El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-24
NEW ARMY HOSPITAL
PLANS OF BUILDINGS SOON TO BE
ERECTED At SAVANNAH.

VIII BE the Largest Establishment
of It's Kind Maintained by the Fed
eral Government - There Will he
Forty-nine Buildings In All.
Twenty one acres Of ground have been
secured for the construction Of the army
hospital at Savannah, and it is said
that the establishment will cover the
whole tract and be the largest hospital
maintained under the auspices OF the
federal government. Generally speak
ing, the hospital at Savannah will be
modelled after that at Old Point, Va,
with improvements suggested by ex-
perience. The ground plan of buildings
there is triangular. Here it will be rec
tangular, with covered ways connecting
all of the buildings with each other
and with the administration building
in the center of the group. There will
be 40 buildings in all. The cost Of the
Savannah establishment is to be 81 5O,-
900, the full amount of the approprla-
ton, as against 500, 900 for the Vir-
ginia hospital.
The material used will probably be
Georgia pine. This wood is favored be-
cause of it's refreshing. resinous, health
full smell, as we'll as the fact that it is
a first class building material and is
readily at hand. Speed in construction
will be one of the controlling considera-
tions in awarding the contract. 1t is
proposed to have the whole plant in
service during the early days of Janu-
ary. The buildings are to be designed
and constructed with view to per-
manenoy. Each building will be ceiled
inside and under the floors so that
drafts dangerous to invalids will be
made impossible. The land has been
leased for one year from Oct. 10. with
the option on the part Of the govern
ment of extending the contract for an
other year.
Each of the four sides of the quad
rangle will contain a ward capable OK
accommodating $50 single beds, with
ample space between, making room for
1000 beds in all. One ward will be set
aside for surgical cases, and an inclosed
passageway will connect it with a mod
ern operating room. Besides the general
wards, there will be private sickrooms
for the accommodating OF invalid off,
GERS. The plumbing is to be OF a per-
manent character, and the drain pipes
will be connected with the city sewer
system. The artesian water supply will
be unlimited. The heating will be by
means of coal base burners. 1t has not
been decided whether the lighting will
be by electricity or gas, but both are
Immediately at hand. There is an ice
factory within so yards of the site and
ice is 10 cents per 100 pounds by retail.
The officers quarters will be of two
stories The dormitories for the nurses
and hospital corps will occupy two
I, buildings. The chief surgeon will have
| a private residence. All buildings are
to be lined between walls with tar pa
per and covered with shingles. Besides
the ward buildings there will be an
administration building, blacksmith
shop, painters shop, carpenters shop.
| plumbers shop, telegraph office. ex-
press Office, postoffice, medical store
house, dispensary, library and reading
room, bakery, chapel, guardhouse. dead
house, oil and machinery storehouse,
fuel house and stables. In short, the es-
| adjustment is to be complete COM
| munity sufficient for all purposes within
itself. The site is at the corner Of Bull
street and Estill avenue. On one side
is a trolley line. and on the other a
! steam line, connected with all of the
railways entering the city. 1t is expect
ed that the administration building and
one of the wards will be completed in
about 80 days, when patients will begin
to arrive. Especial New York Post.