Evening star., 1898-07-30
WASHINGTON ASYLUM
Annual Report and Estimates of In
tendant Stoutenburgh.
WORK PERFORMED TEE PAST YEAR
Improvements Suggested and Ap-
proriations Required.
OF OPERATION S

| The annual report Of Mr.. Walter H.
| Stoutenburgh, the intendant of the WASH
] ington Asylum, was filed with the District
Commissioners today. The report covers
! the operations of the institution, which in
cludes the District work house, for the
year ending June 80, 1898. The report is
| most voluminous one, and estimates of the
! amounts required for the improvement and
| maintenance of the institution for the fiscal
year ending June 30 1900, aggregate S164,-
S14. The daily average number of persons
| maintained during the past fiscal year was
6Oo at an annual per capita cost of $72 16.
| MIR. Stoutenburgh renews his recommended
ton for a separate building for the housing
of colored women in the aims house depart
| ment, calling attention to the fact that in
| the present necessarily crowded condition
| there is great danger of serious loss of life
in case Of fire, as it would be impossible to
get the inmates out if fire should make
any headway in their quarters. An appro-
priation of $4,000 is asked for this build
ing, the sum of $4,000 for central build
Ing for work house for males, $10,000 for
an additional story to one of the Old Mems
Home Buildings, $1,000 for a maternity
ward, 81 500 for equipping the hospital 50 800
for repairs, $685. for contingent main
tenance expenses and $19,314 for salaries.
MIR. Stoutenburgh says:
The year just passed has been a success
fui one, in so far that no serious accidents
have happened to the property or buildings
of the institutions. The health of the en-
pioyeS and inmates generally has been good
and the death rate has somewhat decreased
from that of former years. Owing to the
very low prices for general supplies for the
past year, and the rigid economy practiced
In all its branches, the institution has been
enabled to maintain a greater number of
persons than ever before without creating
a dafi IN, III
average number of persons maintained was
605, at an annual per capita cost of ST. 16,
including the care of buildings except as
to the resurfacing of floors, which was
dcne by special appropriation, and includes
painting, glazing, repairs to roofs, door
locks, plumbing, sewage, steam heating ap-
plIances, stable floors and the purchase and
repairs of tools for the farm and different
working gangs; also for the purchase of
all furnishing, medicines and drugs for the
hospital department
Hospital Department.
The hospital was crowded to overf1owing
during the entire winter, notwithstanding
our efforts to keep it within it's proper
bounds, thus showing that more wards will
be necessary for the proper care of the
sick and destitute. The work of the hos
pital has been satisfactory, so far as our
facilities go, and has been somewhat i'm
proved by the employment of an additional
the training school for nurses. Our limited
quarters for the proper housing of nurses,
and lack of funds to pay them, have COM
PEELED us to use only limited number; but
/ am well pleased with the results SO far
obtained and am glad to state that as soon
as the nurses home is erected we shall be
enabled to employ larger number of these
skillful and willing workers. The work of
the visiting physician, resident physician
and staff generally has been good and sat
isfactory results have been obtained.
IAN expensive steam heating plant was
erected and has been in successful opera
ticn during the past winter. It consists of
central heating station and building for
boiler and coal vaults, an eighty-horse
power high pressure steam boiler, with
supply and return pipes, automatic gov
error and Bundy steam traps in each
ward, The plant and building cost
SS,036 A. Seven buildings are heated by
this system, and it has proved great
comfort, the wards are kept warm day
and night in the most severe weather.
A diet kitchen was established and
each ward pantry was also furnished with
ice box, water cooler and gas stove. Ten
reclining chairs and fifty new beds Were
and and I. R'A's' III the 'i'i'' en' - T. . '
1.-The greatest need of this department
now is a receiving and a new maternity
ward, and funds to provide more gen
erous diet for the sick.
The Aims House Department..
''Ihe asylum DuliOlnS was improved ny
the resurfacing of the floors of the officers
kitchens, dining room and back hallway
with octagonal asphalt block. The office
reception room and front hallway floors
were renewed; the roofs and skylights were
repaired and painted and the woodwork
was painted. This building is in fair con-
dition, but is very much overcrowded in
winter-in fact is full now. An additional
wing should be added, but as the expense
would be about $4,000, 1 have advocated
and hereby renew my previous recon-
mendation for separate building for the
housing Of the colcred women VINO are kept
in this building.
''The building asked for in estimates is
for the colored women of the almshouse,
and is very much needed, as during the
winter months the present building Is very
much crowded. AS many as seven beds are
at times placed in one small room. Nearly
all of these old women are unable to go up
or down stairs. They are carried to their
rooms and there they remain until again
carried out. They would be infinitely more
comfortable in low, plain building with
wide porches, where they could be put out
in the open air in pleasant weather. In
the present condition great danger of Sc
rious loss of life exists in case of fire.
The quarters of the colored men known as
the ''old mems home" consists of two one
story buildings, formerly used as maga-
zines by the government, and have been
made into suitable quarters for this class
of inmates. AS they have been crowded to
thelr utmost capacity LOT over year
suggest that an additional story be added
to one of them. There are at present
eighty men cared for in these two one
story buildings. This class of inmates is
rapidly increasing, and it is almost impos-
sible to discharge one of them when once
here, as they are all either old and helpless
or cripples, are unable to work and have
no one to care for them.
Male workhouse Department..
This building was improved by the lay
ing of cement on a portion of the first and
entirely on the third floor. Eight hundred
and twenty surface yards was laid partially
by agreement with the government con-
tractor for cement sidewalks and partially
by purchase of material and hire of a skill
full cement worker. all other labor being
taken from the prisoners. I find the lat
ter plan the most satisfactory and the
least expensive. This work has been of
great benefit, as 1t has strengthened the
building very much, making it very solid
and substantial 1t has been of no less
comfort to the inmates, as now it can be
kept clean and healthfuL
The fourth floor is still covered by the old
brick. as is also a portion of the first, and
needs new cement floor exceedingly.