Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-02
Hospital Ship Plan Approved
by Commissioners.
BUT NO FUNDS AVAILABLE
Project. If Carried Out, Must Be by
Private Means.
FREE RIVER TRIPS NOW GIVEN
Sick and Poor Children Welcome to
Rides on the st. Johns-Plans
for Next Summer

To preserve the lives of babies and chill
dren of the poor who dwell in Washing
ton during the trying hot weather several
projects for the provision of a hospital
ship or floating playground are at pres
ent under discussion.
The plan for hospital ship as means
of saving the lives of. sick babies is ap-
proved by the Commissioners, but it is
which to operate such an enterprise and
cannot see how, in view of other needs, it
can be provided from the municipal funds
in the near future.
Washngton's poor children are, how
ever being provided with outings during
the summer through an offer Of the man
ayers of the steamer st. Johns.
81 am glad To say" remarked Commits.
sioner Macfarland this morning when
asked about the project for a hospital
ship. that the managers of the steamer
st. Johns have authorized me to arrange
for free excursions for Door children and
mothers with infants on certain days dur
ing the month, and that ] have arranged
with the summer outings committee to
select those who shall 90 and provide
their luncheons and stree: car transpor-
tatlOn as part OF the summer outings COM
mittee program The managers Of the st
Johns generously offered to take twice a
week as large number as could be suit
ably cared for and have already taken
one party of hundred. George s. Will
son; secretary of the board of charities
and member of the summer outings COM
mittee, and r. Hubert Jones, assistant
secretary of the Associated Charities and
secretary of the summer outings commit
tee. are attending to the matter for me
and will be glad to give information to
any one desiring it.
Approves Hospital Plan.
Washington ought to have a hospital
ship for the sick poor. and especially
for children. and l trust that some phi
1anthropist or company of philan-
thropists will meet that need by next
summer. While l think it would be a
perfectly proper charge on the munich
pal budget as supplementing the mu-
nlcIpal hospital care, and especially for
convalescents. ] do not believe that it
is practicable to add it to the munici-
pal budget In the immediate future, in
view of other demands But private
philanthropy can provide it at any
time
DR.. ]. Blair Spencer. a local physi-
clan and "a specialist in chiIdren's dis
eases, is planning the establishment Of
a f1oatfng hospital as means of saving
Infants lives. DR.. Spencer was for
Morse of Boston. who has supervision
of a floating children's hospital at the
Hub
Example Of Boston.
Judging from what was done in Bos-
ton, DR.. Spencer thinks that with a
Small outlay similar plan can be car
ried out In Washington. The project
could be started with an initial outlay
Of about $1,000, he believes. His plan
Is to charter small steamer. which
would make daily trips down the Po-
tOmac river to Chesapeake bay. and the
patients would at all times be under
the supervision of a boats physician
and several nurses.
Two hundred children. he believes.
could be given the opportunity every
day to get away from the intense heat
Of the city. and. in addition. the steam
or would have about twenty cots for
sick children. who would be accom-
modated on board the boat much the
same as they would in hospital
DR. Spencer has talked over his plan
with several men OF means in the city.
and he hopes to be able to persuade
philanthropic persons to provide the
funds for putting the boat in commits
sion next summer.