Post St. Blues-Fiona at the library

[jon]

Ald Doll - some claim it is the duty of the police and fire commissioners to attend to this.

Ald. Barnes - I don't believe the police are responsible for this.

The Surveyor - What has raised the cry about gas at this time?

Ald. Barnes - The death of Mr, and Mrs. Grady.

The Surveyor - The health officer notified me the other night of the death of the couple, and I went up and opened the wells on Steuben street and Eagle streets. There was no gas in the sewer, and the Grady case has no bearing on the case whatever. This board of health is a great institution, and it does a great deal of talking with its mouth.

[jon]

Ald. Brown - I agree with Ald. Barnes that this matter belongs to the health officer. If the health commissioners are notified that the council in special occasion, has decided it is their duty to act. I think the health officer will attend to it. If the board declines, the mayor ought to remove the members.

Ald. Doll - The surveyor might be directed to open the wells and keep them open until February 10, and the health board could take care of them after that.

Ald. Brown - there is no necessity for this, for the board can do this work as soon as we can.

The Surveyor - The clerk of the health officer told me Saturday, that unless the surveyor opened the wells, the health officer would do it Monday morning.

Ald. Doll - If the council cares for the wells until February 10, and then tells the health board that it will have to take of them, will not this do matters right? This putting off action looks a good deal like buying a fire engine after the town has burned down.

[jon]

Ald. Brown - The commissioners of the different boards have been shifting responsibility on to us and it is about time we took a stand in the matter.

Ald. Ball - I think we have but one thing to do under the charter. that provides for the opening of gutters by property owners. This is the ordinary way to act. if this is an extraordinary case it seems to me it is the duty of the health board to act.

The clerk read the ordinance defining the powers of, the board of health, and it was decided that the body had authority to act in this matter.

Ald. Barnes' amendment was then acted on and adopted; ayes 7, nays 1.

The resolution as amended was adopted.

Ald. Ball moved that the police and fire board be directed to enforce the 72d ordinance. Carried.

[jon]

Ald. Doll said there was a stoppage in the sewer on Eagle street, between Taylor avenue and Third street, and people had water in their cellars. He moved that the surveyor be directed to attend to the matter. Carried. Adjourned.

This is not the first time, by any means that the question as to whose duty it is to keep the wells open in the winter has arisen. The matter has never been deliberately settled, however, and it seems high time that the responsibility was placed somewhere.

Two years ago there was a similar trouble over gas from the sewers. In East Utica, in one or two places, gas came out of the wells in great volumes. William L. Burnham of 48 Howard avenue had gas in his cellar, which ignited upon coming in contact with the flame from a match.

In all cases heretofore, as far as can be learned, the council has directed the surveyor to open the wells.

If the council orders the work the city has to pay for it. If it is done by the health board the expense becomes a town charge. As far as expense is concerned, it makes but little difference to the taxpayers which body orders the work.


UTICA MORNING HERALD - JANUARY 31, 1888

[jon]

TO MAKE PLACE
FOR ANOTHER DOCTOR

_________________

STRANGE PROCEDURE ON PART
OF HEALTH COMMISSIONER
_________________


Dr. Barrett Assigned in Ravine Hospital When Cases Are Nearly Cured - Looks Like Political Move

[jon]

There are two physicians at a cost of $10 per day each, at the Ravine Hospital in charge of the three various convalescents, and it all comes out of the belief by a member of the Health Board that Dr. Grara, who was placed in charge when the hospital was opened with the first patient several weeks ago, has been altogether too chummy with an unsuspecting public. People living in Mohawk street in the vicinity of the hospital have been complaining bitterly for some time about the conduct of the people in the Ravine Hospital. The complainants said that the doctor walked about the neighbourhood, that the nurse and a convalescent likewise took constitutions to the annoyance of those who lived nearby, and that was no trick at all to get into conversation with any of these people who were supposed to be in quarantine. Twice were complaints made to the police station. In each case they were refered to the health officer, and on the first occasion that official told the police that if any one from the pest house was found wandering about the streets to arrest the offender.

[jon]

The police department held that if the court knew itself no one from the Ravine Hospital would be lugged into town and locked in the police station and other things in the way of reports on the conduct of the hospital were received by the Health Board. Dr. Clarke, the health officer, contended that there was nothing wrong that it was a case of mistaken identity - a brother of Dr. Grana being mistaken for the physician himself. The brothers have a close resemblance and to those not intimately acquainted might be sadly mistaken for each other.

Among other things which the Board of Health received was the following:

January 25

[jon]

Charles F. Cleveland Chief of Police:

Dear Sir it was reported to me by Frank Love, who tends the gates at the Mohawk street crossing of the West Shore Railroad, that Dr. Grara was on the sidewalk on Mohawk street for several minutes and talked to a man and two ladies in a cutter, and that there were ten or more people that passed by him while he was there. He also told me that the man that brought groceries to the pest house went inside the pest house. A man by the name of Miller who lives in the old jail, complained to me about people going in and out of the pest house.

(Signed) Officer William Concannon.

Saturday Dr. P. J. Barrett was sent to the Ravine Hospital by Commissioner Roberts, with instructions to take control. Dr. Grara did not take kindly to this. He had been appointed by the Health Board when the first case appeared and under authority granted by the board he had been retained by the health officer. He decided that he would not be displaced in this matter and thus it happens that there are two physicians, in the Ravine Hospital to take care of three convalescents who are practically in need of no care at all. Unless new cases appear it will be but a few days at the most before the last of the three patients will be discharged.

[jon]

When Mayor Steadman heard of the appointment of another physician for the Ravine Hospital he was deeply disgusted, because he regards the appointment simply as a political move to give some one a job when the services of a physician are XXXXXXXXXXX immediately called up the Ravine Hospital by phone and ordered Dr. Barrett to disinfect his clothing and to leave, but the doctor failed to obey.

Dr. Grara sends over the telephone an indignant denial of the statement that he has been out of the hospital, as alleged XXXX XXXXX XXXXX statement and he says that it is an insult to his professional reputation. Dr. Grara further said that he was in charge of the hospital as he had not received notice to the contrary.

UTICA OBSERVER - 1901

[jon]

CITY AND COUNTY

The Pell Brothers, of Post Avenue, of Utica, have gone off on a raid as the "Jubilee Singers." Their business agent and editorial illuminator was left in Utica on account of his having a bad s-pell.


UTICA MORNING HERALD - FEBRUARY 8, 1878

[Dave]

I couldn't quite match the post card photo's perspective, but manipulating the map you can see what might be a "new" Pest House or Ravine Hospital (wood construction, yellow) behind Utica General.
The steam and power building behind the main hospital on the map and can't be seen in the photo. Sheds are off to the west.

The old pest house is further back in the lot, which is interesting. What we'll assume is the new, larger P.H. is closer to the main hospital, possibly for convenience and utilities. And what we're assuming is the new Pest House is closest to what on the map is called Ballou's Creek, which at that location may have been down in a ravine, hence the name.

Ballou's Creek must have been eliminated when the city built the South Reservoir upstream on Valley View Drive (or upper Third Ave, although there must be a run-off somewhere, possibly underground.) As kids we used to hike across the golf course from Cornhill and cross the road and walk up into the woods where there was a steep ravine. This stream had a name ... not a kids' name, but one used by our parents .... but I can't remember it.


www.windsweptpress.com/images/hospital persp1.jpg[/img]

[fiona]

This is interesting, about the Pest House. When I saw a previous map highlighting the Eagle Street area as the Utica Orphan Asylum I suddenly remembered what that building was: It was a school and I recalled that I went into it with some other kids and there were desks and blackboards and on a windowsill was a large Herkimer Diamond, which I took. I vageuly recall some years later reading an artical in the paper about how it had finally beeen torn down. A large two story wood frame building is what it was, a school for the orphans. I have no idea when it was built. Perhaps more info will surface later.

[Dave]

I started a separate thread on the Utica Orphan Asylum and posted some info from the OCHS in it.
Dave

[jon]

THAT FIRE ALARM

The sound of the alarm yesterday morning, was a fire which broke out at 14 Post Avenue. The dwelling is occupied by Louis Pell, colored. M. Diesman is the owner. Little damage was done.


UTICA MORNING HERALD - SEPTEMBER 11, 1874

[jon]

LOOKING FOR HOMES

Notices of ejectment have been served upon all the tenants on the Kilkenny property at the corner of Elizabeth and Burnet Streets, and running back to Post Avenue, to vacate the first of March.

The tenants of the Kilkenny property are unable to obtain homes in the vicinity of their present places of abode, and will be compelled to move to another section of the city. There are about 60 occupants of the Kilkenny property, negroes who have made their homes in that vicinity for a number of years. The Kilkenny buildings will disappear in about 10 days after the first of March. Work on the new fire station will be commenced as soon afterward as possible.


UTICA OBSERVER - 1911