The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
LOW ON BLACEWELb'S ISLAND
GOES TO ATTEND NURSES TRAIN.
INC SCHOOL EXERCISES.

He sees the Bones - His Hand ny MeAns
Of Q FlueroscOpe and Watches People
shoot Down Q New Kind Of FIRE Es-
cape-Felhs Points Out improvements.
Mayor Low went over to Blackwell
Island yesterday afternoon to attend the
commencement exercises Of the Metro
politan Training School for Nurses at the
Metropolitan Hospital, and incidentally
made q tour OF the Department OF Charities
buildings with Commissioner Homer Folks.
There was no pomp or pageantry about
the trip. His Honor didn't even wear q
frock coat, but arrived In his automobile
at the foot of East Fifty-second street In all
the democratic simplicity OF a wrinkled
blue serge suit and q colt hat.
Commissioner Folks, Mrs. William Kinni-
QUIT Draper, president Of the board OF
m lr,agera Of the Training School. and Drs.
F.. G.. Rankin and W. s. Mills Of the medical
b oard Of the hospital, met him at the boat
and the party proceeded to the City Hos
pital on the lower end Of the island, whore
the numerous improvements made during
the last year we're inspected.
The staff had provided a diverting specta-
Gle in the demonstration Of the effectiveness
Of a new patent fire escape on the south
end OF the building, 1t consists Of cylin-
drical sheet iron tower covering steel spiral
slide running from the roof to the ground.
The spiral has pitch OF Is degrees and
dips from edge to centre steeply, go that
Everybody Ii his own brake. as the dem
onstrator explained.
While the Ma yor's party stood on the
lawn convn lescents. pretty nurses and
children were shunted out In front Of them
with q fety and entire 6ecorum. Then to
demonstr. ts the entire effectiveness OF
the device 200 ps tients, trustees md doctors
were shot out on the !. wn insiCe OF minute.
There were no bones broken.
At the laboratory the Mayor looked at
the bones Of his hand through the huoro-
scope and was much interested In the skele-
the X-ray machine. His Honor declined
to submit himself to the process. Some
one said the X-rays made the hair fall out.
Commissioner Folks was particularly
proud Of the changes made in the admin.
Infirm. He has succeeded in getting some
Of the old couples to live together. Whsn
the scheme was tried before 1t failed be-
csus, most Of the old people said they
had had enough q each other In the out
side world and liked the separate exist
ence better.
In the dining rooms the old people have
hereto I, re been fed like convicts each
diner facing the back Of the ono opposite
him. Now they sit face to face and have
much more sociable time over the bounti-
ton, while they are allowed to eat with
knives and forks, instead Of spoons, and
OF real crockery tableware.
The Mayor had ave minutes talk with
old Mr.. and Mrs. William Burns who arc
Of the united couples. Old man Burps
told the Mayor about the good old days
when he WAS a sailor on Commodore Van
derbilt's yacht North Star. He got into
he ated discussion with Mrs.. Burns over
his age. which he told the Mayor was &C.
mark and his Honor was obliged to leave
be fore the OUT stiOn was decided.
There we're twenty-five nurses to receive
graduates diplomas at the CONNER &C.
ment exercises in the new C0nvalesoent
Hospital Building and twelve TO receive
Each nurse, in spotless stsrched gown and
apron and little white cap, walked up TO the
platform like q soap advertisement come
to life and received her diploma from Mn.
Draper.
DIS. Rankin and Mills each made speeches,
as did Mrs. Draper. who administered
which binds them to be faithful to their
duties and never. never to tell secrets they
may discover in the practice Of their profess
sion
Mayor Low made little speech in which
ne told how much he had the Charities
Department at heart and how he had de-
termined when he took ONCE that, no mat
ter how much the Board Of Estimate and
Apportionment had to cut down, 1t should
never be at the expense Of the children,
the aged or the sick and injured Of the city.
He gave the nurses . cautionary word or
two shout letting Themselves become In
different to human suffering through the
constt mt contact with misery that their
profession brings.
Each nurse received little leather bed
sid, case with her name In Il.
After benedction by the Rev. Dr. Thomas
Gardiner Litten everybody but the Mayors
party went to reception 1t the Nurses
Home.
The Police Magistrates went to Hart .
Island yesterday. Magistrates Mayo
Breen. b rlow. Hogan and Deuel. socom-
panied Commis sioner Hynes and Deputy
Commissioner MacNulty. the party leaving
at noon on the steamer Massasoit. Luncheon
was served at o'clock In the Hart q leland
branch OF the Workhouse, after which the
Cripples' Home and thu Boys RI formatory
were Vi, tied. The Magistrates also Viewed
Potter's ri Id.
The party stopped at Blackwell's leland
on n turning and attended the exercises,
At which the MayOr spoke.