Evening star., 1941-04-20

Expansion OF 1ac1llleS at the
years by Navy authorities. Several
years ago Congress authorized funds
for the erection of new buildings
at the present location on Twenty
ment officials decided 1t would be
advisable to lay out the new medi-
cal center at some other location
in view of plans for the erection OF
new Federal Office buildings in the
vicinity of the present Naval Hos
pital.
Various Government planning
agencies finally concurred and later
Congress increased the original au-
thorization and broadened the law
to provide for a new site. 1t has
taken years to smooth out the
many difficulties and controversies
regarding the site, the plans and
the funds.
Before the Navy Department came
into possession on March II, 1900,
of its first Navy Yard located in
Washington, sick men of the Navy
in the city were treated and cared
for at an almshouse in Alexandria
for $5 a week. Some Navy men
were attended at Baltimore, where,
under contract with DR.. Watkins,
'they were provided with every
necessary thing, excepting clothes
and funeral expenses, at the rate
of 55 cents a day for each seaman" :"
First Hospital Built.
Later the first Naval Hospital
was established near the Navy Yard
in building rented for 5000
year. This was followed by the
erection of two small frame build
ings in the Navy Yard itself.
In l843 the sum of $4,000 was
appropriated by Congress for re
pair of barracks at different sta
tions and for erecting a hospital at
the headquarters of the marines in
Washington" During the Civil War
these accommodations proved in
adequate to the needs of the sick
and wounded, and in 1861 the Bu-
reau of Medicine and Surgery found
temporary quarters for the men from
vessels on the Potomac River at
the Government Asylum for the In
sane, where certain wards were set
aside and used until October, 1866.
An appropriation of $25,000 was
granted by Congress in 1864 for the
construction Of new Naval Hos
pital on Pennsylvania avenue Sc,
and this was ready for the reception
Of patients on October l, 1866.
Need for replacing that medical
center became increasingly urgent.
In 1903, an appropriation of $125,000
was made for new hospital to
be erected on the grounds of the
Naval Medical School and Museum
of Hygiene, and later sick officers
quarters, nurses quarters, hospital
corps quarters and three houses for
medical officers were built.
In line with the plans for the i'm
provement of Washington and the
building of new Federal buildings in
February, 1881, bill was passed for
a new Medical Center to be located
on the hill which marks the north
west corner of Potomac Park, the
reservation of the United States
Naval Hospital.
Before and during the time of the
Revolution, when the Potomac River
flowed close to this hill, it was used
as landing place for our own men
as well as for the troops of the Brit
ish Army. The boulder upon which
these landings were made is in place
near the lower edge of the hospital
reservation and still shows the bolts
driven in the rock for anchoring
landing platforms. Here Gen. Brad
dock landed his troops on that ILL
fated expedition to Fort Duquesne,
near Pittsburgh, Pa. 1t was on this
same expedition in 1755 that his
forces were ambushed by the French
and Indians and Gen. Braddock was
fatally wounded.
Used as Marker.
George Washington, aide-de- camp
to Gen. Braddock, landed here with
troops on his way to join Braddock,
who was then at Frederick, Md. This
boulder, since that time known as
"Braddock'S Rock" has sunk num-
ber of feet below the surface, owing
to reclamation of low land along
the Potomac and the necessary
grading Of the hospital grounds.