Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-14
BREAK GROUND TO-DAY
Worth Hul6sh and Mrs. L. Wilbur
Reid Weld Spade at New
Hospital Site

A program of short and simPl'
ceremonies was conducted at the cor
ner of Duke and Washington streets
this morning at 9 o'clock, Whe''
ground was broken for the erectiol
Of the new Alexandria Hospital al
that site. Present at the grounds OF
the old Daingerfeld residence were
members of the board OF trustees
and the building committee OF the
new hospital, the lady board OF man
ayers headed by Mrs. L. W. Reid
vice president, a number of the
nurses and attending physicians, the
contractors, the architect, and others
interested in the erection of the new
up.to-date structure.
The first spadeful of earth was
turned by Worth Hulfsh, chairman
of the building committee, who i'm
mediately turned the implement over
to Mrs. Reid, who scooped up
the earth that marked the beginning
of actual work on the construction
of the new edifce.
Remarks were made by Mr.. Hull
fish and Rev. j. W.. Duffey, offered
prayer and read selections from the
Book of Psalms.
According to the specifications
prepared by Waddy B. Wood, the
architect, the new hospital will face
Duke street, at a distance of about
forty feet from the pavement and
will extend the length Of almost the
entire square Of Duke street between
Columbus and Pendleton streets.
The northeastern corner of the struc-
ture will adjoin the Daingerfield man
sion proper which, stripped OF its
entire back wing, and adjoining stable
and several small outlying struc.
lures, will be used as the headquar-
ters of the hospital authorities, the
physicians, and the nursing staff.
Erection of large modern hos
pital, which at last gotten under
way, has been desired by Alexan-
.dria for number Of years past, and
about three or four years ago, ac-
tive work was started in securing
the necessary funds for its construc-
tion. A canvass lasting several
months was made, and the sum OF
about $40 900 was secured by those
in charge of obtaining the subscrip-
tions. The first estimate Of the cost
was $4,000. Recent estimates OF
the construction place the cost at
about 100000.
After the forty thousand dollars
in subscriptions was received the
matter of the site of the new hos
pital was a hangfre for long time,
there being diversity of opinion as
to whether or not it was feasible to
have the edifce located in a central
location of the city or on its out
skirts. The two most favored sites
were the grounds surrounding the
Old Daingerfeld house and the square
in the northwestern section of the
city, bounded by Fendleton, Wythe
Alfred and Columbus streets, the
latter being finally selected, after
which discussion of many months
followed as to the specifications the
kind of material, and other details
of the construction. and, erection,
and it was while this question was
still in an unsettled, state, that Ed
ward L. Daingerfield came forward
with the donation of his residence
without terms to the cause Of the new
hospital.
After Mr.. Daingerfeld's munif-
cent gift nearly a year ago the ques'
ton as to how the. hospital should
be built was unsettled, and it was
not until about two months ago that
the trustees finally stamped appro,
val on the plans of the architect, fol,
lowing this action shortly by the
awarding of the contract to the firm
of Richardson and Burgess, Wash
ington contractors, two weeks ago
ever since which work has been II
progress by squads of workmen Of
the firm in levelling back structure:
and trees standing as obstacles, ane
preparing the ground at the north
west corner of Washington and Duke
streets for construction of the pro
posed ediffce. Today with the break
| of nyrnnnd work m the nStruc