New-York tribune., 1900-05-06
MR.. KELLER'S SHANTIES
MANY CHARITIES DEPARTMENT BUILD
INGS OCCUPIED BY CITY DEPEND
ENTS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS.

The burning of the Industrial School on Ran
dall's Island last Thursday night has caused the
Charities Department to investigate the condition
of other buildings of similar character, which
may also prove easy prey to FIRE This has
been especially brought the attention of the De-
'partment because of the suspicion of incendarsm
in connection with the RandalFs Island fre IL
would appear that there as many as dozen
or more frame buildings belonging to or used by
the Department. Many if not all OF these are
occupied and the larger part have accommoda-
tions for patients whose escape in case of fire
would be well nigh impossible.
On Blackwelps Island alone there several
buildings which John w Keller. the Commissioner
of Charities has termed shanties and which he
says should be torn down. These at the ex-
treme north end of the island. and tenanted
by the insane Since the plan of removing the
insane patients to Wards Island most of the in
mates heretofore kept Blackwelrs Island have
been transferred to their home No accom-
modaton has yet been procured for about three
hundred patients, however. and they still occupy
the shanties the end of Blackwells Island These
structures four in number. of one story, and
80 by SO feet Each contains about eighty beds
In addition to the shantes on Blackwelrs ISL
and is the Maternity Hospital which is branch
of the City Hospital. II Is story high built of
wood and contains about fifty beds. Not far away
is another wooden building, which is used as a
waiting pavilion for those seeking entrance TO the
Maternity Hospital. and which also contains half
hundred beds Other buildings which have been
built entirely in part Of wood and which are at
tached to the City Hospital the male epileptic
ward, the erysipelas ward and two large dormito-
res for the hired help of the institution The
male epieptic ward contains from thirty-fve to
thirty-eight beds. The erysipeas ward is used for
both men and women and contains about eighteen
two story structures, and contain about forty beds
each. The ground floor of one OF them is used for
In connection with the Almshouse on Blackwells
Island there is a large frame building known as
tients In addition, there are two large wooden
bathrooms; which are one story structures, 20 by
the Old Maternity Hospital is tenanted by en-
on Randalrs Island the scene of last Thursday s
fire is long, low wooden building, which is called
Wbom are utterly Hepess wn ear m bsng
North and South hospitals have wooden extensions,
with glass in the winter time and with shutters in
! In the last year Commissioner Keller has en-
deavored to obtain hospital in Harlem in
the place of the wooden one which is leased
tWentiethst IS IN rbree story
tons for forty patents Much % has Been sad about
the danger 10 the inmates in of fire. since the
have little if any chance of escape Two sites
have been selected for the new hospital. which is
at One hundred-and- -thirty-ffth-st and Lenox
and the other on the ground occupied by the pres.
funds and no appropriation has yet been made.
will soon be taken toward granting an appropria-
The Fordham Hospital in The Bronx is wooden
building being originally dwelling house II is
leased by the city for $1,000 year, and an addi-
Although none of the other structures under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Charities, with
what might be strictly called freProof buildings,
Il has been m felt that those W with
danger from FIRE as those Of the type termed @ by
fore which the Department will endeavor first to
have replaced by safe and adequate structures.