Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-12-01
The Ohio PenitentiaIY.

The Ohio Penitentiary. located at Cd4um
bus, is one of the greatest industrial insti
tions of the country. The editor of thu
Columbus Gazette has eollecred the follow
Ing facts and figures of the present condi
tion and operations of this institution:
The new addition to the Ohio Peniten
tiary, provided for by the S37. 600 apPropri
alton of last winter, is nearly completed
and the Directors and Warden are deserv
ing of the greatest credit for the vigor ant
energy displayed in the prosecution of The
work. --..F --. ~,
The walls, built since the first OF jane
are about two thousand feet in length, TWEEN
ty-two feet high, three feet thick at the bot
tom, and eigteen inches at the top, covered
with treestone coping three feet wide
Neat and comfortable guard houses are bull
on the top of the walls, for the accommcda
ton of the watchmen in charge of the pris
oners. From 1000 to 5000 perch of stone
was taken from the State quaEries for the
enlargement. and delivered upon the Ct ouad
the quarrying and hauling being contracted
for at the rate OF Sl,341 per perch.
About seven acres have been added 10 the
prison grounds by the new enlargement, the
entire enclosure aow comprising about
twelve acres.
During the summer, from fifty to seventy
five convicts were necessarily employed
outside of the walls; yet such was the con.
stant care and vigilance of the officers, tha,
not a single prisoner escaped. Two ol
them, at one time, made the attempt, but a
few well-directed bullets from the musksts
of the guards, frustrated their design. The
wounded men were taken to the hospital,
and properly cared for.
A new prison, separate and apart from
the main building, has been erected within
the walls, exclusively for females, thirty by
fifty-Dine feet, three stories high, the root
covered with galvanized iron. In the lower
story is a matron's room, dining room,
Kitchen. wash rooms, and eight cells. Ia
the second story there are fifteen cells OF
the usual size, and four large ones, intended
to be used in case of sickness. A large
room in this story is fitting up. in which the
women will be employed in making their
own clothing, and shirts for the male pris-
oners The third story is devoted exclusive
" to cells, of which there are abou. thirty.
Gas lights are provided in every cell. aud
the whole building has been constructed
with an eye TO ventilation, comfort and
cleanliness.
The Legislature of last winter provided
for an extension of fifty-'eet to the main
cell hall, which furnishes additional room
for only eighty prisoners, leaving seventy of
the present number Of inmates yet unpro-
vided for. About one hundred and fifty con-
victs have been kept all summer in the
chapel, in the hospital room,and in the shops,
curing .he nights, for want of cell room;
and to the excellent discipline maintained
by the officers, is alone TO be attributed the
fact that not single case of mutiny, or
attempt to escape, has occurred inside the
walls.
Under tie present arrangement, the main
range of cells can be extended so as to pro-
vide for the security of three hundred more
prisoners, which will make room for as great
a number as should be kept under the care
and supervision of any one Warden.