pip.^No;i9f INVESTIGATIONS AT FORT STEVENSON — SMITH 185 



of the site of the West Wing of the Hospital, obscuring all but the 

 line of the footing on the east side, toward the yard. This recent 

 earthwork had protected from further disintegration large portions 

 of collapsed adobe-brick- wall materials. In collapsing, on or after 

 the destruction of the building by fire, the portions frequently retained 

 much of their original position and arrangement, except that they 

 lay on their sides, individual bricks thus resting on edge rather than 

 superimposed, as originally. The arrangement of bricks in these por- 

 tions was in regular courses, but without regular bond or courses of 

 headers. Since the individual bricks were of somewhat irregular 

 dimensions, and the mortar joints not perfect in alinement or width, 

 the vertical joints were also irregular, and occurred at random, accord- 

 ing to the size and placement of the adobe bricks. 



No parts of the timber members originally used in framing the 

 walls were found. From the large size of collapsed areas of adobe- 

 brick masonry, found without associated timber remains of framing 

 dimension, it seems probable that this framing had been widely 

 spaced, in this structure, and had been totally destroyed in the fire. 

 Evidence of a slightly different type of construction, involving timber 

 framing and adobe-brick packing, found at the site of the Command- 

 ing Officer's Quarters, is described elsewhere. 



The inspection report of 1879, and the gromid plan of the post, of the 

 same year, provide some data on the varied use of the different parts 

 of the Hospital at that time, but this information was verified in ex- 

 cavation in only occasional instances (fig. 16). For one reason or 

 another, evidence that might have supplemented the documentary 

 record was lacking, except as mentioned hereafter. It is hardly sur- 

 prising that physical remains were lacking, which might have indi- 

 cated the position or character of interior partitions and minor archi- 

 tectural details. The partitions probably had no separate footings, 

 merely resting on joists, or even directly upon the wooden flooring, 

 and all these wood members had been destroyed. No footings were 

 found that might have indicated the precise original location of chim- 

 neys, and in this instance the chimneys are known to have been set 

 directly upon the floor joists (report of 1879, cited by Mattison, 1951, 

 p. 33). Here and elsewhere poor building practices reveal a lack 

 of careful advance planning for the buildings. 



Of rooms 1 to 6 of the ground plan of 1879 — dispensary, storeroom, 

 steward's room, ward, bathroom, and laundiy, respectively — almost 

 GO distinct evidence was found (fig. 16) . Occasional objects were en- 

 countered, which appear to be related to the original use of the build- 

 ing, such as scissors (apparently of surgical type), parts of glass 

 syringes, and numerous frames of metal cots, but all, or many, of these 

 may have been introduced on the site during the period of the use of 

 the building as an Indian school, rather than during the earlier period 



