Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1904-09-09
NEW BUILDINGS
COMPLETED

OF the four new buildings ut the
Hospital for the Insane designed to &C.
commodate the lavatory system two
are wholly completed. These are con
nected with the water and the sewer
system of the institution and are ready
for occupancy.
The third building is practically
completed while the fourth will be
finished next week.
The four annexes are all counter.
parts Of each other, four stories in
height. containing on each floor a
central corridor, which is a continue
tion of the corridor of the main build
ing. On the right side each annex
contains several apartments consisting
OF wash room, an apartment contain.
ing sinks. &C., on the left side are
bath room and clothes room, the lat
ter containing dry room besides
ample shelving, divided into compart-
ments for laundered clothing. which
acoomm odates sixty patients.
Each of the buildings is plastered to
correspond with the main building.
They are of superior construction
throughout, theoretically fire proof
and modern in all their appointments.
The exterior wall is of brick furred
with two-inch tile to prevent damp.
ness. The partitions are all built of
four Inch hollow tile, making the
walls dry and light. The floors are
laid in cement or fiat arches, support.
ed on steel beams The wainscoting is
of cement, furnished with cement cap
and base. The walls are finished in
three coats of plaster.
The woodwork shows up very nicely
and is one of the finest features, being
finished in brown ash. the doors ven-
eeTed.
The plumbing is strictly sanitary
aud modern throughout. A feature in
the construction Of the buildings is a
plumbers vent, or pipe shaft, which
extends from the first floor to the top
of each, in which every bit Of plumb.
ing in the building is contained and
which can be reached from any of the
floors by merely unlocking door.
The new buildings were designed
with the object in view of adding to
the facilities for escape in case of fire.
At each of the annexes is an outside
fire escape taking in all four stories.
A heavy wire screen enclosing the fire
escape from the top of the building to
the ground insures safety in passing
down in case of fire. Each Of the an
nexes contains a steel fire curtain,
which can be dropped go as to shut
off the main building. which is not
fire proof and where fire would be
the most likely to occur. In such an
event the patients would be marshaled
into the FIRE proof annex and while
the steel curtain shut out the flames
the unfortunates would be leisurely
conducted down the fire escapes.
The monthly meeting Of the Trustees
for the Hospital for the Insane occurs
today, when the two buildings com.
pleted will be taken of the contract
ors' hands. if approved. They will be
put into immediate use, as they are
much needed to relieve the overorowd-
ed state of the Hospital.
There are 1192 patients crowded in
to the institution. Notwithstanding
that the Hospital has capacity for
but 800. The excess of patients are
obliged to sleep in the corridors of the
building and are taken care Of as we'll
as circumstances will permit. The
space in the main buildings at present
occupied by the bath rooms, wash
rooms and the like after the lavatory
system is removed to the annexes can
all be utilized as sleeping rooms. The
space gained, however. wilt be inade-
quate to furnish rooms for half of
those at present sleeping in the halls.
The new buildings we're begun on
the 18th of October last. Work. how.
ever, went very slowly during the
winter owing to the severe weather.
During the entire time that building
was in progress O. W. Specie of
Wilkesbarre had charge and the oom-
pletion of the handsome structures re-
veals how we'll and how thoroughly
he has done his work.