Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-03-16
COMMITTEE VISITS
DANVILLE HOSPITAL

/ Z The House appropriations Commit
/ tee of the Legislature some twent,
! strong accompanied by half a dozeI
other members of the Legislature, palt
visit to the Hospital for the Insane
at this place Friday for the purpOs'
OF determining what could be don'
/ for the immediate relief of the over
crowded condition of the institution
/ The Appropriations Committee left
/ Harrisburg at T:55 O'Clock FRIDAY
morning in two Pullman cars, arriving
at Danville with the 1921 ID. l.. & W.
train, which was nearly halt an hour
late At the station the two Pullmans
were cut off from the train and taken
up to the Hospital by the switch en-
CINE.
Arriving at the Hospital the Oom-
mittee was met by the experimenting
Physician, Dr. Fl. B. Meredith with
several hacks and were driven about
the grounds. where the Inconvenience
of unloading coal and some of the dis
advantages of the present method OF
lighting were explained and where
they we're shown the site of the pro
posed plaut for manufacturing light
aud rover as we'll a. the location of
siding for bringing in coal, after which
they made full tour of the farm and
buildings, where the necessity of more
farm land, additional buildings, "a filter
plant. aud the other items in Mr.. Am.
merman's bill before the Legislature
were one by one called TO the Commit
tees attention and fully explained.
In the Legislative party were the
following who belonged to the APP
preparations Committee: ]. L. Plum
mer, Blair county, Chairman Walton,
Philhdelphis, Speaker; MoClain, Lam
caster, the Republican leader in the
House; McEl-oy, Mexican County !;
Mohr. Berks; Amber, Montgomery {;
d1utI, nS4Ctl OlCeslhdLS i'uNh9' :
Eokels, Crawford; Hayes, Butler,
Wagner, Chester; Gail. Philadelphia;
Moln. Union; Rose, Susqurhanna
Berry. Washington Kelsey, Clinton
Bowersox, Snyder: Wood. Erie.
Other members of the Legislature
who accompanied the Committee were:
J. G. Smith, Philadelphia, Sergeant
at Arms; Thomas Garvin. of Chester,
Chief Clerk John Curry, Philadel-
phla, Speakers Clerk zimmerman.
Montour; Reitmeyer, of Lycoming;
Barrett, of Susquehanna Irwin, of
Blair; Thomas of Bucks and Philip
II. Johnson Of Philadelphia architect.
The following Trustees of the Hos
Dital for the Insane were present to
assist DR.. Meredith. the Superintcnd-
snt, IN Welcoming tie Committee Il
VI. SChocb, Hon Alexander Billmey-
ar. DR.. r. H. Detweiler, W. +. Shay,
DR.. Shoemaker and Howard Lyon.
The overcrowded condition of the
at DanviIle is a fact that is
we'll established. Long before the Leg
slators completed their tour of the
Friday they were well con
yinCed that r. s. zimmerman vivid
portrayal of conditions, which had
aroused the Appropriations Committee
10 action, was in m respect overdrawn
Mr.. zimmerman throughout the visit
showed his interest in the institution
by opening up every avenue of infor-
nation possible, introducing the m EN-
bers individually and rendering ex-
plantations in person wherever posi-
BILE.
As to the accommodations or rather
the lack of accommodations the Com
miltoe could judge at a glance. As TO
the number of patients they were fur
nished with data by the Hospital au
which showed that the over
condition, bad as reported in
the NEWSPAPERS. was still worse than
desert bed the total number of patients
Friday being 1916. "a against 1910
the largest number quoted. Eight hun
dred patients is about the capacity of
the Hospital. The total number of
beds j. only 1000 and the extra 200 in
mate are compelled to sleep IN the
railways. II was denied At tie institu.
tiou, however, that some fifty male
patients sleep in the power house every
night 8s reported in some of the news
papers Crowded a. the bui ldiugs are
such an extreme ard iuhuman measure
has never yet teen found necessary.
The misstatement has probably grown
out of the tact that some Of the en-
ployes have seen proper to sleep in the
power h9use.
Friday tn number Of men in-
carcerated were al women 80. which
gives re totai of 1916 As a1ove nam
e1. TIL number of insane is steadily
Ol the increase. Some relief is expect.
ed Nh. the Hospital at Allentown is
completed but lnIs j. still several
years in the future The new hospital
vii eventually take nine counties
from tin, district. Representa- in
tht.c nino counties at present are 80
patients kept at the Danvile Hospital.
L. &C. 4 4