The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-09-07

| to be sufficient to serve all demands
made upon it. The pressure of in
creasing population, however, and of
widening patronage has been clamOr-
| ing during the last decade for greater
space and a more modern building.
The result is st. Mary's of today.
Attractive Exterior.
| Long before the completion of the
structure the Sisters, with character
istic love of order and neatness, had
all debris removed from the grounds
and with deft skill had soon trans
formed the premises. The lawn is al,
ready rich with shrubbery. The eX-
ternal aspect of the edifice itself is
| decidedly cheerful. The many win
dows are bordered with softly tinted
glass and rest on broad lodges of Bed
| ford stone. The main entrance is
likewise of Bedford stone-the easy
steps leading up to the door, and the
row of three-quarter columns which
flank it, with their pedestals, their
capitals and the balustrade above
| them-all are Of the light brown stone
which gives harmonious color to the
walls and windows. The stone in
serts, with their warm hue of cream
brown, enrich the walls with pleasing
yet sober variety and accord well with
the beautiful climax of stone which
caps the front of the structure and
gives final crown of grace to truly
artistic exterior.
Rooms for the Sick. :
Each room for the sick is airy, large
and pleasant, with hollOw-tiled walls
which prevent the collection of mois-
ture in damp weather and effectually
muffle all external sounds. Walls and
ceilings are of neutral tint soothing
to the eyes and nerves of the sick.
The terrazzo floor can be readily
cleansed without unnecessary dis
| turbance of the patient and without
leaving that lingering dampness, so
| injurious to the feeble, which clings to
wooden floors. The loaded windows
with their softly tinted borders of
| stained glass, are neater ana more
sanitary than if supplied with lace
curtains which so easily gather dust
and disease.
Each room is ventilated as a unit,
having it's own direct connection with
the fan and vacuum system. The
door is made specially wide SO as to
admit without difficulty the bed into
or from the corridor These generous
doors and the automatic elevators
bring the beautiful sun-parlor on the
top floor within easy reach of every
room. Each patient too enjoys the
| full advantage of the house-signal sys-
| tenn operated by the use of colored
| lights outside the doors. When the
call-bulb on the sick-bed, is pressed
three lights appear, one outside the
door, another in the room of the head
nurse and a third in the dietary
kitchen; so that any unusual delay in
responding to the summons can be
promptly investigated by the chief
nurse or the Sister in charge. Hot
and cold water is supplied in every
room, and there are fifty-SiX double
rooms, with a private bath for each.
|
vate telephones. In the west wing
there are four suites of rooms for
special guests or groups. A day room
on each floor supplements the wait
ing room on the main floor and affords
a change for the restless convalescent.
The old building will be remodelled
SO as to contain a series of small
| Of in
not exceeding four AS for safety
devices, the entire structure is not
only fire-proof but, what is perhaps
equally important, it is smoke-prOof.
This is secured by the use of hollow
metal doors and castings on all the
stairways, cutting off each floor COM
pletely from the others. On each
floor there are hose-reels connected
with heavy water pressure, to prevent
the spread of small blazes such as
might start in bed clothing.
The Chapel.
Secular hospitals and sanitoria may
embody in their structure and equip
ment, even as does ST. Mary's, the
| IdI6SI anu D0SI luedS Ol LHe SCI0nLllIC
!, builder; but it is only in the Catholic
hospital that is found the chapel
wherein abides the Author of life and
the Hope of those who die. And, as
BELTS the chapel, that in st. Mary S
Hospital is the finest hall in the in
stitution.
1t is in the north wing, and accu-
pies the third and fourth floors, being
twice as high as the rooms or corri.
dors. Lofty windows on both sides
: give ample light The floor like that
of the corridor is of everlasting tile
a combination of cork and rubber
which is soft and dry and very dura
: bic. There are pews for two hundred
and twenty on the main floor OF the
chapel while the gallery is capable
) of seating another fifty. On each side
of the devotional little sanctuar!
: there is yestry; and above each is {
store-room. all conveniently connected
/ by passageWays back of the sanctuary
We are told by Doctor Walsh tha
one of the best and most famous hos
pitfalls of the fifteenth century was th
: Grand Hospital of Milan. In thi
u rrl.n1t bOCninp xvlnrn pftnv, ,1,r,,r tho,