THE SEACLIFF ASYLUM.

Evening Star, Issue 7367, 12 November 1887, Page 3

THE SEACLIFF ASYLUM.

The Deputy-Inspector of Lunatic Asylums (Mr W. P. Street) has made the following special report on the state of the buildings at Seacliff: — Scaciiff, 29th October. I inspected both the upper and lower buildings today minutely, and saw all the patients. A largo number of the men were employed in out-door work 1 paid particular attention to day to the dilapidation of the building referred to in my last report. In the female division in a recess in the refractory ward there is a serious crack right across the ceiling, a part oi it being a further extension of the old crack, which had been plastered up. The cracks in the wall are again yawning and the wall bulging. The plaster on the ceiling of the recess ought to bo knocked down at onco tor fear of injuring the patients. In a room adjoining, the bricks arc exposed separated and cracked. The cracks hero are larger than formerly. The plaster on the ceiling of this room should also be taken down. The shutters to the window are quite immovable. The next room is also in a bad state—brickwork exposed and ceiling cracked. The cracks also extend to the mess-room. In the vestibule or this ward some of the plaster fell to-day. I found that some of the cracks extended light through to the outside of the building. In the basement of No. 3 ward the concrete floor is broken. This pait of the building has gone so bad lately that many of the doors have had to be taken off and about an inch and a-haif taken off the bottom. Notwithstanding the filling in of the archwoys and doorways in the verandah of the courtyard with brickwoik, it is quite evident that the building is suheiding. The plaster work in the ceiling of this verandah is decidedly dangerous. The walls of Nos. 2 and 3 wards are bulging outwards. In a bedroom over the messroom, in No. 2 ward, part of the wall appears to be falling inwards. In the upper corridor of No. 2 ward the cracks iu the ceilings and wal’s still gape. In No. 1 ward, in Attendant Janet Paterson’s room, the cracks are again showing. This ward is at right angles to No. 2 ward. I understand that the Public Works Department have these matters under consideration, and I trust the Government will see that something is done towards remedying this serious state of things. I visited the stabling and byres to-day, and found a much improved state of affairs.