The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-17

$1,000 per year. the present salary;
$500, being an inadequate compensa-
ton for the labor performed.
The superintendent's Report
like that Of the Board of Directors,
embraces period Of only FIVE months.
He says:
when took charge OF the Institu'
ton found that the masonry Of the
cells Of the southern wing, or cell build
ing, was not completed; they required
several course of stone, and the stone
cornice to be laid on the northern end
and the top OF the whole to be covered
with cement or groute one foot thick.
This I had done, and the citizens labor
employed in doing it, and the material
used, paid for out Of the appropriation
for "tbe further construction Of the wall
around the Penitentiary," there having
been no other appropriation made at
the last session OF the Legislature out
ofwhich to pay for this work.
"On the 26th Of May there were con-
tracts made, after advertising for pro-
posals, for $500 perches Of rubble stone,
to be delivered on the Penitentiary
grounds from time to time as required /;
and on the 7th of July another contract
was entered into for 200 perches more
of rubble stone.
The contractors commenced to de-
liver the rubble stone about the 18th of
June. l had, previous to that date,
purchased and had set up one OF Fair
banks six ton scales, on which all the
rubble stone has been weighed. Be
tween the 18th of June and the 1st of
October there was weighed on that
scale 2046 wagon loads OF stone, q
ticket made out OF the weight of each
load and the name Of the hauler, with
deductions for weight Of wagon. The
amount of rubble stone delivered up to
the lst of October, is 1915 perches. To
have undertaken to measure such an
amount Of stone must have been &C
complisned at very great expense to the
State, and would have been preposter-
GUS, while the whole cost to the State
for weighing it was but $l6S.25. the
amount Of dimension stone delivered to
the lst OF October, is 1873 perches, III
feet and 7 inches, all measured, the
cost of which measurement ia included
l.. the item of $l6S25 above. Within
the dates specified there has been com.
pleted on the south line 3l5 feet Of wall,
20 feet high. 5 feet inches at the base,
and feet at the top; on the east line,
first section, 800 feet Of wall, % feet b
inches high, 4 feet thick at the base,
and . feet at the top; on the east line,
second section, 235 feet OF wall, 10
feet inches high, 4 feet thick at the
base, and 3 feet 3 inches at the top; on
the north line, first section, "a feet OF
wall, II feet high, 4 feet thick at the
base, and 3 feet 81 inches at the top On
the north line, second section, 90 feet OF
wall, Is feet 6 inches high, feet at
the base, and 3 feet 3 inches at its
heiehth; on the north line, third sec
ton, l64 feet of wall, 4 feet high and 4
feet thick; on the ives! line ia feet OF
wall, 4 feet 6 inches high and 8 feet
thick. Within that time the tower at
the southeast corner was built entire; it
is Al feet high from the foundation, and
y feet in diameter, containing nearly
10 perches of dimension and rubble
stone. The tower at the southwest
corner OF the wall has been completed
within that time, and that and the
southeast tower are both occupied by
guards. The wall along the east and
north lines is being hurried TO the pro
per heigbth as fast as possible, and l
hope TO have the tower at the northeast
corner nearly completed before the in
clement weather sets in and stops the
progress of the work. | have worked
upon the walls, scaffolds, &c, since we
commenced it in June, from 20 to As
convlcts daily, and some days more. 1t
is true that some of them, the more
weakly, did not perform much labor.
Since the lst of May all the doors OF
the two upper tiers of cells have been
com 2leted, except putting on locks,
which have not yet been procured.
There are but ll2 cells now furnished
with locks.
"In digging for the foundation for the
wall on the western line, between the
tower at the northwest corner and the
north wing cell building, part of the
ground was found to be quick sand.
This had to be remedied by putting
down layers of stone and mauling them
down as far as they could be driven
then putting down another layer, and
afterwards grouting with concrete COM
posed of hydraulic cement mixed with
a peculiar kind of sand, which, after
being thoroughly set, became as hard
as stone. The foundation laid upon
that will be entirely secure and ever
lasting. In digging at other parts Tor
the foundation of the outer wall, and
for the foundation Of the south wing
cell building, am told that several
similar quicksands were discovered,
and had to be remedied, as best
they could, at very great expense
to the State. Why building OF the
magnitude and OF so much impor'
lance to the State should have been
located on such a piece OF ground, or
what influences could have induced q
Board of Public Works" composed
of intelligent men, TO locate such an
institution on such grounds, is more
than I can conjecture. After the
grounds are graded off, as contemplated
and according to the original design Of
the architect, the adjacent grounds all
around will be higher than the Peni-
Tertiary grounds, so that the Peniten-
tiary buildings will be standing in a
basin or hole as it were, and subject to
all the inconveniencies arising from such