time when
the new building is completed to use them
for factories alone They are plain wood
ell buildings, three Stories high, with the
exception Of the stables and the power
house, which are but one story high.
Tho ColOrGd boys Of the village put the
finishing touches on the buildings. The
trenches for the water pipes the gas pipes
and tho grading for walks and cellars was
also done by the boys. They are now
painting and granting the buildings
The boys are IA happy lot and no preoau.
ton in the way Of II wall Is erected to keep
them at the village ThOy can escape If
they should desire, but there IL no inten-
ton on the part Of any ono to 80 act.
They leave tho institution when they are
Fl years old A massive stone gateway
marks the entrance to the grounds on
which is cut "St, Josephs Industrial
School" Above it is tho Scripture text:
For what is Il man proilted, il he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own
soul?'
MOI In the large flower bed in front Of the
present chapel Is the grave Of the Rev j.
A. DeRuytcr. the man who labored 50 long
and well for the institution. Soon the
body will be laid to rest beneath the new
church where all will be reminded Of the
life Of the priest who gave all that he had
for tho cause in which he t0llgd