The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-04-29
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.


miles (fof which the fare ia the railroad omnibus is
but six cens) and crossed Biackwells Island
which situated the pentenliay, she city aimshoose,
and the corporation unac and smallpox asylums The
trip the portion Of The East river between the island
and the foot of 6st three hundred yards wde
with depth o! eighty feet, made in boat rowed by
four Stout convcts prisoners hardly know whether
designate large majority OF the des~Ses of the penen
tiay prisoners convicts io they 'sent up,
the term is for spree, making noise in the streets,
drunken row, in which serious damage was done &c,
Here all convicted Of simple assaults and
batteries, petty arcenies. and also all Migrants who are
committed for thirty days. and than year, are
confined. Those sentenced less than thirty days
kept labor about the Tombs, have before writ
you On landing handsome stone pier, myself and
friend mounted the bank the Office where our permit to
visit the island exhibited under keeper, who
charge that day the OF the establish
for the provisions and clothing for the 7si con-
victs then upon the premises We entered these, and
saw the which convicts were ''dIed OF .
Their clothes taken from them TO be washed and
packed away-bcng registered and labelled so thai when
their time may be Out they are given up TO them The
cotie. which the habiIed jacket, panta-
LOOMS and cap of sripad wooen {he usual pson-dress
shirt OF red flannel and heavy or linen shirt
comfortable clothing they possibly need The e-
males being supplied with suiciency OF stout under
clothes, brown linen coat frock over all
Those in and about the pentenay hospital allowed to
their iongshore shawls and bonnets Hard by these
is the quarry, In which perhaps one hum
dred kept work. under two or three underkeep-
the island AT present. the convics at the quarry get
ting for the pententiary hospital TO be built
upon the island, ioI which some sixty thousand dollars
recently appropriated by the corporation under
stand. Passing down through the carefully cultivated
meadows of establishment for perhaps eighth of
mile. we the large peniteniiay building of stone
This l6j feet long, being divided into wings and
centre building The wings each 200 feet by 50 feet
and the building IS by 10 feet The latter is four
high Of which used by the keeper resi-
dence the third is the prisonchapel, and the fourth d
vded into wards and used the hospital OF the establish
men, The wings appropriated to the cells for the con-
ycis which stand back back in building within the
walls In the north wing, the males locked al
mis- ht and dinner time The court between the
outer walls and the cells is Is feet wide There four
tiers cells with iron corridor TO each. There are 81
cells in each tier male department. and 20 in each
of the female department; being in all i96 The cells
in the northern wing measure 81 by feet and feet
inches high They we'll ventilated, each being oppo-
site grated window IA by 40 inche and having half its
iron door of iron lattlce-work.
Witnessed the ceremony of locking up the male prison
ers for dinner The dinner bell called the different angs
of from points the island where they had been
quarryng grading gardening shoemaking, from the coop
er shops &c. The gangs up one by one in double
file On arriving opposite long platform the north
prison. each prisoner took from thence huge
bolt of very excellent brown bread and wooden kit Of
soup. which placed full pound or more OF boiled
beefwh this in hand, the gang marched Cock-sep) into
the prison. and passing down, counermached upi those
belonging upper tier ascending, and each left the
line when opposite his number and entered the CELL
In few minutes all in Thea the hall boysPrison-
who somewhat assistants TO the keepers-passed
rapidly along the Corridors ming each door he pro-
crossed Immediately in his under-keeper,
who KEY in hand quickly turned each lock Then came
with through the pipe stem of which,
inserted the OF the door, he filled the tin cup
OF each convict, The prisoners are allowed one hour for
dinner was another part OF the island at the hour OF
usterng for the afternoons work. and missed sight
of that operatio Immediately below the prison, one
side is the carpenter shoe and cooper shop, Nc. Fifteen
hands (coavct worked in the frsr doing the wood
work required the island and making the alm house
and other coins which the corporation has supply gra
tnitously From what have previously written you con
corning vice. crme and paupersn in New York. yoR may
Judge coffin making for the corporation, emigrant
adjustment, &c, furnishes work for quite number OF
hands permitted to enter the frame binding In
which the female convicts kept at work; the head
being absent and being permitted to visit II
without special permission from him. However, went
over the female hospital OF the peniteniary and al
though the building but dIapdated two story shan
y before visited hospital so neatly and clearly
kept As far as | could perceive there other
females prisoners this any other branch OF the
establishment and ALL they the prison dress
There 40 patients here, nne'fenths Of whom
suffering from disease growing out OF leading an
abandoned life. In fact, this building is the venereai hos
pta for city Its inmates for the sake OF medical
men which they could otherwise obtain complain OF
themselves Migrants, and committed by magis
trate Such commitments really illegal, bu, necessary
50 they are permitted leave the island whenever well
Here be Of this terrible disease from liz
first stage dying patients covered all with the
se a,ing This hospital must afford better study io
this scourye large cities than exists elsewhere in the
Union Steps should be taken il to the visits OF all
who desire the practice OF the pres
ent resident and assistant physicians, which, hear
successful. In Of the wards, lying on cot
apparently in the last stage OF spent liie saw the
renowned Maria Monk, whose fabulous book years
created such excitement in the religious world She is ye
young woman, and sinks to the grave apparently in this
last earthly resting place Of the abandoned women OF New
York informed that these miserable creatures rarely
live more five years after entering on the caree
which finally lodges them this building, to die literally o
corruption.
In writing of the Tombs recently. remarked that the
main division of female department OF that esablsr
men, was not kept and cleany its prison s
males sOn the island the state of things is reversed the
cells and indeed all of the establishment devoted to the e
male prisoners being in the best possible condition. wh
the artmcnts the males comparatively sovenJ
kept Perhaps a division of the building termed there hs
| luny" may be exception This is a wooden building
in which those prisoners kept who by long course
vice or want capacity, destitute OF mind or capa
biy OF exerting themselves be unfit for servceab
labor Here the upper story, fifty or sixty men are con
stanly confined in the day time, and below as mani
women degraded and british OF their respective
Among such subjects there be nciihcr ceuni
onod or1e here is