Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-09-17
Completion OF the Lancaster Jail
Acceptance of the Work.-A
partial Description.


has been completed by the contrac-
tors and accepted by the building
committee, Messrs. Evans, Ryland,
Seaton, Bennett and Field. 1t is the
most enduring and thoroughly made
building in this part of the state.
We ars assured that no better jails
are built in the Union though 9TH
ers may be larger and contain more
cells, yet none include more safe
guards and late improvements, or
are more secure, both as regards jail
or and prisoner, than ours. Monroe,
Wis, has larger Jail of equal quali-
ty, and these two are called the best
in the state.
There are several things to be de-
sired in first-rate prison. 1t must
be of such material and construction
that no inmate however ingenious
can even attempt to work out, with
out much noise, time and labor. IL
must be impenetrable to outside &C,
completes. 1t must enable a single
jaller to control all the inmates, with
out entering the same room and be-
ing III danger of attack. 1t must be
roomy and comfortable, with all the
facilities for ventilation, warmth and
cleanliness, Of any good boarding
house. 1t must be secure against
mobs and lynchers, and absolutely
unaffected by fire.
These high requisites seem to be
all secured to the County in the mo-
del prison just built. 1t has been
visited by prominent men from all
parts of the County, and no one has
yet suggested a weak place or a
chance of escape
The contract was let to Haugh Il
Co.iron manufacturers at Indianapo-
liz, for $40, 500. Mr.. E. Haugh, the
member who represents the firm, is
plain, affable gentleman, who per-
forms all he promises, and seems to
delight more in giving entire satis>
faction 10 the committee and the
public than in any profits that acci-
dentally might fall to his share.
Haugh & Co, put up all the iron work
complete for S13 900, and let the re-
mainder Of the work, stone, brick,
wood, and everything else, to the
firm of Norris d Hinkley, Monroe,
Wis. Mr.. Samuel Norris has been
among us since early spring, and has
done all his work in the most thor
ough and faithful style. He has ac-
CURED host of friends by his courte-
Gus manner aud business integrity !;
and If our town had a dozen public
buildings to erect, DO one would be
preferred to Mr.. Norris, either by
the building committee for perfect
tulhllment OF contract, or for the la
bOrers for kindness and justice. He
expects next u superintend much
larger jail, TO be built near Jackson,
Miss. where we hope he may secure
those profits be deserves, and v hich
it is well known he failed t. get
here.
The Jail contains 100000 lbs of iron
worth year ago 5 cts. but now
worth on an average Ct cts. per ID.
Here we have Sl2 500 worth of ra W
material, and, an advance of $500,
in value. The portion of the S13 600
that is to repay Haugh Il Co, for la
Dor freight etc, cannot be very
largo. 1t contains 2600 square feet
of cut stone work, of the best
brought from Joliet, ILL.,
and dressed by Mr.. Treat of Platte
vile. The brick were made by Mr..
BROKER and the wood work by AL
corn 4 Muesse, except some parts
from shops at GAINESVILLE.
The work being done and paid fol-
the contractors have no hesitation in
saying that the building as it stands
is worth S25, 900; that the lack of r
r. facilities intertered with all their
plans, enhanced the cost and caused
much loss of time and labor and
that they would not take another
Job so low, in a town SO far from a
railroad.
The plan of the jail is not easy to
describe. 1t is 36l by 453 feet on the
ground. The front part contains an
office and kitchen below, and q war
denis room and female Jail room
above. This is q strong room, with
all its walls, floor ana ceiliRg of iron
plates riveted together like as iron
boiler. 1t has six hunks or sleeping
berths, grated windows and a strong
iron door. This is large room 15x
16 feet, well provided with all con-
The CRATES of all the
windows are of cross-bars one inch by
four in size, whose ends are deep in
the stone frame, and cast
steel rods one inch thick passing
said bars, with their ends al
so deep in the stone at top and botr
tom. These case hardened steel
rods have a core of soft iron, we are
told, and are proof against saws and
sledges.
Ths main Jail has twelve cells,
each having two iron single bed
racks, one above the other, which
swing up by hinges at the wall and
are hooked up or let down for use.
Each cell is it. 5. and 8 feet high.
The whole cell is made of large sheets
of Jail plate" riveted together boiler
fashion, kind Of iron selected for
ha, dness and toughness, Que. fourth
inch thick, and so large that seven
plats form cell. The door is net
worh of iron bars, secured by bolt
and paddock.
In the central part of the main jail
are six OF these cells, arranged like
the panes of glass in six light sash
Above there is another floor of six
more. Half of the doors open north
and half south Surrounding this
inner core of twelve cells, ia corri-
dor Aft wide with iron floor and roof,
walled in by a strong partition of
"reticulated " iron work, net work