366
COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
(Ic lp h ia a m i o th e r c itie s, w ith th e v i e w o f ob* U iiiin g in fo r n ta tio n a s t o tlic m o st m rM lcni m e th o d s o f c o n s tru c tio n a n d o p e r a tio n o f h os* p ita ls a n d sa n ita riu m s. T h e c o m m itte e fin a lly se le c te d a set o f p la n s n to ilc le d in p a rt a f t e r th e h o s p ita l a t H u n tin g d o n, in th e c o u n ty o f th a t n a m e, a b u ild in g w h ic h h as lo n g sto o d as th e fin est e x a m p le o f a tiK K lem h o sp ita l. T h e s e p la n s w e r e, h o w e v e r, m o d ifie d t o su it th e c o m litio n s in D a n v ille * a n d g r e a t ly im p r o v e d b y ra d ic a l c h a n g e s w h ic h w e r e n eces s a ry in v ie w o f th e ra p k l d e v e lo p m e n t o f s a n i ta tio n d u r in g th e past f e w years.
TTic plans were approved on Ja n . 2 3, 19 13 . and on A p ril 2 1st o f that year the contract for the construction of the hospital w as awarded to the Shamokin Lum ber & M anufacturing Com pany fo r the sum o f $160,000. T h is com pany in turn awarded the contract fo r the stone w ork to T . L . E van s’ Son s, o f DanviUe. T h e plans, however, have so enlarged, and such additions have been made to the original dc.sign, that the whole at completion w ill have cost more than $300,000. Brcakinff the Ground.— T he first event o f note in the erection of the buildings which form the hospital w as the brcaking o f gronml on M ay i, 10 13 . A large number o f iicrsons assembled on the spot sclectcrl, on that morning, and at exactly 9 :3 0 M rs. (k isin g e r stuck the spade into the ground and liftetl out a fiortion o f earth—the first operation of the nwny required to complete the work o f erection. So enthusiastic w as the benefactress of the structure that she not only broke the ground but had lifted out three spadefuls before she realized the action. Rev. Jam es Wollaston K irk w as present on this oc casion and offcrcrl prayers before and after the ceremony o f breaking ground, also reading the 127th Psalm . Rev. Robert B . Ja c k also offered prayer, and ma<le an address' L a yin g the C orner Stone.— T h e most ceremonious event in the hislorj* of the hospital w as the laying of the corner stone. which ocairre<l at high noon, Sept. 1. 19 13 . It was strictly a Masonic event and participate^! in by the Grand Lodge of the State and many subordinate loilgcs from near-by towns. O ver three thouf^and persons attended the ceremonies and the occasion was ma<lc one of the historic events o f Danville. A procession w,as formed and marched to the a|>|Kiintcd spot in the morning. It was lc<l by R . V. Grand Nfarshal W illiam G . P u r sel, o f Danville T.oilgc, No. 224. Following him came R . W . Grand M aster W illiam I.r. G orgas. Deputy Grand ^^astc^ Louis;. W a-
tres, Senior Grand W arden W illiam L . Sidler, Ju n io r Grand W arden Frederick A . (>odCharles, Grand T reasu rer F . W. M agill, Grand Secretary M. G rier Youngm an, Grand Chap lain Rev. E dgar K. Ilecknvm, Deputy Grand Secretary M artin II. Schram, Grand Deacons William J . Rogers and Jo.se]ih Divcl, Grand Stew ard s (.Jeoige E . W ilbur and E lias S, M il ler, (irand Pursuivant (>corgc M aircs, Grand T y lcr W. Charles H aney, Grand Sw ord Bearer WiUiam V . Oglesby. N ext cam e the follow ing subordinate lotlgcs in line according to seniority: Benton, N o. 6 6 7; Sunbury, No. 6 3 2; Mahoning (D an v ille ), N o. 5 1 6; Berw ick, No. 4 6 2 : O rangeville, No. 4 f o; k lysb u rg, No. 4 1 4 : Norilium t^rlaiid, N o. 4C4; W atsontown, No. 4 0 1; Bloomsburg, No. Milton, No. 2 5 6 : Danville, No. 2 2 4 : Sunbury. No. 22. T lic ceremonies o f laying the conterstoiie were most impressive and were foUowctI by an earnest and most eloquent address by Rev. Robert lionner Ja c k, pastor of the F irst I'rcsbytcrian Ghurch, Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It is o f im eresi to note that the regalia used on the occasion by tbc Grand Lodge {wsscsscd much historical interest, having liccn used at the laying of the conierstones of the State Capitol at H arrisburg, the Nfasonlc T em ple at Philadclpliia, O irisiV M emorial Church at Danville, and the Tliom as Heaver Free L ib rary at the sam e place, .lthough worn and fadc<l. the regalia ap(>cared in good con dition and to members of the fraternity a c quainted with its history brought up many cherished recollections. T h e articles placed within the cornerstone w ere as fo llo w s: Photi^raph o f George Francis Gei singer, son o f Commodore David Geisingcr, U . N . Photograph o f .bignil A. Geisingcr, daughter o f Isaac and Abigail Cornelison. I'hotograjih o f John II. H nigler, the architect of the buildings. Photographs of the Com elison and G eisingcr homes. Repre sentation of the coni|)leUxl hospital, according lo the plans of the architect. Personal records o f M r. and M rs. Geisingcr, and a number of newsjiapers ami coins. T h e Buildiftgs.— T h e instructions given the architect and committee by M rs. Geisingcr were to make the hospital and subordinate buildings as complete and artistic as modern methods could design, and the result is an ideal institution in construction, equipment and furnishings. It mav lie truthfully state<l that as completed no other structure or group of hospital buildings, wdth a capacity o f seventyfive patients, c,in approach the G eoige F . Gei>inger Memorial Hospital in completeness of
