Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-07-26
500 Extra Patients Make
Csngested Situation
Frightful.
EPIDEMIC, ONCE STARTED,
WOULD RAGE UNCHECKED
Falling Off in Cures at State In
stituti0n Due to Crowd
ed Quarters. &
BY ARTHUR WAKELTNd.


EVENING STAR STAFF REPORTER.
Overcrowding of the State Hospital
for the Insane at Morris Plains and
the appalling dangers arising from the
congestion were graphically revealed
to nm Evening STAR reporter and
stafr photographer last night, following
the publication yesterday of general
The inspection was like a sombre,
gloomy horror-story of Poe. Pniifd,
worn faces and cleaning eyes peering
from beneath the blue blankets greeted
doctor and newspaper men ms they
passed slowly by and were watched
cunningIy until they had gone.
To say that four hundred inmates
sleep on the floors, that there are six
hundred In excess OF maximumN ca
pacity, that the attendants will not
stay, Is to fall far short OF conveying
adequately the condition in the great
asylum. The writer was simply
astounded at conditions.
The possibility of an epidemic or fire
breaking out is frightfui.
There We're long. gasAt corridors
crowded with low cots, more bed
springs. In fact. with only the mar
rowest pessageway between them.
Room after room had nearly twice
the legitimate number of beds In some
cases two out of three doors In q room
were blocked by them.
Under the roof. in yooms never In
tended for inmates, were full wards.
There were slanting ceilings. little air
space and less light.
Nine Beds Instead of Sir.
With one of the staff physicians we
went through endless reaches of cor
ridor Door after door was unlocked
and swung noiselessly shut again.
In the first room that was inspected
the physician said tersely. "Therc are
nine beds IN there instead of six.v
Indeed. there was very little floor
space in the room not hid by the beds.
The door into Ia, corridor t05 feet
long, was opened. Along It, ranged side
by side, were thirty-five cots, or bed
springs raised few inches above the
floor. These put down at night and
taken up I'm the morning.
The blank, awful faces OF the men.
some twitehing eeaselessly in distorted
| grimaces, s. ne smiling with an even
more fearful expression, some lying
listless, some starting up nervously and
muttering incoherently, came In view
| one after another as doctor and re-
| porter and photographer threaded their
way down the corridor
| To see these wan, strained faces, some
evil, some not far from normal, but all
marked by the blankness of defective
intellect, was to realize the infinite care
and resourcefulness needed to handle
the men and especially to cure them.
And yet, mt the State Hospital, where
they are herded together, there IL but
one attendant to twelve patients.
| Packed to the Roof.
Several of the rooms had scream
doors opening on the corridors.
"Tubercular cases In there" the
doctor explained we hang up car
bolic sheets to try to separate them In
that way. A tubereular cottage is to
be built, however"
With word of warning as to the
footing, the doctor led the way to the
fourth floor, up narrow, winding stairs.
at was never intended to have In
mates up here," he said. ats terrible
in the hot weather."
And without further comment he nm
locked door after door, showing room
after room crowded with beds and