Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-05
A JAIL OF SAND.
Test Exhibition OF the Cook a Heath
Patent Yesterday, at the ChieER'
saw Foundry. on Second
Street.
Large Number of Prominent officials
PreSent-The Patent UnauimOus-
Iy voted n Grand Success.
TOasIs and Speeches EuIOgistic OF the
Labors of Cook a Heath. The
PatenteeS Deserved
Tributes.

Tributes.
Agreeable to invitatiou rom Messrs.
Ran1le, Heath & Livermore, proprleloTs OF IRE
Chickasaw iron works, corner OF second ahd
Winchester streets. q large mum OF Clllzeus
essen bled there yesterday afternoon TO wines
a test Of their patens Yet M 81 ~ ana On
cells Among the gentlemen present wee
Mayor League, President Robblps, % t.'
board OF aldermen; City Engineer BGrhe, L.
K. Athy, chief OF police MI itos., Ie'ea-i3
master mechanic OF the memphis an4
Charleston railroad; Chief Engineer MeIfi-
wether, Of the Ch2 2Tl,siS C rat
mel Leath, chairman OF the board OF po-
lice and fire commissioners; W. II. Moore,
mem Der Of the board OF police ana hEe com
missioner; Ben X. Pulleo, deputy sheriff, be.
sides machinisls, lawyers, merchants and
other representative citizens. At four o'clock,
the hour designated, the visitors repaired 20
the south side OF the foundry 10 witness
y THOROUGH TEST
of the patent safety-cell, which we regard as
an invention of no ordinary character. me
test was there made in the presence OF tLs
visitors who saw for themselves practical
Illustration of the merits which tnlS patent
claims aud is justly entitled to. We nave al
ready had occasion to speak in descriptive
manner of Messrs. Z ook a Heath'S system Of
priSon-cell windows and doors, Whlch nave
found favor wherever introduced, and have
been adopted In preference to any others IN
the States OF Tennessee, Arkansas and Missis-
siupi. This latest improvement not only gives
additional Importance and undodbted supe-
riority to their system OF jail or prison cell
windows. but will work decided and radical
change in the character of jails and prisons
throughout the States OF America, anu even
in the countries across the waters The trial
yesterday was OF full-size cell, combining
the
VARIOUS METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
under letters patent issued to Cook Il Heath,
bearing date August IL, 1874, Septem Ger 18th,
October 5th and october IL, 1870, all having
reference 10 a perfect system OF prison con-
struction, etc. Ia our abort space we cannot
give any thing OF detailed description OF TINS
system: suffice to say that it is perfect and
therefore renders escape impossible. BY
hopper or hOppers of sand, which MI the space
between the interior and exterior walls OF me
prison cell, any hole made by a person con-
fin ed in the cell lets in the sand. This con-
tinues to come into the cell ana would fill IL
up to the hight of the aperture, un eSs the
APERTURE be stopped; should the prisoner stop
the aperture of course he thereby ceases 10
dig through the wall. II he continues open
ing the wall, the quantity of sand increases
and would soon smother him in his cell. 20
be is watched, as II were, by the saud which is
inclosed in the wal Is of the cell and rests IN
large quantities above the roof OF the CELL
Not only is this the case, but by means OF
AN ALARM APPARATUS,
placed hey ond the reach of the inmate, for 1t Is
outside of his cell, no sooner does the sand be-
gun TO run through the aperture than the J. an
er or prison-keeper lis appriSed OF the facs
that the wall has been tapped and an effort is
being made to "cut out" The alarm is I'M
mediately sounded and of course the prison
er's effort to escape is thereby made known.
This Is a simple, reliable and economical pat
ent, the invention of which has been due TO
Messrs. Rsndle, Heath, LivermOre Cooke,
who have not only expended much laUOr
upon the subject, but thousands OF dollars IN
perfecting the system. Its general, II not
universal adoption both in America and Eu-
rope, we regard IS a fixed fact depending
solely upon the time required for the eXhlbl-
tion OF the system. We believe 1t is conceded
that the cell windows, consisting OF single
iron casting, having geOmetrical apertures or
perforatoTs instead OF bar-opeD1ngs, cast iron
Innings to the cells, combined with buikhead-
ing of wood, dispensing with riVets or bots IN
com blning the plates, together with the IN
building OF the cells, is the mos secure meth
cd ever invented. The test yesterday
to Witness these improvements, and in
no Instance was there DOUBT as to the
thorough security and perfection OF the cells.
The sand can be introduced either In
WOOD, STONE OR BRICK WALLS
constructed upon this plan, ana in every case
will Invariably pour into the cell when the
prisoner makes an opening: The VISITORS were
deeply interested in what they saw, and con-
WINGED of the superiority OF the invention by
the test which they witnessed. Alter the test
the gentlemen were invited up TO the second
story OF the foundry, where champagne, bran
dy whisky and beer were partaken of. This
feature OF the occasion WAS of the most pleas
ant manner imaginable, and every guest ieIt
IL pleasure and a duty to join in expressions
of compliment 10 the genius of the men VINO
have invented a system of priSon-ceils deS-
tined to SuperS606 all OJnefS now III use. ln3I
such is due to home talent makes the enter
prise one which should be encouraged and
aided in a substantial manner by the citizens
OF Memphis. We have no doubt but what
such sid would accompany the well wishes OF
our citizens for MessrS. Randle, Heath, Liver
more s. Cook, should these gentlemen need II.
We certainly would infer this from what was
said yesterday afternoon by the gentlemen
present.
THE FIRST CONGRATU LATION
being made by Mayor John Loag7e, who al
A. TOW. RfrtF q
manufacturers, and paid a proper and merit
ed tribute to their Individual worth, ana she
benefits which would result from the accom-
pIishment of their objects. While We had hut
little use for such perfect prison cells aud
buildings, ETC., in Memphis. yet o her cnuu-
tries, States ana cities would find the system
indispensable, and gladly avail themselves OF
the protection which such afford. lie pre-
dicted the adoption of the system throughout
the entire country. He felt assured that the
inventors would be richly rewarded Tor The
great system they had given TO the public.
OTHER T0AsTS AND COMPLIMENTS.
Colonel Lesth said that history teaches that
men who devote their lives TO the perfection
of instruments Of punishment became VIC
Tins to their own inventions. He would pro-
pose the toast that the inventors, in this in
stance, would never become victims 10 the
excellent system.
Colonel A. H Douglass said that the oeea-
sion was no ordinary one, as they had not
met simply TO look at q patent, but TO Tecog-
nize what intellect and enterprise had accom-
plished in behalf of the public Interests for
this system of theirs was striking at the root
of vice itself This was due to MesSTS. Cook Il
Heath, aided by MessIs. Randle q Heath
They were TO be congratulated, for their in
ventlon gives an impulse to a great moral
sentiment. The citizens of Memphis should
give these gentlemen their aid and acknoWl-
OF The great good they were about to
and, like Hercules, put their
shoulders to the wheel. He concluded his re-
marks by proposing as toast, tine triumph
OF home enterprise"
MR.JB COOK. THE ARCHITECT,
and one of the pateDtees, being called on, Te-
turned thanks to the visitors for their kind
ness in being present. He stated that they
had invited the gentlemen there, as they
woul1 not have another Oppo. tuniLy of wit
Messing the deluge OF the cell by sand, a. none
OF them would ever be incarcerated.
President Robbins, OF the board Of alder
men, begged to De excused from making
speech, but added his tribute TO the teStimO-
Dtals gwen by the other gentlemen.
Major Miles Meriwether, engineer Of the
Memphis and Charleston railroad, proposed
the toast to the inventors, "Here's success to
this great invention"
Colonel A. \. Livermore, one OF the proprie-
tors of the Chickasaw il on works, said he had
watched the progress of the enterprise quite
cess; all the more so, because he was the
youngest member of the finn, and the other
had devoted so much lime and labor
TO its perfection.
Alter the toasts, the gentlemen were shown
through the
DEPARTMENTS OF THE FOUNDRY,
which presented an interesting picture of
skilled Industry and mechanical activity.
The Chickasaw iron foundry of MeSsrS. Randie,
b cath a. LivermOre is one of the best regu-
lated in the country, and, in the character Of
work, compares favorably with that of any
elsewhere in the Union. After
an inspection of the establishment,
AN INTERESTING Address
was made by Mr.. James b. Cook, the arehI-
tect, who confined his remarks more especial
ly to the mechanics He sid that this city has
Just as much talent, just as much genius to
make, build or construct as any other place
on the habitable globe; that all that is re-
quired is proper support on the the part of
the citizens. This southern country has built
up the northern States. Every thing we re-
quire, we buy from them. They manufacture
for US. The money we malIe,We ship to them,
and in return, they send us hOg-meat whisky
and dry goods. We raise cotton and sell ii to
them at fifteen cents per pound, and buy il
back in the shape of man iactureI goods, at
the rate OF f1ve dollars per round. All this is
wrong for while we are starving, they are
living In luxury. Let tue people understand
that we are as able 10 do these things as they
are; let us go to work aud do. our own
If they want goods let them
come to us and buy them: let us keep our
money at home and compel Others TO leave il
here, too. All this can be done by proper
cooperation, but so long as We have middle
IN Gu Whosare willing ali the time TO buy from
foreign manufacturers, 50 long will we be
poor, 50 long Will we be depeukent; quit list
ening 10 political sp5 eches, words of harmony
with poison hidden in lis sweetness, but set to
work and foster and build up home enter
prises and inaugurate others, and not allow
one dollar 10 leave here that can be made
available at home. The mechanics here could
do as well as mechanics elsewhere; all they
wanted was to be properly sustained, and as
rl.r raA IL,