The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-03
HOSPITAL WELL UNDER WAY.
Col. ForwOOd Expects to Have 1t
Ready by New Year's.


There is scene Of busting activity out
on Estill avenue The hospital for sick
soldiers of the United States is going up
with a rush, and it looks as If the. con-
tractors. W. F. May & Co., will complete
the work within the time specified in their
contract. A number of the forty-six or
forty-eight buildings that are to constI-
tute the hospital and it's necessary attach
ments have already been begun, though
none Of them have as yet neared compile
ton.
Col. w. Fl. Forwood, assistant surgeon
general, who Is here representing his de-
partment in hospital construction, is anx-
ious to have the establishment in use by
Jan. l. The most necessary of the build
ings will be the officers quarters, the ad-
ministration building, the mess halls, the
sleeping quarters for the hospital corps
and the wards for patients. Some of the
awards and most of the other buildings
enumerated have been started and it is
believed that they viii have been suffi-
GENTLY advanced by Jan. 1 to admit of the
hospital being brought into use.
The hospital work commenced about ter.
days ago. No time has been lost in push
ing it, and it is now well in hand There
is large force of hands engaged upon the
buildings. Some are laying the brick for
the pillars upon which the houses will
rest, some are hauling lumber and many
are doing the carpentering. The ring of
the hammer and the buzz of the saw is
constant, and an onlooker is impressed
with the proportions Of the undertaking.
Within few days there VIII be even more
going on, as other buildings will have
been started.
Mr.. May has had an office built for him
self and clerks A telephone has been put
in and everything has been arranged to
facilitate and expedite the work as much
as possible. He has had his own wagons
and teams sent down from Chattanooga.
as he found he would need them to assist
in getting the materials to the site as fast
as it as needed. But little difficulty has
been found on this score. For the frs.
few days there seemed to be a little
trouble about getting the lumber, but re-
Gently il has been coming faster. 1t is not
thought that there will be any further diff
ffeulty.
In a day or two the Savannah, Thur
derbolt and Isle of Hope Railroad Com
pany will begin moving its track. One
corner of the tract upon which the build
ings will stand is cut off by the track, and
it will be necessary to get it removed at
once in order that the work may proceed.
This was the understanding when the
ground was rented by the government.
The track will be relaid off to one side of
the hospital site.
The southern side of the tract is now
occupied by the corral of the Seventh
Corps. The corral has been moved once
already on account Of having been placed
upon the hospital site and it will be nec-
essary for 1t to be moved again. After 1t
was moved TO the place it occupies at
present it was discovered that the hospi-
tai site should have its limits so changed
as to include the piece of ground that
had been taken by the corral. The con-
tractors are going to give the corral peo-
pie all the time possible to make their ar
rangements for getting away, and it will
be seen to that the buildings that are to
stand where the stables now are will be
the last to be erected.
Employment has been furnished to many
Savannah laborers and foremen by the
hospital work. Many of these employed
were brought from Chattanooga but all
that could be secured were hired here. 1t
is proposed to increase the force OF hands
even vet.