Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-13

7. The first work on the new hospi-
workmen started to blast for the
foundations. This work was
thorough and owing to the fact that
there is large ledge directly under
the building it took nearly nine
months before work on the upper
part of the structure was started. a
year ago last month the foundations
were complete and from that time
forward the work has steadily pro-
crossed until today the building
stands practically complete. In fact
it is SO nearly completed that the
regular hospital work will start there
Wednesday when the operating
rooms will be used for the first time.
Wonderful Site for Hospital
No more beautiful place could
have been found to build a hospital
in this part of the State. The view
from practically every window in the
building is superb and from the up
per floors one can look Off over roll
ing country side for many miles. The
building is up apart from the city
with it's confusion and smoke and
yet it is near enough to be conven-
lent. The very fact that the ground
is ledge makes wonderful founda-
ton for such a building.
The builders of the hospital were
the ID. II. Walker contracting con-
Germ of Lowell, Mass; Henry l..
Rourke of Lowell was the architect.
Franklin r. Williams of Lowell has
been the resident engineer for Mr..
Rourke and Harold Townsend of
Lowell supervisor for Mr.. Walker.
The building Is four stories in
height. With the former Sisters
Hospital it will accommodate 125 pa
tientS and in cases of emergency
such an epidemic or calamity it will
accommodate 200 patients. The equip
ment from the operating rooms to
the kitchen is absolutely the finest
and most modern possible.
The building is practically fire
proof. The structure is of brick and
cement, the floors of concrete and
the staircases of steel and marble.
The boiler rooms and laundry are in
a brick building in back of the main
hospital. There are several lines of
firehose in each hall as we'll as fire
alarm boxes. Practically the only
woodwork is in the door frames, the
floors of the patients rooms and the
furniture.
The Operating Rooms
There are four operating rooms,
all on the fourth floor, three for gen.
eral surgery and one for nose and
throat work. These rooms are sur
faced with terrazZo stone, a sub
stance similar to concrete but much
s,44 fsx-1 1,,4 t.
of the floors and corridors through
out the building. The walls to the
height of several feet are finished
in curly gray marble. Each of these
rooms has complete equipment and
the lighting facilities are ideal. Next
down the corridor is the etherizing
room, then the sterilizing room and
the laboratory. There is the store
room and next to that is the doc
tors scrub room The scrub room
contains many appliances for sani-
tation that are necessary after the
doctor comes out of the operating
room. He is able to wash thorough
ly without touching his hands to the
wash bowl in any way through in
genious arrangements for turning
on and off the water and emptying
the bowl. The laboratory contains a
sink and refrigeration as well as
cases for supplies. The sterslizing
room is equipped with four types of
machines for sterilizing Instruments
and utensils and in one corner is
an electric blanket warmer.
The X-ray rooms are wonderfully
equipped. These rooms number five
and are in suite conveniently ar
ranged. There are two tables for