New-York tribune., 1921-11-04
Faulty Boilers
In Hospital Put
Lives i'm Danger
Condition Exists i'm Fordham
Infirmary Because Con-
sulting Engineer Refused
to Accept Certain Type
Officials Hints Ignored
Charge Made Flatly That Ut
most Care Must Be Exer-
cised to Prevent Disaster

The condition Of boilers in Fordham
Hospital, in the opinion OF the board of
trustees of Bellevue and Allied Hos
pitfalls, and of j. E. Woodwell, a con-
sulting engineer for that body, is such
that the lives of the nursing staff, the
surgical and medical STATS, and espe-
cially Of the four hundred patients, are
daily in danger.
The presence of this menace appar-
emily is due to the interest OF certain
members Of the city administration,
who sought to have installed in the
early part of 1920, when the hospital
was being renovated, type of boiler
which was not called for in specifica-
tions. and which, it was generally
agreed later, was not suitable for the
work under consideration.
AS the contractors refused, accord
ing to Mr.. MCDOWELL to change their
choice of boilers, the board of trustees
abandoned the entire contract, and no
new boilers were installed. The situa-
tien at present, therefore, at the hos
pital is this:
The hospital is dependent for its
heat, light, power and refrigerating
facilities on three 175-horsepower
boilers, which were partly condemned
two years ago by the Police Depart
ment. These boilers are old Their
stay bolts are gone. Their water legs
are leaking. They may explode, or
they may suddenly cease functioning if
there is the slightest neglect on the
part of the operators.
Winter Adds to Menace
Mr.. MCDOWELL and representatives of
the Police and Finance departments ex-
amined the boilers less than two weeks
ago. At that time Chief Engineer Cow
ley of Fordham Hospital expressed
desire to go before the District At
torney to relieve himself of the respon-
siblity of operation. Mr.. Lemke,
superintendent OF power plants at
Bellevue, felt the same way about it as
did Mr.. MCDOWELL.
The possibilities Of danger are in
creased because winter is approaching
and in that season greater demands are
made on boilers. A new boiler system
cannot be installed now until next
spring. MIR. MCDOWELL gave a concrete
example of what might happen at any
time. He said:
"The operating room relies on these
boilers for it's light. Nearly all Ford
hams cases are ambulance cases. Often
a life depends on an operation. Sur
geons are in the middle of such an
operation when suddenly the lights go
out. The patient dies.
"Now, if for some good reason known
+n nor col, +ro bnl
seen fit to ignore the working speciica-
tions, the hospital would not be in such
a plight"
I'll was, according to Mr.. MCDOWELL,
clearly set down in specifications that
til ere were to be three boilers, and that
they should total 900 horsepower A
list of five kinds of horizontal, straight
tube boilers was offered the contractors
for selection. The Contract was let on
March 16, 1920, subject to the approval
of Mr.. MCDOWELL. Chute, Thornton G.
Bayley, Of Ill Broadway, got the con-
tract.
Suit Brought Against City
There was pipe fitting to be done in
addition to the installation of the
three boilers. The Bayley concern gave
the boiler work to the Badenhausen
Boiler Company. One month before the
Il
hausen people submitted their pro-
posal to the board of trustees and it
was turned down on the advice of Mr..
MCDOWELL.
The pipe fitting was completed, and
when the Board of Trustees learned
that it was still the intention of the
contractors to put in the Badenhausen
boilers the entire contract was aban-
doned. The city now is being sued for
the cost of the work
An interesting part Of this insistence
to install only Badenhausen boilers is
that certain city official used his in
fuence with Mr.. MCDOWELL in an at
tempt to have him approve these boil
ers. Mr.. MCDOWELL was told that il
the Badenhausen boilers necessitated
added expenses in operation an appro-
priation would be made to meet it. He
also was told that it would be worth
his while not to be too obstinate about
the boilers because the City of New
York had transportation and other
problems which would be worth while
for man of his ability.
This city official and another tried,
according to Mr. MCDOWELL, to work
him into a position which he felt
would be against the interest of the
city.
The result of this peculiar interest
en- the part of these officials is that the
hospital is menaced by system of
boilers that is inadequate and worn.