Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-16
THE NEW HOSPITAL,
Institution at WATERFOWL Soon
to Be Thrown Open
to Its Uses.
THE DESIGN AsD HISTORY.

Sombsr Of Unfor:uustes TO BE Acccmmo.
dated to EqasI I,soO-Patien,e Aiready
Assigned aud Where s ,me Of Them Ar,
Coming From HI rnishing and FittinS In
frogress.
The Chicago Record Of today has q
special writeup Of the new Western
illinois Hospital for the Insane at
Rock Island. 1t says: In q few
weeks the newly erected Western
illinois Hospital for the Insane will
be dedicated ard opened to inmates
This Institution was authorized by
the Illinois legislature in May, 1895,
and 800, 900 was appropriated FOX
its erection. Rock Island county
gave 400 acres Of fine land-one.
iourth upland. the rest rich bottom,
and worth &i0,O00-and got the
award. To date S?6l GA has been
appropriated, Of which SS5,COO re-
mains to be expended. It will CT M
plete the building and furnishing as
planned. Tee buildings. with one
exception, are in Tudor-Gothic style,
the walls OF hollow brick, faced with
Berea sandstone, laid in framework.
They occupy the slightest imaginable
position on the top of bluff 1870 fee,
high. slopiDg away back from the
Mississippi river and the viilsge or
its bank, and commanding q wide
prospect OF river, hill and valley.
No other institution in the state has
q nobler situation. The buildings
consist of q 3-story administration
building. 40 by 40 feet, with q corner
tower 100 feet high; g central build.
ing in its rear 81 by 12S feet. Ward.
A aad one, As by ia feet, 2.stories
high. and wards b and two. irrcsu-
lar in outline, coo feet in circum.er.
ence and Of the same height as arc
the others. Ia addition to these
buildings will be q power house in
the rear, As by 15i feet, one story
high. with a stack 100 feet high, and
back OF this S.story pressed-brick
building, occupied by an amusement
hail and apartments for the women
employed at the Institution. Water
will be furnished by an artesian well
in the basement OF the central build
ing. Steam heat will be used
throughout. The building will be
veil protected against fire. and tn.
plumbing will BE- the best. The en-.
tire series Of buildings is liseprooi in
construction throughout. Kitchen.
laundry, workshop and cooling ap.
paratus will occupy places in the
Easements OF the buildings. Tn.
sewage is TO be conducted 81 the low.
lands and distributed there for ab.
sortion by the soil. Az ex.ensiy,
farm will be operated In connection
with the building, ss the needs OF the
institution may require.
Member to be Accomrno lated.
1.-The buildings will accommodate
l,SOO inmates. in addition to attach hes.
The opening will be marked by 20
ceremonies whs,ever, being simply
the opening OF the doors to the pub.
lie, and after that the Installing Of
the first inmates. The state board
of charities has assigned $50 patients
to this institution. The frst install.
ment Of so will be brought from
Jacksonville. These will soon be
followed, it is expected, by so more
from Elgin. and thereafter other.
will bs brought from these ;nstitu.
tons and from the poor farms OF the
state. The superintendent OF the
hospital is Dr.. W. + Taylor, OF Mon
mouth. He represents the homno.
pn,hic school, and this is the only
hospital for the insane in tie state
where this school Of medicine is so
represented. DR.. Taylor is furnish
ing and fitting the hospital for the
coming Of the first inmates.
The original board OF tru itees,
appointed by Gov. Al,geld. was COM
posed OF w. Selden Gale. of Gales
burg; Judge William Eden. OF Rush.
vile, and Mayor L. j. Medill, of
Rock Island. The present board
members are Frank W. Gould, OF
Moline; Allen Clements, OF Chic ago.