THE NEW SANATORIUM AT HANMER SPRINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 10399, 21 August 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE NEW SANATORIUM AT HANMER SPRINGS.

The new Government Sanatorium at Hantner Plains will be out of the contractor’s hands in about a week’s time, and the place will be furnished without delay and made ready for the reception of visitors to the Hot Springs. The house is situated on the main road from Culverden, and faces the east. The grounds, which arc seven acres in extent, and adjoin the old bath premises, are now being laid out with walks, drives, flower beds, and shrubberies, and surrounded with plantations of ornamental trees. Entrance is gained from the road by three large gates, and the building, from the approach, has a handsome and substantial appearance. The building is one storey high, and is of wood, with an iron roof. The foundations are red birch piles, 3ft high, cut out of the local bush, and the ground timbers are all of heart of totara. The framing is of red pine, and the floors and rusticated boarding on the outer walls are of black pine. The ground dimensions of the place are : 93ft frontage by 79ft Gin on the south side, and 70ft on the north side ; but out of this there is a courtyard 2Sft by 30ft. For the convenience of the visitors, the lavatories are connected with the main building by passages, and form a wing 34fb by'lo?t. The house is divided iuto twenty-seven rooms, independent of these offices, and they include dining room, 24ft by 15ft; smoke room, 19ft by IGft; sitting room, 22ft by I4fo ; ladies’ sitting room, 19ft by 16ft; four double bedrooms, each I4ft by 15ft; six commodious single bedrooms, and also a bathroom. Besides these there are the following rooms for the staff Doctor’s room, caretaker’s office, bed and sitting room, two bedrooms for servants, and also kitchen, pantry, washhouse, store rooms, larder, and wood and coaihouse. The kitchen, pantry, etc , are all fitted up with the most modern appliances. In the front of the house, between projecting wings on each side, there it o verandah 53ft in length by 12ft in depth, laid with totara flooring, and finished in front with handrail and balusters. The entrance is by a. flight of steps under an arched gable, and at each end of the verandah are doors leadin'* into the smoke and ladies’ rooms. Access to the various rooms is gained by corridors 6ft wide, lighted by skylights. The main entrance hall is Bft by 14ft, and is lighted by a pair of large glass doors with side and fan lights, glazed vith tinted cathedral glass. The walla inside are lift in height from floor to ceiling, and are covered with Gin by fin tongued and grooved red pine lining. The ceilings are panelled, and the dining and smoke rooms, office, and corridors are finished with a dado 4ft high composed of selected red pine. The inside and outside walls are painted in tasteful colors, and the doors, windows, skirtings, moulding?, and dadoes are varnished. Excellent ventilation is obtained by means of “Torpedo” ventilators, connected by pipes with the various rooms. Hot and cold water is laid on throughout the house, and the front door aud principal rooms are connected with the servants’ apartments by an elootrio bell installation. The whole premises are drained with a network of pipes, and the sanitary arrangements are all up to date. The intention ’ is to heat and light the house with the natural gas from the springs, but the work in this connection is not included in the present contract, and a start has not yet been made with it. The building was commenced in March, the contract price being £1,966. The provision of a comfortable and well-managed sanatorium close to the baths will, without doubt, lead to a large increase in the number of invalids and tourist visitors to the Hanmer Springs ; and it will now be for the railway authorities to consider whether it would not be to their advantage to provide quicker transit from the city to Culverden, Hitherto one hindrance to invalids has been the distance of the hotel accommodation from the springs, and another the tedious railway journey, followed by a long coach ride. The first of these drawbacks having been done away with, it now remains for the Government to reduce as- much as possible the formidablcneas of the journey to persons out of health. If the authorities cannot see their way to accelerate the speed of the trains, something might be done in the direction of providing, either every day or on certain days of the week, carriages, both first and second class, fitted up with couches for invalids, to enable them to obtain as much ease and rest as possible before having to undertake the coach journey.--* Lyttelton Times.’