New-York tribune., 1872-07-20
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
WITHIN TIE TONES.


In the MAYORS last message to the Common |
Council the attention of body for the seventh
lime officially directed TO tho condition ot uhe louo
This not place Of punishment, but OF detehon' anu
is the chief Of the kind in the metropolis
The Tombs is bounded by Centre, Elm Leonard auu
FranEluss and is the center Of depression ln
the Island where pond, IN when the earnest
cxperimcnts in steam navigation made This basn
was connected with the East River by an arthcia ea
from which the seemingly arbitrary name OF OaDaif|
arose. There sOmeWhat general desire that 'ne
basin should be left Open but contrary wish prevailed
and elevations then existing 10 the south urhsheo i"
tcrial for filing up swamp. This was selected as
most desirable site for the City Prison III was che"p
and central and for the swamp-did not Jerelhmn
sink in the mre 1.-THE dungeon OF Malchiah the son Oh
Hammclech Z" The location was scriptmal' at oas'
and the structure was accordingly begun ih i@" anu
completed IN 1888.
The square surrounded by iron fence four OF h'e
feet high, which rests granite coping Inc "an
is perhaps, 80 feet III hight out tne aio"
lecture makes seem much Ower-a veritable tOmo Oh
granite wide, low oninous. on the west sue 'hee arc
no Windows seven narrow Sits in the wall having been
closed with masonry. Al either end OF the sooIh sue
an entrance with frownipg portco. Or these lhe
western one Is utilized BARRIERS shop, While the
other Is seldom used. In the wall between these en-
frances are windows The east or Cenre-st side OF
the building is properly the front In the center is an
immense portco with Egyptian pillars and corniees ON
either side Of this five windows, most OF thelh
grated ike those at the north and south sioes OF the
building.
A. the visitor enters the cast portico two flights of
granite steps lead second story of the edhce
Beyond the steps open hall OF considerable dep'h
pierces building. The roof is supported 10y fourteen
massive pillars South of the hallway offices, ana on
the north and west sides are oourtooms OF
The gloomy exterior of the buiding is partly edihce
and partly prison wall. Along Centre ST. the edihce Is
continuous, with the courtroom at the NORTH the h
the and the offices at the south c Three t
E5anE@s 5s:ty side BACK rnd q nES tEs
great porlico aud entrance hall That pa part do OF tGe
geher with the Emst exterior is simply prison Wal %d,
the S north Gi and 4oat Wings used
for prison purposes These buildings are All OF ABOUT
the same ght as he prison wall Between the south
and central wings l. building for the confinement OF
boys under l6 Between the central and nOrh wings
aparalelogram inclosed by fence within %hlen are
border OF flowers, a gravel walk a giassplo' anu
d4niuutlVe fountain
THE DEPARTMENTS.
The only other building of importance parallel
with the side of the ncOsure 1t is 40 feet inches
In length and IS feet inches in breadth is built of
granite has four stories and is the highest OF all the
buildings This is used for the male department; the
IAonardst wing for the female department, and the
Fmukln-st wing for the ten-days men. The space
WITHIN the nclosure. not otherwise occupied Is covered
In the male department there are windows reaching
nearly to the roof and in the root itself there are sky
fomr tiers of cells each about feet wide 10 feet high
dmipisbiSe With each successive tier Narrow gal
erie protected by iron raings run about the entire
Each cell has narrow window, by % inches set high
~ the wall In some cells, above the window on tne
outside Is funnel catch whatever may be stir
ring, and TO draw within; The cells are Whitewashed
aud furnished with low pallet an abundance OF
bed-cothing settle, and faucet 9i eloton Inc eeI
low, narrow and double-the inner one DelDg
The cells of the female department are arranged on
somewhat different plan, but present the same general
their time in two or three large rooms.
As already intimated, two classes Of male prisoners
distinction is not made in the female department. The
male prisoners are again divided INTO those commtte1
awaiting already sentenced. The adults among
e dans StSeP S d at night Sleep cells on
the ground floor of the middle wing The adults among
the occupy cells night and day III the male depart
men The boys OF both classes are allowed consider
straction sre taught in a little school conducted by
charitable women. 1t thus appears that the male de
Confinement. Here the ground tier receives those al
ready sentenced; the second, those charged with muI
charged with grand areenes, feloEious assaults the
BATH Twice a day, in squads ten, they al
loved about the corridors for exercise 20 minutes
at time At other times they are confined TO their
cells
milk and sugar tea and coffee and a soupo Of some
can adord il purchase better meals Where can be
safely done, similar bOerty in furnishing cells is
very comfortable. From 10 a. H. 10 y. H., except ON
Sunday, friends Of the prisoners are allowed 10 visit
views exceeding half an hour in duration are not gen
sray granted
Az ILI-vESTILAIED PRISON ovERCRowDED
But efficient the management the prison is a dis
grace the city Piles had to be driven thicky to
it, foundations any drnness In the marsh where 1t
built The wet ground must have been fruitful source
Of III health prisoners of those days. The drainage
is better now, but underground of this kind is not
especially heathful At that time, moreover, the city
w comparatively hinly settled In that neghborhOod,
80 that fresh had 10 the buildings. Now,
ON the contrary edces hedge II IN all Sides aud
this with the fact that the ground rises on all sides
hecualy the air from circulating freely III the
imidiugs 10 agcTavate this difficulty the wall Is Of
either end of the male department the principal
prison the west portcoes Oh Leonard ana FIapkn,5ts
rise the general level of the prison
wall and as the end windows Of the male department
corridors directly back OF these the air kept from
them Deedessly An attempt TO convey AR TO the bot
f1rn of the corridors by means Of wndsails has been
made with very unsatisfactory results.
The prison, too, is too small, for the reception OF
the prisoners consigned to IT.. Many have TO be
kept the local stations about the city, and
then the IOmbs Ii sadly oYererowded There are IN the
male department l4S cells The building has settled at
the much that gaps in the masonry at the
ter have had 20 be filled with stone-wOrk In a clumsy
way; and. what is the sewerage of the building
accumulates at either end, OvcTfOws the
cells untenabe and adds 20 the bad sanitary state
of the building cells thus reduced about
$50 On night OF July 10 about prisoners
lodged cels. such crOwding Is frequent in both
Tie male and female departments In brief the cells
about hollow In which the prison stands from the yield
ing soil underneath II, from the architecture aud from
the inadequate accommodation. Those confined for
first Ohenses, aud perhaps for no Ofense whatever,
are thrown the cell with hardened criminals
Finally, these 0urages are nncted on persons VINO are
chiefly detained without sentence. OF the hundreds
abused, the majority are III the eyes Of the law
gutess.
offices,