New-York tribune., 1908-02-24
FOR NEW STATE COLONY
THIELLS SITE. FAPORED.
Report of Commission Nomed 70
Select One for Custodidl Asylum.


ALBANY Feb. "a report will be suomitted
70 the Legislature tomorrow by Wlii-aIh
Stewart Franklin B. Kirkbride and Alexapder =
1,ro,,as+ oil of New York City commissioners ap-
oointed bv Governor Hughes in July, 19ot' 10
select site for the Eastern New 10TH 90"
Custodial Asylum. The commission mas seie'
a site at Thfells. station in Rockland CouhIy
near Haverstraw, the New Jersey q"
YORK Railroad branch of the Erie the site
being about three miles west of the iuoso"
River on a plateau some three hundred iee' a'
the level of the river, of which the site commands
a view extending from Stony Point on tle HUI III
to High Tor the south.
This new institution will shelter ultimately
about twenty-five hundred epileptc ana ieeole
minded patients. and is intended 10 supplement
the work of the state institutions at ->e"nlN
Rome Syracuse and Sonyea (Craig CoiohE)' anu
IN relieve the strain at present put on them py
furnishing accommodation for large nuhoer oi
detectives who need, but do not receive cuSt
care especialIy those from the 1st, ID 80 anu
9th judicial districts, which include the coun'les
of New York, Kings Nassau. Queens t1lcliii,oiiu'
Suffolk Albany Columbia. Greene. Rensseiaer'
Schobarie Sullivan, Ulster. Duchess orange
Putnam Rockland and Westchester
More than half of the $3.50 inmates OF tiie i
axtstine state institutions come from theS ~
counties while more than 81 per cent OF ''e - -
annltcations for admission on file OCTOBER y I'".'
are also from this part of the state ilIe " -.
cation made by the commission iiuioS
OF
MINDED persons in the State of Ne" horA' vi
+tase on1v a. $50 are cared for in state lnst'tu-
tions A large number are not depenoen. -, ~ -
state and so need not be considered VI go 'le
,,ainder however. 1.S0S are Improperly '
a. a1rnsbouses The numbers of mentally AM
" - +h,s confined and the long waiting
49, .+ the state institutions. show fagran' VIZ
Iations of the requirements or the Poo' i' =; .
tho detention of such persons IN aiIiisii' -.
ans+ant source of scandal and almost aS
" a their
large. 1880, A.. s.Iact ouIv five
hundred acres for the site, but the oel'u -
additional accommodations has proven 50 -
that the commission recommends thal hi'
dred acres be secured now, and tha' e' :. q
- sbouId he nearly doubled in size DIS II "
essential to consider the requirements VI -
for twenty-five hundred patients Laie0 -
pensive buildings are not consiueieu 49,. zi,.
tbo commission and the report states that tfe s'
,ootoa contains many buildings which can De u0eu
r,i,bout alteration In establishing the cooiS'
The Thiells site proper contains l'-0' 60. -
the commission recommendS an appropi
s1s7 575 which covers also the purchase OF an du-
,o;n,,o mountain tract of about $40 acres lot
gravity supply of water. at cost OF S','V'
ear,oa cost an acre of land alone for the entire
property is S64 ,.3r.1 -.
norts of Olmsted Brothers, the well KNOWN idnN
scana architects and OF Emil Kuichlng. consulting
h:Iro,,Iic engineer recommending the selection oil
,hie eite The favorable opinions of these experts
are reinforced by letters from Robert '" Heooeru'
Commissioner of Public Charities. and Dr Ihomas
Darlington Health Commissioner, OF Ne" hoIh
City. -
The commission considered twenty-nlne SITES OF
which eiehteen were visited, and found the site at
Thells the most suitable Thiells is within two and
one-half miles of the West HaVerstraw stauoh
OF the West Shore Railroad, and by this line II Is
tbirtv-four miles from New York City and los
are freduent trains between New York, Haverstraw
and West Haverstraw; the running tnle Is from
al hour to an hour and a half, and one-day eX-
cursion tickets 81. The service on the Erie to
ThieIs station, while not so frequent, is at con-
,enient hours for visitors The connection with the
Erie system. which taps Rockland County and Its
hinterand, would enable patients to be brought
drectly TO the site that region and visited by
their friends low expense. as contrasted with
the fare of $l4 to Craig Colony and return
The Department of Public Charities of New York
City files hundreds of applications for admission of
its patients of all grades to Craig Colony but the
relatives of many hundreds more with their
friends constantly beseech Commissioner Hebberd
not to send. their relatives far especially in
cases where there is little hope of their improve
ment and return. The proximity of Thiells to the
Hudson River will permit the Department OF Char
tiles TO establish occasional boat service from
New York Haverstraw Landing, taking patients.
and also friends 10 visit patients, without charge
making the return trip on the same day.
There is the tract d valuable clay pit. con-
tanning a large deposit OF brick clay, which will
provide material for brickmaking. and there are
two ice ponds. Excellent county roads form,
run near the boundaries of the tract. and the
state road to St Johns passes through it,
The commission proposes that the new institution
be called the "Haverstraw State Colony for
Theills while affordirg opportunities isolation
is near enough to Haverstraw to permit that COM
nunity 10 have the direct advantage afforded by
the use of it's markets by the institution and it's
emploves This location also meets the essential
need that the institution should be within easy
reach of a town, in order that the employees may
have means of recreation and the opportunity of
attending religious services and find convenient
homes for their families. Haverstraw will not only
serve as a base of supplies in emergencies and "a
source from which employees themselves can be
drawn, but will also provide facilities for visitors
and secure the advantages of local pride and in
terest in promoting the welfare OF the institution
and it's inmates
The report of the commission is fully illustrated
and annotated. and has appendices containing opin-
ions of experts and citizens from William Pryor
Letchworth. DR.. Spratling and other authorities on
the organization. management and classification Of
colonies which should make it useful as u hand
book only for the managers of this new colony.
but also for those of other new institutions.
SHIFTS IN SUMMIT BANK