HOME OF COMPASSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 3

HOME OF COMPASSION.

WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION,

■. t > . COST, £2500. ...■■ Tho Homo of Compassion for helpless and incurable children, established by the Rev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, is to be reopened to-morrow afternoon by His Excellency the Governor, assisted by Lady 'Plun-, ket, whoso interest in tho good work lias been clearly demonstrated during the ]Mst six months. It will be' remembered that this building was opened with great eclat some time, ago,, but after it had been taken over, and the Rev. ■ Mother and her Sisters had entered into possession, it was discovered that there wero grave constructional defects. So serious Were these shortcomings that the building was i: iiot considered safo for habitation,- and -. to make matters worse it was far from. : being .water-tight.. Experts were called 011, and reported what was wrong, and :'ev,entually v,the work of righting the wrong placed-in tho hands of Mr. John S. Swan, ■ architect, who engaged Mr. John Moffatt'to. do ; tho' work.' A burst of sympathy followed tho discovery that the building the': Rev.. Mother had striven so hard to provide' was unquestionably defective, and from His Excellency, the ■ Governor to tho navvy help .was freely offered. In-the meantime Mr. Swan went into the constructional" details of j the building, andascertained the rectification needed./ What this means, can be seen by a summary of the' work'given below: : —- 1 \ ; 'C '. Sashes and Fanlights.—Glass removed, sash'bars , inserted, and the work reglazed. The Rev. Mother was nervous about glass being damaged by wind, or by inmates. All windows made watertight. Fixed fanlights over .windows and doors made to open. ' ' Doors—All mouldings removed' 'and new pieces 'fitted, so that as little dust as .possible would lodge. • • 1 ,Vontilators in outside walls made watertight. ~.. ■' . . . Cupboards in Wards.—Pieces removed, and new pieces fitted to, catch as little dust as possible. , • . .-. . -

Skirtings.—All timber and skirtings removed and all; angles between floor and, halls rounded "so as riot to 1 catch dust.

Staircases.—All pieces amended or replaced with new single pieces, so as to catch as little dust as possiblo. / " i-' Hot Water.—New Independent boiler fitted, also extra cylinder and service extended and amended. . Posts and beams in-nurses' rooms and.refectory—Jarrah posts and beams to-support floors over were erected] in these rooms. Supports under girders were fixed in ward for convalescents, clinical ward, .ward for boys, for girls. These were formed of steel stanchions and concrete. - Tower-.''Root'—The . water v from ; ttiis roof had no escape, oxcepting over the brick' walls. Gutters 'were formed. with'' rain-water * pipes from gutters, to lower' roofs.'.- : 'V'v ' Main Roofs.—The finish of Neuchatel asphalt with parapets was' amended .to stop leakage.. In many cases the parapets'wero cut out and underpinned, ana the asphalt carried through walls. Rain-water Pipes from' Roofs.—These wero found/ to be blockcd under tho verandah floors;:- Tho pipes were all:- overhauled and tested to have all perfect. A "new coricreto reservoir to' hold. gallons'was/formed in the valley abovo the Home, and from the samo a'liew 'pipe lino was taken to.the roof of the building. .This work'was carrie'd.-out by Mr. John- Guthrie, under Mr. Swan!s. instructions.^;.^.'

• The cost of .'the repairs, v.with'additions; alterations, and the;ricw.tfatdr supply has been about £2500,': Svhich^sum_iis':-less'.;than] ;Mr.' Swan's estimate •

A fair is being: held'in connection with thi opening.: / r.j "'-.r- '■