The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-10-04
NORFOLK MUST PROVIDE.
State Has No Money to Restore
Hospital for Insane.
BOARD FAVoRS REBUILDING.

At the Regular Meeting Next Week
Negotiations viii be Opened With
Norfolk Looking to Reconstruction
OF the Buildings.
From SaturdNy'e Daily
Governor Savage and Attorney Cen
eral Prout, who came up from Lincoln
yesterday to inspect the Norfolk hospital
for insane, spent the afternoon Mt tho
institution. They found the property
In much better condition than they had
expected, and at the end OF their VISIT
Expressed themselves as individually in
favor of reconstruction Two other
members of the board of public lands
and buildings, Secretary OF State Marsh
and Commissioner of Public Lands and
Buildings Folmer, had visited tho insti'
tuition the day after the fire, and after
they had looked over the situation they
expressed themselves as satisfied that
the only thing to dois to rebuild. Thus,
30 far rs they have Expressed themselves
individually, the members Of the board
believe the property should be..restored,
but before anything authoritative can
be given out regular meeting of the
board is necessary, which will be held
the early part of next week. The ditii'
Guilty to this result is likely to be found
in the fact that the board hns no money
mt its command to pay any part OF the
expense of rebuilding. As stated at n
meeting of the governor and the Nor
foil, committee last evening, the people
OF this town will be expected to provide
the mems that it costs aud wait until
mn appropriation is made by the legis-
lnture. The first thing to be done, as
suggested by the members OF the board,
is to employ competent architect TO
examine and report on the feas bllity
and approximate cost of reconstruction.
Then An architect should be employed
TO draw plans and specifications and to
superintend the rebuilding. The money
for fees of the architects, the' cost OF
material and labor would have to be
providedifor by Norfolk people, but the
work would be done under the sanction
and direction of the board OF public
lands and buildings. 1t was stated at
the meeting that in no case Is 1t prob
able that any member of the board will
consent to reconstruction unless the
building is to be absolutely fire proof in
every particular.
Attorney General Prout, i'll conversa-
ton with News reporter last evening,
said he could not help but marvel at the
remarkable small loss Of life during the
fire. He considered it n most stipend
ous undertaking to release 300 insane
patients from an institution of that
character during the excitement or
fire, with the loss of but two lives, and
both of these persons who hac been re-
moved from the building but escaped
from their attendant and rushed back
into the burning structure. He said 1t
showed great executive ability on the
part of DR.. Teal and the other officers
and attendants.
This morning n. A. Raiubolt received
letter from the secretary of the Union
Commercial club of Lincoln, reiteratlns
what had been told to him over the tele
phone, as to the position Of Lincoln bust
ness men inregard to the report that they
would try to secure the abandonment OF
the Norfolk hospital and have the pa
tients brought to Lincoln for treatment
The letter follows:
Union Commercial, Lincoln, Neb
Sept. 27-Mr. n. \. Rainbolt, Norfolk
Neb: Dear Sir-My attention has beei
called to the fact that the press wer'
freely commenting on the proposition
that the city of Lincoln would profit b,
the unfortunate fire at the Norfolk III
sane asylum, by the rebuilding of tn,
same at Lincoln and that the UniOI
Commercial club were actively at worl
seeking TO bring this about.
wish to state on behalf of the Uniol
Commercial club and every membe
thereof, that no such action has beel
taken or contemplated.
Please convey TO the cltlZens OF NOT
folk our sympathy in the loss SUSTAINED
for the time being and assure them a
the next session of the legislature tina
Lancaster couuty's delegation will lem
their aid to the securing OF an appropri
alton for the rebuilding of the Norfoll
insane asylum, making it a fire proc
structure. Very truly yours,
h. 9, REwICE,
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