The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-29

Hicks corners. 1t was begun in Oc-
tcher, 1914 and finished the following
Al, = from plans furnished by Archi
tect Sx.H Bull 1t was built by day
labor G.ee Mr.. Bulls direction and
the structu. 0ts.w stands practically
completed exec. r some interior
furnishing and pa 'pg. The appro-
priation for the builuing was $4,000.
but subsequent improvements and
furnishings will bring the total cost
nearly to 100000
The exact cost figures for the plant
are not yet available. They will be
| compiled at the forthcoming town
audit but estimates of additional ex-
| penditures above the original appro-
priation are somewhat as follows:
Furniture, $4,000; Heating system,
$1,000; water pumping and storage
system, $500; electric wiring, $500;
architects fees for both plans and SUI
pervision, about $1,000 Additional
aud unavoidable expense was also in
| Cured in the grading of the. grounds,
small carpentry work, etc, which had
to be added to the building expense
III spite of this, the visitor will
| agree after careful inspection of the
| institution, that the town has receiv-
ed its moneys worth. In the first
place. the building is practically fire.
proof Walls, floors and ceilings are
entirely of tile and concrete. The on.
ly wood in the building is the window
and door castings and stairs into the
cellar A bonfire could be lighted in
the basement with no more serious
effects than smoking up the walls and
girders. Supt. Russell assured the
Banner man. however, that he was
not going to experiment to find out.
The first impression created by the
building is its substantial construc-
tion without losing its artistic lines.
1t is about 40 feet wide by $50 feet in
length, OF two stories, with porte
cochere in front and sun parlors COM
pleting the ends of the wings Steel
girders bear the weight of the build
ing with foundation walls of stone
Supt. Russell and family, together
with such hired help as aid in carry
ing on the institution, occupy the mid
die section which has been furnished
in mission. The floors, which are of |
concrete, with curved, dust-proof cor
ners, will eventually be tinted The
walls throughout have already been
tinted In ecru
The women's section comprises the |
south end of the building. There is a
large dining room and sitting room on |
the main floor, the individual rooms
being on the second story. The whole |
structure contains 90 rooms, but the |
entire home will accommodate about |
so inmates. The home has ,16 in
mates at present
Each room In both men and women's |
section is provided with an ample |
white iron cot, bed similar to those
used > hospital wards. There is also
a dresser, table and chair The oc- |
cupants of the home trim their rooms |
to suit their individual tastes and |
some of them care for their own
quarters. This is not compulsory.
however
The men occupy the north wing,
which is duplicate of the other in
layout. The whole building is eec-
tric-lighted and steam heated and is
kept in spotless condition by Mrs.
Russell and her assistant The kit.
chen and other domestic departments
would be the envy of many house.
wife for the first consideration of the
architect has been ample room and |
convenience. The kitchen is at the |
rear, OF the ground floor, room thirty
feet square, with pantry as large as
many an ordinary house kitchen Di- /
rectly beneath is the laundry with SUI |
fcient space to hang the entire |
washing indoors If necessary.
Two interesting features in the base
ment are the heating equipment and |
the apparatus for the water supply. |
The heat is supplied by an Arid Don
boiler, which has only burned Is tons
of coal thus far this winter. In the |
west basement the visitor is puzzled |
by gigantic cement reservoir which |
fills the whole cellar about Is feet |
wide, twenty-five feet long and six |
feet in height This tank receives
and stores all the rain water from the |
roof and in addition three large in |
verted boilers are supplied by both |
hard and soft water pumped from the |
farm spring about half a mile away.
By the ingenuoas contrivance, operat-
ed by motor, the throwing of lever |
on the pump switches the water sup
ply from the Hard to soft water and |
automatically keeps the water system |
up to capacity. In case of fire any
where on the premises the force of |
water generated would throw a
stream two hundred feet. Thus, even
NOTICE