Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-02-28
A HOSPITAL
FOR DANVILLE


has already become a reality. It tran
spires that while our citizens were
looking forward to the establishment
of hospital as dream to pc realized
at the expense of hard struggle and
much self-sacrifice broad minded and
philanthropic citizen of Danville was
quietly working, diligently planning
and providing for magnificent hos
pital as gift to the town. so that
many months ago. not only was the
land purchased for the site, but the
plans for the building were perfected.
The gentleman presenting the hos
pital is not working for applause-not
impelled by any vain glorious desire.
He, therefore, insists that in giving a
description of the hospital to be pre-
sented his name be withheld from the
public Suffice it to say that he is one
of Danville's leading and most public
spirited citizens, man of weighty in
terests, who is admirably situated to
Judge of the needs of our town as they
relate public hospital. He has been
laboring on the proposition for one
year and half-frst selecting and
purchasing the ground and then per
fecting the plans for the building.
In the latter it has been his aim to
produce hospital, which in point of
commodiousuess, arrangement and
sanitation will be as nearly d model
as possible. All the more recently con-
structed hospital buildings Of this sec
tion have been examined to determine
what is the best aud most satisfactory
in the way of appointment and ar
rangement. The proposed hospital will
embody all that is approved and pro-
ductive of the best results in the in
stitutions examined.
Ground will be broken and work on
the hospital will be commenced early
next spring. When the building IS
completed it will be presented to Mon
tour county. There will be but one re-
striction. The building will be turned
over to the town with the understand
ing that the board of trustees is to be
made up of six physicians and six bus
iness men of town.
The location of the hospital will
not at present be made known. The
site purchased is an admirable one,
aud contains eight lots, centrally To-
Gated, in one of the most salubrious
and beautiful spots that our town af-
fords. The aim is to make the institu-
tion not distinctively hospital, but
a health retreat as we'll, hence the
name selected as will be seen by the
draft is ''The Ark Haven Sanitarium"
The hospital will be built of brick.
The frontage is 1873 feet. In addition
to the easterly and westerly wings,
shown in the draft. there is souther-
ly wing in he rear of the building, 70
feet deep
In an emergency the hospital as
planned can accommodate forty pa
tieuts. although the number of beds
installed to begin with will probably
be less than half that nun ber-only as
many as are required to meet demands
| uuder normal conditions. The east
erly wing will constitute a ward for
men; the southerIy wing, ward for
women. The westerly wing will con-
tain a series of eight bright, CHEEKY
private rooms looking out toward the
sunset and taking in a wide sweep of
romantic scenery, an ideal haven for
the sick.
Each annex will have connected
with it a sun parlor The central
building, two stories high, will be
taken up by the main corridor, physi-
clans office and drug room. The sec
ond story will contain three nurses
rooms, capacious Office for the trus-
tees, and the county medical society,
also a room for consultation over spec
ial cases.
The lauudries, kitchens and dining
rooms will be on the ground floor of
the main building. The operating
room, the most convenient and best
arranged that can be devised. will oc-
cupy the cove at the end of the easter
ly wing.
The cost of the hospital building,
based on tine architects estimate, will
not be less than $4,000 This. of
course, the town has nothing to do
with The task which the citizens will
have to address themselves to will be
the maintenance of the institution.
This may not constitute such heavy
burden as some suppose. In the first
place, in planning the institution
care was taken to keep its size down
to what is commensurate with present
needs and moderate growth of the
town. 1t is cited that where hospitals
prove burdensOme to a municipality
, u nearly every instance thew are bull
out of all proportion TO the size ant
needs of the town aud community
The cost of maintaining our hospital
under the modest scale proposed. &C
| cording to several estimates made Sat
urday should not be much, if any,
above $4,000 per year.
T Primarily the annual maintenance
: 0f the institution will have TO COM
Q from the whole body of citizens How
easily the cost can be met will very
readily appear when il is stated tha
Danville has over 500 wage Garner
Y employed at present, all of whom will
;. benefit alike by the splendid charity
trfie over dollar per year as a.
I average contribution from work I'M
people would pay the bills accrunI
at the hospital aud what man, woma
e or child would begrudge the contribu
tion To provide for all emergencies
e that there may be always money o.
;, hand, fl rst of all some of our citizen
will be asked to contribute to hos
e pital fund, which should not be les