Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-26
BUILDINGS COMPLETED
 AT EPILEPTlC COLONY.
Institution Nearly Ready To Accept
 Patients-Fire Proof Structures.


 
 The Connecticut Colony for Epilep- tics which has been established in the town of Mansfield. is rapidly being made ready to receive the first patients. There are two dormitories one for the men and the other for women. Each Is a plain brick building of two stories basement, and attic. made with as good appearance, and built so as to make practically every inch count in a practical way. The outside dimen- sions of. the building are ninety three feet in length by thirty-nin in width. The building is fireproof, the roof be- ing made of slate. the floors through out of concrete, the stair treads of slate on iron frames, staircases of metal lathing and studding only the planking of the roof. the doors and the window frames being of wood.
 Details of Dormitory.
 The attic consists of one large room. of the full interior dimensions of the building. with ample light from windows, and plenty of space for the storing of miscellaneous articles. The Ventilators reach the exterior along the walls of this upper room, and are here easily accessible. As on floors below the attic floor is of cement, left in this case, unfinished
 Sleeping Rooms.
 Descending the f1reproof stairs one finds himself in the second story which Is divided into twelve rooms. Here the floors are all covered with linoleum to prvent the injury that patients might suffer from falling, during ep- ileptic seizures, upon the hard ce- ment. All rooms commonly used by patients are thus fitted with linoleum. Six of the twelve rooms on this floor are bed rooms; there are no single rooms, the smallest rooms being ex- pected to hold three beds, and the largest to have eight. The windows throughout the day. Each Is fitted with wire protector guards, to prevent patients from falling out during at tacks. These guards extend half way up the distance from sill to top of window casing. The walls of the sleeping rooms are of adamant plas- ter painted a light cream color; this finish is both sanitary and restfuI, and in keeping with the general plain ness of design.
 Direct and Indirect Heating. The heating in these rooms is ac- complished by the indirect system, Hospital Rooms.
 The ground floor has nine rooms, ] Two smaller ones and one large room where patients may be kept when mentally disturbed from causes con- nected with their malady. or when i otherwise i'll. In the two smaller | rooms the wire guards extend over the | entire outside of the windows In these rooms the bed patients will also l be cared for
 1 There is also a sitting room physi- | clan quarters, reception room and l sunny porches while the basement contains patients dining pantry. 1 sink room, employe dining room and | locker room.
 Separate Kitchen Building. The kitchen building. about 300 | feet from the two dormitories and | placed about midway between them | and somewhat at their rear. is a | thoroughly modern plant. containing a 1 two-ton refrigerating plant bread 1 room. bakery, with oven that will bake | sixty loaVes of bread at a time, cook 1 ing room capable of serving 300 or 400 | persons and fitted with sectional steam kettles that may be added to, section | by section, as more kettles are needed and scuuery and sink room. The | kettles. of both the sectional type and | the older steam jacketed ones, are sup l piled by high pressure steam direct 1 from the exhaust of the engine at the 1 power house. The superintendent's | office and that of his bookkeeper are i also in this building, in the basement | Telephones are installed in this build ! ing, as well as in the dormitories l There vii be eight telephones at the | colony. connected with the central office at Willimantic. An addition to 1 the front of the kitchen is anticipated | for the near future. This will bring i the front of the building on a line with i that of the others.
 The Power and Heatinq. The mechanical accessories at the colony are of much interest, as is i also the arrangement for the produc- ! ton of power and the heating. The ] bower house is located perhaps 500 | feet, more or less. down the hill toward | the river. from the other buildings. A spur track has been put in. swinging In half circle from the main line of the Central Vermont railroad near the ! ManSheld depot up and around to the power house. Dr. William l.. Higgins. ! secretary of the commission in charge or the colony, said that the drawing l or coal and supplies over the spur | track. instead of up the hill over the i highway by the ordinary teaming methods, was calculated to save some thing like from SS to $10 a carload About 200 carloads of material have already been brought to the property ! Of the colony in this manner The 1 economy of the installation is easily 1 evident The spur is about 4.0OO feet long, and is fitted with a derailer at a 1 sultaole distance from the main line | Of the Central Vermont at the foot of the hill. A car loaded with coal got away from the men al the top of the hll!. and with increasing momentum crashed into a caboose at the lower. end of the curve. This was before the derailing had been put in, as promised
 by the railroad company.
 Construction at Power House.
 The coal will be dumped directly | rom the cars into the bins of the power house. The walls and basement ! construction of the house are very sub stanuaL The supersIructure is so ar ranged that the plant may be expanded with the natural growth of the insti- | tuition.
 The boilers occupy a separate room. ! adjoining the engine room where an i S4 horSe-pOwer steam engine is cou- 1 pled directly to a 220-v 50-kiIoWatt i d1rect current current dynamo The i dynamo provides power and light for i the colony, while the exhaust for the | steam engine heats the buildings and | does the cooking. This advancement | Is said to be very highly economical and thoroughly satisfactory.
 Laundry
 In the same building with the boilers l and engine room is the laundry for which the legislature made no special appropriation. It contains a washer. mangie. extractor. drier. five fatiron 1 boards fitted with electric irons starch l cooker and soap tanks, as well as set | tubs. A separate electric motor actu- l ates each of the several machines 1 "A laundry said Supari1+a1d,,,+