A report on barracks and hospitals : with descriptions of military posts / War Department, Surgeon General's Office.

Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report on barracks and hospitals : with descriptions of military posts / War Department, Surgeon General's Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    10 feet G inches by 9 feet 5 inches. The height of these rooms is 9 feet 4 inches. In the basement the rooms measure 15 feet 2 inches by 19 feet 6 inches, by 7 feet 5 inches high. Iu each of the rooms in the upper stories are two windows, one looking to the ramparts, and one opposite open- ing toward the parade ; the doors and windows iu these stories arc of corresponding measurement with those iu the barracks. Each basement room has one door and one window opening on the area, of like corresponding dimensions with those in the barracks. Boors open to the hall from the area and from the piazza, The halls arc S feet wide, and extend the depth of the building, from basement to rafters; in this hall are built stairways and landings. The fireplaces aud chimneys are in the partitions separating the rooms. The building contains 16 rooms and 8 kitchens, and is reckoned for eight sets of quarters. The uext work of importance in point of extent is Castle William, a circular stone castle with three tiers of casemates and a barbette battery. The circle is incomplete on the face covered by Fort Columbus. It is situated on the northwest corner of the island, aud distant from Fort Columbus 200 yards. The upper tier of casemates is used for quarters for recruits and tran- sient troops, and for confinement of prisoners. The summit of the. castle, and upper tiers of casemates, are reached by two winding stairways built of stone and inclosed in circular brick towers. Piazzas extend around the inner face of the castle, at the two upper tiers of casemates, and are supported by iron braces jutting out from the wall. In the upper tier the piazza furnishes the only means of communication between the casemates. In the lower tiers archways are built, connecting the casemates all around the castle. Within the circle is constructed a long wooden building, to be used as a mess hall and kitchen for recruits. The wooden building within the area of the castle measures 59 feet 10 inches by 30 feet by 8 feet 9 inches to rafters, with a pitch to the roof of 8 feet. Three small rooms are cut off in this building for store-rooms; they measure 10 feet 1 inches by 9 feet 8 inches. There are one door and two windows at each end of this building, and lour windows on one side and two on the other. On one side is a large range for cooking. On the southeast side of the island, about 60 yards from the south battery, is located the hos- pital. It is composed of two buildings ; one of brick, built in 1840, and the other a frame structure erected in 1862, during the late civil war, for a general hospital. Both buildings are now used as a post hospital, and the spare wards devoted to various purposes. One of the wards is used for a Catholic chapel, and two of the wards of the brick building are used for courts martial, for exam- ination of recruits, lectures, and balls. The brick building contains two stories and a basement, and has a, flat tin roof. The plan of the building is shown in Fig. 2, 1 being the ground plan of the basement ; 2, of the first floor; and 3, of the second floor; A A, wards; B, bath-room and water- closet; D, dispensary; E, steward's rooms; K, kitchen ; O, office; S, store- f. rooms. The height of the basement is Fig. 2. 8 feet 4 inches; of the first story, 12 feet 9 inches; and of the second story, 11 feet 10 inches. The main wards on the first floor, measure 48 by 20^ feet. Two large arched doorways open near each end of these rooms. The light and ventilation are deficient, and although the rooms are spacious they are not adapted to hospital purposes. About M0 feet to the rear of the hospital is a long brick building, one story, 8 feet high, divided into four rooms; two used tor quarters for matrons, one as store-room, and one for a dead-house. The frame building forming a part of the hospital is 12 feet west of the brick building above referred to. The outline and plan of this building are shown in Fig. 3, the upper cut, marked 1, representing the basement, and the lower, marked 2, the main floor; 1 2 3 4, wards; 5, hall: 0 verandah; 7, operating-room ; 8, brick walk ; 9, grass; 10, wash-room ; 11, dining-room ; 12, laun- dry; 13, store-room; 14, root cellar. The roof of this building is shingled, and has a pitch of 4 feet. Wards 1 and 2 measure 57£ by 24 feet; wards 3 and 4, 78J by 24 feet. In the ceiling