The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-28
Eighty Beds Occupied, Though Twsnty-FNs
Hundred Had Been Provided.
ARMY OFFICERS DID NOT OBJECT.
Gen. Wood Has Stopped The Big Jail Scheme
Government silll Pays $4,000 for Privileges
that Should Have Been Made UnnscsssarE

| Havana, June 2S-Two hundred
thousand dollars may cover the money
which was wasted on Military Hospital
No. /. Some of the officials who are of a
sangune temperament think they can
make a showing which will reduce the
amount OF waste. though they do not
| try 10 deny that there has been great
| extravagance.
From the time of reaching Havana,
says the correspondent. had heard
much about this Military Hospital No.
/. 1t is situated out near Castillo del
Principe, or Castillo Castle, and one
thing that may be urged in Ms favor
is the healthful location. though that
hardly justifies throwing money away
in hundred thousand dollar Jumps. The
building is an bid one and was used
| by the Spanish authorities. They TO ok
| the property many years ago after
| their usual method of confiscation and
| did not bother about the title. Neither
| did the American military authorities
| when they started on the project.
| In making inquiries / was told that
| the plan was conceived by Chief Su--
| geon II. NJ. O'Reilly when he was sta-
| toned in Havana. He projected a hos
| pftal with twenty-five hundred beds.
| and the plans were carried out and
the expenditures made on that scale.
| DREAMS OF MILITARY OFFICIALS
| 1t is surprising now to learn how
many officers were dreaming fifteen or
| eighteen months ago of a huge perma-
| nent military establishment in Cuba.
| Allowing for errors OF judgment in
| this as in other matters, IL is difficult
to understand. however, on what basis
military hospital with twenty five
| hundred beds was thought desirable.
Nevertheless, Military Hospital No. I
| was planned for twenty-five hundred
| beds, and at times IL has had as many
| as eighty OF these beds occupied by
soldiers. The expenditures were fully
in keeping with the project of a grand
| military hospital.
| Up TO this date the disbursements for
| Military Hospital No. l have amounted
TO $4,000. The main expenditures have
been for an Ice plant, electric light
| plant and plumbing. Lumber has also
| been very heavy item. One disburse-
ment for the ice plant was $4,000 in a
| lump. but that does not cover the
whole expenditure for this purpose. This
| Ice business appears to have been a
| profitable job for the contractors. The
electric light plant was also provided
| for on liberal scale, but not quite SO
extravagantly as the ice plant.
In the matter of plumbing there was
no stint. One single item is for $4,000,
but the aggregate mounts up much
| higher. Possibly the plumbing was
| worth all that was paid for IL. II is OF
the finest and most modern kind. With
the plumbing as foundation the walls
| and everything else of the old Spanish
building might be torn away and a
new edfice constructed which would be
as palatial as anything that was known
in the best hospitals Of the world,
BAD BUSINESS ALL AROUND.
1t is fair to the military authorities to
say that they do not attempt TO justify
the wastefulness that has been shown
They frankly state II was bad business
all around; yet, as usual, there Is DIM
Guilty I'm placing responsibility, though
most of them insist that Surgeon o.
Reilly's plans were the main cause OF
the waste of money.
When the folly of the twenty five
hundred beds for military purposes be-
came plain an effort was made to util-
ize the structure as a general hospital
The municipality of Havana was fair
ly we'll provided with hospital facilities
and did not grasp the offer. One cause
OF It's hesitancy was the doubts regard
ing the title.
After much uncertainty a temporary
arrangement has been effected The
municipality has leased the hospital
from the military authorities and II
| VIII therefore not be left unoccupisd.
But I'm the lease the municpality ac-
cepts no responsibility for maintaining
the title. 4f the question Is raised the
title must be defended by the military
| government.
| Another project which was planned
on a grand scale was TO turn what is
| known as San Ambrosio Hospital into a
jail or prison. The structure is on the
water front and at some time in the
future promises To be more valua bic
| for commercial purposes than for either
a hospital or n Jail. This r. the view
which the municipality holds. Steps
were taken by General Ludlow and Col
| onel Black TO turn IL into n jail An
outcry was raised that II was Havana 4
worst focus OF infection for yellow fe-
yer an outlet for two sewers and a
| general plague spot Sanitary experts
made this declaration with great en-
phas's. Other sanitary experts declsr-
ed that the place was free from yellow
fever Infection and that II was the m6st
healthful spot I'm Havana.
This difference OF opinion which Nigh,
have Induced caution did not cause thf
project to be abandoned. An electric
plara was contracted for and the en-.
| gineering force went ahead with III
usual energy I'm changing the drainage
and other plumbing arrangements. Car.
los Garcia. the Inspector Of prisons
made a strong protest to the governor
general against the use ~ the structurs
for prison. General Wood investIgat.
I'd and ordered the project abandoned
lie insisted On $4,000. which the en-
gineering officers were going 10 use. be
irg turned back into tho treasury.
FAILURE OF TRrsCoRNIA RAIL
WAY.
As 10 the amount which was gttuall,
spent before the scheme was stoppet
by order Of the governor general. 7 havl
not been able 10 get the exact figures
Criticism has been verv sharp, he