The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-14
HOSPITAL WILL BE SOLD.
ARMY BUILDINGS WILL SOON BE A
THING OF THE PAST.

Before June 80 the Hospital VIII BE
Disposed OLA Possibility That the
Purchasers May Arrange to Keep
the Buildings on the Grounds for
Some Manufacturing or other Pur-
pose-HistOry of the Hospital.
Erected at Great Cost and Used
But LittIe-StOres and Medical
Supplies Now Being shipped to
New York-SOme viii n remain TO BE
Sold in April.
The United States Army Hospital build
ings Will soon be sold The lease held by
the government on the property upon
which the buildings stand will expire June
80, and before that date it is expected that
all the buildings will have been removed.
Nothing can be learned to Indicate that
there is a likelihood of the buildings re-
naming on the grounds IL is regarded
as far more probable that they will be re-
moved Contractors and builders will
probably bid when the government auc-
lions off the buildings, and ii is believed
the purchaser or purchasers will then pro-
coed to tear them down in order to use
the materials elsewhere.
All the fixtures in the buildings will be
sold They will go with the buildings The
fixtures are not very many, as the interior
of the buildings are, as a rule plain. There
are refrigerators of large capacity, stoves
and ranges and other household appurte-
nances of no mean value, and the sale of
the property when it is held, will be an
event of no mean Importance.
Maj. Comegys is surgeon in charge of
the hospital. He has been notified of the
intention of the government to sell. Even
now the Major has commenced the work
of sending off the hospital stores and sup
plies that are in the best condition. They
are going 10 New York. The rest will be
left for the inspection of some officer con-
nected with the quartermaster depart
ment, who will condemn and order sold
A great quantity of supplies has be n
stored at the hospital. When no further
need for the buildings for hospital uses
existed it was determined to utilize the
vast storage space. Accordingly the
medical depot in the city was broken up
and the stores were transferred to the
hospital buildings. Even after the ship
ment of the things that are perfectly
sound to New York has been completed
there will remain a considerable quantity
of all sorts of equipment and stores used
by the medical department of the army,
and the sale that will follow will doubtless
attract many bidders.
1t is very probable that the sale of the
condemned goods will be held some time
next month. Not long after 1t is held
that of the buildings will be had. IL Is
the governments desire to turn the prop
erty over to the owners in the condition
in which 1t was received on the expiration
Of the lease.
When the government secured the
ground for the buildings it was on lease
of one year with a privilege of renewal
for three. The government has no desire
for a continuation. In fact. II would seem
to an individual that the decision TO build
the hospital here must have been long
since regretted. The buildings We're in
use for hospital purposes for but three or
four months, and they have since stood rs
nothing more than an expense. They rep
resent a cost to the government of about
SIPS. 600.
The suggestion that the buildings might
be bought and utilized by some company
for manufacturing purposes is Endorsed by
many They may not be very well
adapted for any sort of manufacturing as
they stand, but they are well built, and
might be moved about so 10 form larger
buildings by the consolida ton. AS it is
some of the buildings, especially the Off
GERS quarters and the administration
binding, afford a great deal of room.
Probably no building in the state affords
as much room as all the hospital build
ings together.
In the fall of 1898 the hospital was CON-
menced. Capt. McHarg of the quarter
master department was here to look after
the work. The contract was secured by
w. F. May of Chattanooga, and some lit
tie trouble arose between the contractor
and the officers in charge of the work be-
fore it was ever completed. Considera BILE
delay was experienced from one cause or
another and ii was not until May of 1899
that the work was finished.