The Portland daily press., 1875-11-03
THE sAIr. woRKsHop.
Acceptance Of the Building.

Yesterday afternoon the County Commission
ers, in company with the builder and Mr.. Fas-
sett the architect, visited the county Jail work.
shop and inspected it thoroughly. The Com
missioners gave every part of the work thor
ough examination and were unable to find a
defect in the whole structure, consequently it
was accepted. The PRESS has contained &C
counts of the building from time to time, but
now that it is completed and has been accepted
by the Commissioners it may be of interest to
give more detailed account.
The building is located on the northwest side
of the jail and fronts on Madison street. 1t is
100 feet in length on the street, aud So IL feet
in depth. 1t is two stories high with a base
ment, and contains 20 windows, which light the
building perfectly. The entrance is on Madi-
son street through an iron door, where all the
stock will be received. and the goods delivered
On the left of the entrance is large, we'll
lighted office for the use of the contractors who
lease the shop. 1t is divided from the rest of
the building by heavy iron grating. Several
feet beyond the outside entrance there is an.
other grating reaching from the floor to the
ceiling, and 50 arranged that when the door
opens the door of the outside grating shuts and
locks, thus making an escape this way impos-
sible. Beyond this grating is large elevator
running to the third story. To the right of the
elevator is the engine room The Portland
Company are just now putting in fine engine
Of 30 horse over and boiler of IS horse
power. Instead of the common pump used
thev have an injector, which is much cheaper
and does better work. The engine room is
large and very convenient. Adjoining this
room is brick addition which will contain 100
tons of coal, which is delivered through the
roof directly from the teams. This is very
convenient arrangement The west half of
the basement is used for storage room. 1t is
so by 80 feet and IA feet high, with brick
floor.
A stairway leads to the first story proper.
This story in divided in the centre by brick
wall one foot thick, making two rooms 30 by
80 feet. The rooms are connected by iron
doors with patent lock. Each room is furn-
ished With desk for the overseer, large cast
iron tub for washing and water closet. The
third story is an exact pattern of the second,
aud the view from the window is excellent
From this story there is hall way leading to
the Jail. The passage way is for the accommo-
dation of the prisoners. 1t is of brick with
iron floor and top. There is solid iron door
with patent lock both on the Jail and on the
workshop, thus making it very secure The
lock the Jail door is on the outside to prevent
the prisoners tampering with the lock.
There are four good sized rooms for work
and it is thought that they will accommodate
| 200 prisoners at ordinary labor. The iron work
was done by w. 81. Pencil & Co., and the
building shows signs of thorough work. They
have put in six iron columns running from five
| feet below the basement to the roof, through
| the centre of the building. There are also
seven pairs of double iron doors and four single
iron ones besides the grating for 70 windows
| and number of doors. They have also piped
the building for gas and Sebago. As soon as
the engine is completed the shafting will be put
| in and then the Commissioners will be ready
to receive proposals for the work of the prison.
ers 1t is almost needless to state that the
brick work was done by Green & Jordan, and
| the building as it now stands is monument to
| their skill in laying bricks. Mr.. Green has
| given the 10, bis personal supervision and EN-
| ployed none but the very best workmen upon
it. The front of the building is as handsome
| as can be built of brick and mortar alone.
The carpenter work has been we'll done by
Spencer Rogers. The building is both substan.
tial and convenient, with plenty of light and
air, the points which should be looked after in
jail workshop Mr. Townsend, the chairman
| of the Commissioners, has been very industrious
| since the building began, and has looked after
the con tractors every day. Consequently he
knows just what he has got-a splendid build
| ing The prisoners now confined in the Jail
are anxious to get to work, and the wonder is
that they have been kept in idle ness so long.