New-York tribune., 1874-02-11
ENLARGEMENT OF THE TOMBs.

| REPORT OF The ARCIITECTs-RXPEDIENCY OF FILL
ING UP THE UNoccUPIED SPACE WITHIN THE
PRISON
The City Prison Commission held another
session In the Mayors Office yesterday The Secretary
read statement prepared by the architects, C. Vaux
and r. G. Hatfield, appointed TO examine the present
City Prison and report 10 the feasibility OF its
argement TO meet the demands for additional
! prison accommodation. Extracts appended:
All the evidence able to procure indicated
that 1t would bo unwise attempt TO obtain increased
| PRISON accommodation by adding TO the Tombs We.
therefore, this to he ont OF the question and pro-
ceed to consider how new buildings could best be adj
jused to the eHgencies % the position Two new build
ings might be erected without destroying much OF the
present permanent structure Each OF these might con
tain ten stories OF ten cells each making 200 cells ia all
To obtain this aeeonu uodation the outer wall Of the
building wonld have TO coincide with the line OF the
wall Of the lot, which Is undesirable. Another
plan gives block vi building entirely clear OF the outer
ws sunclenty alse e provide 800 cells carried ten
stories high. This would involve the destru .tion OF
Court its readusnen in the south portion OF
the building facing Centre-st. 1t would then occupy
position corresponding to the present rouce Court to
which there to be- no objection. To make either
Of the improvements. above suggested, 1t would be
cessary 10 sweep away l6 cells for boys, % cells for
women and the present day room III the eogrtyard for
case all aec2m9od3ttlon l9r them
The 6bjeciions 60 the construction buildings
tho sites suggestee are nrs hat the space between
te structures and the buildings 10 be retained could
greater than II feet which is insufficient di
monsion FOR light and ventilation N the lower stories
aud secondly, the foundation Is or character that
would require great expenditure of money merely 20
prepare the erection OF lofty aud necessarily
heavy binding The present prison buildings are con
sirlcted piles thai extend down 10 depth Of so or
60 feet 1t would be desirable ana feasible 70 ascertain
the extent 70 which the present buildings nave settled
and the irreguary OF the settlement III different parts,
but hs can only be determined by more careful sur
yey than we have fet called on 10 MAKE at ths tme
Ii would be judciOus 20 enter on the delicate aud eN
uensve work Of eXcayatng fOr large new building
close TO an old one on poor foundation unless some
very decided advantages were 10 be obtained So far
a. economy Of construction in the buildings themselves
concerned II Is clear that al the money sunk IN the
! special preparation OF a Dad foundation would
| buildings erected elevated, Grayely soil
| such as is 10 be found Oh the SIZE Indicated
issued. II seems evident 10 therefore, without going
into such questions the best theory OF prison manage
the site ncshDOrhood tnat it would not be ecOnom
cal to attempt the erection Of heavy blocks OF buildings
instance. The same argument would apply II proposi.
ton made to erect new prison on the present
depot site, aud dterwa!d 10 erect new Court house
building connected with n by bridges across the street
the site Of the prison buidngs' The area Of ground
occupied would differ hte from that included in the
nuhSstions of the igo buiIdugs wond diner so greatly
that building the mdrshy site wound cost great
I deal more than the other
Controller said that the OF the report
that would not be safe build additional stories upon
the walls OF the present structure but that building
might perhaps raised IN the unoccuped space within
| the Tombs However if one OF large dinensions
required, 1t would have to be raised on piles, the
T)mbs is
Inc Mayor tnouRnt tnat lDrcesVory Duluius "oulu
meet all requirements, and surely good foundation
would be found. He had been informed by the late
Superintendent Kennedy that there never case OF
cholera reported there and he never heard OF any ser
Gus Illness there. The prisoners in the Tombs con-
fined only for a period; 1t is not like Sing Sing,
where men confined for He could not, there
fore see the necessity for erecting new prison at
present.
Mr. Vance, President of the Board OF Aldermen. here
introduced a resolution authorizing the printing in
pamphlet form OF all the proceedings Of the Prison
Commission for distribution among the members OF the
Legislature. This adopted alter remarks had been
made by the Mayor and Mr.. Vance.