The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-22
Report of Superintendent.

Report of Superintendent.
In compliance With the statutory re-
Quirements, / have the honor, as Su-
perintendent, to submit this, my third
which is the eleventh. biennial report
of the operations and present condi-
lions of the Vermont State Hospital for
the Insane, covering the period from
the date of my last report, June goth,
1908 to June 80, 1910.
The monotonous routine of daily rep
etition and the easy flow of current
hospital life, which | had occasion to
note in my last report, has, especially
in the last IL months, been strikingly
interrupted The year last past has
been one of strenuous activity, coupled
with long-continued and grave anxiety.
No period of equal length in the his
tory of this hospital has been marked
by what, at the time, seemed to be so
disastrous and embarrassing, which
REQUIRED almost endless study, ar
rangement and adjustment; all the
time taxing ingenuity and resources
that the routine operations of the in
stitution be not interfered with, and
that one work should not conflict with
another. 1t has been, beyond all
question, at once the most important
and strenuous period this hospital has
ever known, and such as I trust, in
one particular, it may never know
again.
refer to the fire that occurred on
ward three in the south wing, occupied
by men, which broke out about l p.
m, Friday, Dec. "a, 1909, and another
in our paint shop, Friday, Jan. 2S, 1910,
at $50 D. m. If either or both of the
Fridays had happened to have been on
the 18th, what the result would have
been. I leave you to conjecture.
The first fire broke out in a shaft
about three feet square, leading from
basement to attic, with Slated floors
at each landing, used for drying mops,
etc. A shaft fthis kind was an i'm
portant oversight in the original con-
struction of the building, and does not
exist today.
The building referred to is three
stories high and is connected at each
end with other buildings. At the time
105 men were accommodated in these
three wards; 80 on the third, or upper
one These 80 were the most excited
and violent patients in the hospital.
happened TO be in the building when
the fire was discovered, and personal
ly directed the removal Of the patients
say that there was no excitement what
ever exhibited in their removal and
nothing in the line of accidents oc.
Cured.
513 patients were in the hospital on
the day that the fire occurred; classi
fed and distributed in 20 wards. TC
classify and distribute the 105 patients
to the remaining II wards. already full
without a moments notice for prepa
ration and during the turmoil always
accompanying disaster of this char
: acter, was no small undertaking. i
was done, and the condition maintain
ed for almost exactly six months, with.
out accident, injury or disaster of an!
kind. The only logical explanation o
this fire was defective wiring for cleo
trio lights.
This building had been constructed
= 20 years, and at that date modern
methods of wiring and insulation wer,
l not known.
The fire was handled by our employ
ees, aided by the village fire depart
L ment, in a most satisfactory manner
+ Our fire protection consisting of GU
water supply which is taken from thu
local village supply and has
"a normal pressure of 1O'
i pounds, is supplemented b,
sure of 100 pounds, is supplemented b.
our steam pump, which gives a still
greater pressure.
t Only the third ward-upper story
e was damaged by fire; the lower one
u by water.
The second fire broke out in on
u paint shop; a small room, bounded o
{ two sides and above by wood, in whic
" was stored several barrels of oil an
turpentine, cans of varnish and pair
- remover galore. This got under fu
Roadway before preventive measure
T. could be brought about, but was sui
/ dued in thirty minutes and the iii
Is confined to the ROOM This fire wa
$ controlled in the best manner that
~ was ever my fortune to see.
IL The following table shows the NOV
10 ment of our population for the teri
v and in appended tables will be four
lie detailed statement Of statistics T
ID Iating to admissions, discharges OF p
IL tents and the results of treatmel
obtained. Also tables showing the fl
a. ancial condition of the institution
is Patients in hospital July
~ l, 1903 ..............z oS ZOO D
We Admitted within the per-