The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-07
WILL COST $4,000
10 Provide Room for Three
Hundred Male Patients.
The House Committee Says the State Prison,
Now Having Only Few Convicis, Could
b Fitted up for Insane ASYLUM.

million dollars for States prison. is
now occupied only in small part. Some
weeks ago the Legislature appointed a
committee to examine the building tC
ascertain whether IL could be utilized
for an insane asylum for men. Two OF
the wisest and most practical men of the
House-Judge Graham, of Granville, and
Mr.. X. ii. Kicks, of Nash,-were APP
pointed on that committee. They have
finished their report and will present it
to the House this morning.
1t is as follows:
ITO the President OF the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives:
The undersigned members OF the Joint
Committee appointed by yourselves I'M
der authority Of joint resolution, No. -,
to examine the State Prison buildings
near the city of Raleigh, with view to
ascertain whether il was feasible to CON
vert them into a hospital for the insane
or any other useful institution for the
State, we beg leave to report:
That owing to the great pressure of
business at this term of the General AS
sembly We have been unable to give the
matter that attention which it deserves
but within the limited time allowed us
have thoroughly inspected the buildings
and the surrounding premises and beg
leave TO report that ii IS impossible now
To find out accurately the total cost OF
the buildings. but from information here
tofore compiled by Col. f. A. Odds, a
Il lott tf..ts..
this State, and from other sources we
are assured. that the cost could not be
less than one million dollars The main
building is 400. feet in length by -
feet in width. The administration build
irg. so-called. is located just in front OF
the main building and just in the reaI
of end attached to the main building
arc the kitchen and laundry and few
PAGES to the south of these is a large
three-story building used for female con-
victs. These buildings are among the
finest if not themselves the very finest.
structures belonging to the State, unless
il be the State Capitol The walls are
three feet in thickness and not crack
appears throughout their whole length OF
breadth. There is also a very large brick
building i'm the southeast corner of the
shop and other purposes The eastern
half of the main building has been filled
with cells in which convicts were con
fined, and the extreme east end is now
used as a hospital for the sick and af-
nicted. The interior of the western hal.
of the building has never been completed
though the extreme end is now fitted
up as a department for the criminal in.
sane of whom there are forty-two. w,
find now in the prison in addition to tho
forty-two criminal insane about 125 con
vcts. including the sick, though this
number will be greatly reduced in
short time by many of them being hire(
out or sent to the State farms We fine
that The premises comprise from six I,
eight acres Of land. Just between this
property and the Central State Hospita
there is a tract of land of 10 or 80 acres
part in cultivation and small part il
original growth and the remainder il
second growth, scrubby oaks and othel
trees. We arc of the opinion that tn,
building would be admirably adapted t.
the uses of a hospital for the afflicted
of our State and that the plan of con
vcrting into such a hospital is entireE
feasible and practicable. and we believ
that il would save TO the people of th'
State several hundred thousand dollars
10 use these btfiidings for that purpose
Of course a very decided change woult
have TO be made in the interior arrange
mcnts of the building but. for the pres
ent by the proper expenditure of money
the western half of the main building
and the administration building and thu
womans building could be utilized fol
thore purposes. leaving the alteration II
the eastern half to some future tim
when the needs of the State should de
mand il. The situation is such that the
premises could be so. laid out in walk;
and drives and adorned with evergreen:
and shrubbery as to be made beautiful
and attractive place, and by the acquisi
tion of the land just south of the States
Prison this property could be connected
with that of the State Central Hospital
4 boulevard and other necessary roads
and paths could be constructed by con.
Wet labor so that the institutions nigh
be brought in such close touch with eacf
other that the same head staff could ad
minister the affairs of both.
we find that it would cost not ex-
cecding S35. 900. nor less than $4,000, t.
SO fit up the western half of the maiI
building ard the administration ard wo
mans buildings as to accommodate thre'
hundred patients, and we would sugges
that the male patients at the Contra
Hospital could all be removed TO this
building and the Central Hospital de
Nctci entirely to the female patients
We also ind that the property at Hills
boro, IN Orange county. formerly known
as the Hillsboro Military Academy, anf
now belonging to the State Farmers Al
lance, comprising seventy acres of lant
ana large and commodious thrce-stor!
brick structure in good repair sufficient
TO accommodate a hundred or more pa
ucnts can be purchased for 49,. 600 ant
by few alterations and additions coult
be made available either as hospita
for the criminal insane or the afflicted
invallds among the convicts. Or in tho
event Of the purchase of said propert,
should not be desirable then we supros,
that n building for hospital burmese,
could be constructed upon the high 1ap5
of the State Farm in Halifax county fo-
$4,000 sufficient for all hospital need,
Of the convicts. and that separate fron,