The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-28
COLD BATHS.
Patients in City Hospital
Male Wards Get Them
With Every Storm.
THE BUILDINGS CONDITION
Cracks and Crevices, Rotten
Window Frames and Sills
Let in the Air.
Warden George Osborne of the City
Hospital, in his annual report to the 70
lice Board, Monday night, said


must respectfully call your atten-
tion to the condition of the male
wards. Every heavy storm, the rain
beats through the walls and roof. we
have to pull the cots into the centre
of the floor to prevent the rain from
falling on the patients. Finance Com
missioner Jacob Ringle said it is USE
less to repair this building. Carpen-
ters have been unable to prevent the
leaking and it is very difficult to neat
the building. A ton of coal day is
oftimes required. Something must be
done in the very near future
A reporter of 1.-The News visited the
wards spoken of above in company with
the Warden this morning. The situation
is far worse than his report shows. On
the first floor the ceilings and walls on
east side of the building are in very bad
state Huge cracks can be seen running
from one end of the building to the other
Evidence of the work of heavy storms
still remains. The plaster is colored and
falling and huge gaps can be seen.
Through these the rain and wind flnd
their way to the discomfort of the pa
tients who are forced to stay on that
side of the ward.
The ward above is just as bad as the
one on the lower floor. The plaster is in
a very poor state, large cracks being
visible everywhere.
The Warden showed the reporter
through the structure, pointing out the
various defects. The windows on the east
side are rotten. Braces have been nailed
across some of those that the wind has
wrecked. Other windows are in the same
poor condition. The frame work is rotten
and cannot stand repairing. The sills are
likewise rotten and the crevices are 50
large that blasts of wind are whistling
through them all day.
The Warden described the building as
being anything but credit to a city with
such a population. Comparing it with
other cities Jersey City had buildings that
were fit only for villages.
1--WE have an average of sixty patients
each day. said the Warden, ''and such a
building is not what might be expected in
a city like this. Situated as it is on the
top of a high bluff. it is subjected to fierce
winds and in rain storms water simply
flows into the building in streams This
is not very pleasant for the patients. Very
often have to get up in the night and
go about the building stuffing up cracks
to keep the rain out. To fully appreciate
lil6 COilulliOu VI lie walls anu ScllilS yO0
should be here when the rain is pouring
in.
I'VE need a new building, and the
sooner we get it the better. OF course,
l realize that the city is somewhat in
debt, but if there is any way of getting
the building we should have it.
81 feel perfectly justified in speaking of
the poor condition of the male wards, and
President McGill of the Police Board said
1t would be wise to put the matter before
the Police Board This have done.
FINANCE Commissioner Ringle told me
that it would be almost usless to continue
repairing the damaged parts. They are so
rotten that no amount of repairing will
do any good
There are at present about forty pa.
tients in the male wards. The Warden
added that it was most difficult to keep
the building heated.