The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-11
A CITY QUARRY.
Pest House Site Will Furnish
Building Material.
Land Recently Purchased Found
to Be Valuable.
TALK OF A HOSPITAL.
Health Officers Advocate Quar-
ters for Contagious Cases.
Building Now in Use Formerly
a Barn.

The city has discovered that it owns
a stone quarry on the land purchased
for the pest house site, and there is
serious talk now of quarrying the stone
on the ground and using it to erect a
new pest house.
Sanitary Sergeant Pay, who has been
| looking the matter up, said today: 1T
is my opinion that the city of Topeka
can build itself new pest mouse. or
/ detention hospital for contagious dis
eases, at a very small cost, and posi-
/ bly, without any cost at all.
My plan is that we submit to the
Santa Fe railway officials a proposition
| that they contribute to the cost of a
ontagiOn hospital large enough to sup
ply the needs of Topeka and of the
railway company. Then give the rail-
way company the right to put patients
in the hospital on payment of the cost
of their board and medical attention.
believe the Santa Fe would welcome
such a proposition, and would put up
a good sum of money to aid in the
construction of such a hospital.
If the city does not feel able to pay
Tor the erection of a new building now,
L think that it would be possible to
raise $1,000 or so from the people of
Topeka. Those VINO are interested in
hospital work know the need of a good
contagion hospital. The various hos
pitfalls of the city will encourage the
construction of hospital to which
they might send contagious cases. FIRE.
quently they get a case of contagion on
their hands, and would give a good
deal to be able to place it somewhere
where it would receive proper attention.
MY plan would be to build a two
story building on the side of the hill
in such way that the west side of the
building would be the full two stories.
while the entrance on the east side
would be on a level with the ground,
but would correspond with the second
story on the west side. The lower
matron or steward of the hospital,
while the patients would all be on the
second floor of the building. The pat
tents would be taken in through the
east entrance, so that it would not be
necessary to take them up stairs.
I'VE have right there on that ten
acre plat the material out of which to
build a find, substantial Building, which
by the city. The whole ten acres is
underlaid with good building stone.
which can be taken out at a cost of
about 81 a cord. 1t might be a better
plan to build the lower story of the
building of stone and use wood for the
upper story. These are details which
could easily be examined and decided
upon"
There is no doubt that Topeka could
use a new pest house. The present pest
house was probably not intended to be
permanent affair. 1t was originally
barn, which was transformed, under
pest house. Holes were cut in the walls
for windows, castings were hastily
knocked together, and windows set in.
roof put on, and the inside of the
building ceiled with matched boards.
The building contains five rooms, or
rather four rooms and a stairway. The
rooms upstairs are used for sick rooms,
and downstairs the food is prepared and
the nurse and her family live.
When a new pest house is built, 1t
should contain from four to eight
rooms in the hospital ward, and with
better facilities for keeping the pa
tients supplied with fresh air.
The principal trouble with the pres
ent pest house is that it was put to-
gether so hastily that it is not suitable
for the needs of sick people. The out
boards, like barn. and the rain
comes in at the cracks. The rain also
comes in around the window castings,
and the facilities for ventilating the
building are very inferior. 1t is far
from being very much like a "hospital"
although it must De admitted that in
many cases, it is a better place for the
patients to stay than at their own
homes
There is quite a deep ravine through
the. pest house land. and with very
small expense, the place, now barren
and uninviting, could be transformed
into a park of considerable beauty.
By throwing a dam across the ravine,
a natural pond would be formed, as
the ravine is fed by a number of
springs and contains running water all
the time. The addition of a lot of
trees and shrubbery would make quite
a different looking place of the pres
ent pest house site.
1t is regarded as extremely probable
that the Santa Fe would look with
favor upon a plan for the erection of
commodious detention hospital in
Topeka. 1t has repeatedly had cases
of contagion brought to the hospital
here, and has been in great need Of
some place to send the patient fer
treatment. The case could not be
kept at the Santa Fe hospital, and it
was largely to accommodate a Santa |
Fe case that the present pest house
was erected.