Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/419

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

the hospital proper. It is three'Story, fire* proof, and has space fo r thirty single rooms fo r the inmates. On the first floor are the apartments of the head nurse, the library, reading room, and a classroom fo r the nurses in attendance. T h ree of the larger rooms are so arranged as to permit being thrown into one by the opening o f folding doors, thus afford* ing a spacious lecture room. A ll the necessary apparatus fo r lantern slide projection and lec­ tures w ill be found here. Garage.~“ T o the north of the main build* ing is located the garage fo r the housing of the automobile and horse-drawn ambulances. Room is also found here fo r three cars of the attending physicians. One end of the build* ing is partitioned off fo r the use o f horsedrawn vehicles, out o f sight and sound of the automobiles. On the second floor are the rooms o f (he male help of the ho.spital build­ ings. H ere also is a reading room supplied with reading matter and com fortably fu r­ nished fo r the use of the male help. N ear the garage is located a small brick in­ cinerating building, where all refuse and dan­ gerously infecting matter arc burned. P ow er-house.— A ll the healing and power come from a brick building ninety feet to the north of the main building, connected with it by a tunnel high enough tu walk through, in which are suspended the pipes for steam, w ater and refrigeration. Thus the slightest leak w ill at once he detected an<l stopiied. In (he boiler room are three looh orscpow cr tubular boilers, the steam pumps and other apparatus necessary fo r so la ^ c a heating p ant. Connecting with this room is the con­ crete coal bin, with a capacity u f 200 tons. In a separate room is the cold storage plant, the refrigerating machinery and an ice making machine. From this room is pumjied the chilled brine which cools the refrigerators in the different kitchens and supplies chilled w a­ ter to the drinking fountains. T he upper floor of the jiovvcr-housc is de­ voted mainly to the laundry. H ere arc steam washers, mangles, ironing machines and a drying room, equipment equal to many of the most modem laundries of the State. H ere is also located a high-pressure steam sterilizing apparatus, fo r the cleansing o f infected clothing. T he entire institution is lighted by both gas and electricity, the latter being generated in the |)Owerhousc. In addition a system o f intcr-communicating telephones is installed, to­ gether with catl-bclls and telephone connec­ tions with the outside service lines.

T h e surrounding grounds w ill b e con­ verted into a beautiful park, the g rc c n c ity of which w ill be most restful to the e y e of the convalescent. In this w ork the m o s t noted landscape gardeners have been c a lle d upon. G e o r c b F. G b i s i n c e b, in whose m em ory (his hospital is erected, w as bom in H ingham, M ass., in September, 18 2 1, and w a s a son o f Commodore D avid Geisingcr, o f th e U nited States N avy. H e completed his e d u c a tio n in Boston, and went at an early d ay to B a ltim o re, where he engaged in mercantile b u sin e ss. In 1844 he accompanied his father on a p leasu re trip abroad, returning to Haitimorc t w o years later. In 1847 he went to South A m e ric a , where he spent five years. Com ing b a c k in 1849. he went to C alifornia. S u rae q u cn tly M r. Geisingcr w as in I’hiladclphia, a c t in g as his father’s secretary at the N aval A sy lu m until 1854. In Ju n e, 18 55, he cam e t o D an ­ ville as bookkeeper fo r the G rove B ro th ers, who were operating the plant now the nropcrty of the Reading Iron Company. Vhen the G rove Brothers ceased to operate M r . Geisinger entered the employ o f thcir succe.ssors. W aterman & Beaver, with whom he rem ained fo r tw enty-four years, meantime becom ing a member o f (he hrm. L a te r he acquired an interest in the Kingston Coal Company, which has been a .source o f great profit. M r. Gcisingcr w as m arried to A bigail .A. Com elison lune 7. 1865. H e died N ov. 16. 1 ^ 3 . (See biograf^ical section.) POST O F n C E

T he Danville post office w as opened fo r the use of the public about 1 ^ 1. in a fram e build­ ing which stood on the site of the Rhodes home. B efore 1806 residents could only send letters to, or receive them from, friends or bu.sincss men by the help o f chance travelers who happened to be going to or com ing from the places o f address. When a fte r a long time the mail did come, w as sorted, and to be found at a certain place, the postage, which w as 25 cents, w as in many instances a burden which sorely troubled the people to whom it w as .addressed. O ften days elapsed before the mail could be lifted from the office. T h e first postmaster at Danville w as Gen. W illiam Montgomery, who w as appointed .April I. 18 0 1. H e w as succeeded A p ril I, 1803, by his son, Daniel Montgomery. The postmastcrship remained in the Montgomery fam ily until Ju ly i. 18 13. when Rudolph Scchler w as appomtc<l. H e continued in office until