The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-02-23

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me following ss synopsis n tls "
,.,st st Vice President jossph bafbisf'
N tto T.naesse Centennial conmssion
90 tis only invention q eiiilen " Wen
fba Rad ~ the Nations Centennial
The report, while lengthy it neFerh'
lass . jnst one. doe b. the PLUCK nhh y
niue u che snterPdsing gentlemen who
are introducing lbIs valuable aid " the
economy of . prison system bessft
Cook a Heath, in connection With The
g,est works o. Handle, Heath n Liver
more, are doing a grand work Tor Mem
phis. In manufacturing thus furnishing
employment for our mechanic and la'
boring classes. This il the leading ~
t%abllshment Of the Southwest and ce-
servedly 40. We are particularly pleased
to acc our friend Livermore, OF the rail-
road uast. take 40 naturally to the iron
manufacturing interests, thus adding a
complete force TO what ia known az one
Of the strongest teams in the iron econ
Omy Of the country
"Among the exhibits in the Govern
ment Building was one which deserved
more interest than it would naturally
awaken in the average Sightseeing
crowd. 1t was in the Patent Office De
partment; being a model, illustrating
improvements in the construction OF
prisons and p~enitentiaries, invented and
patented by Messrs. Cook q Heath' oil
Memphis. They have developed a com
plete system OF prison construction, Gov
ering not n point alone, but all the
points in which the customary methods
have shown themselves incomplete and
faulty. The chief point arrived at Ii
~perfect security with economy, while a
the same time the system is designed te
allow of the highest perfection in warm
ing, ventilation, and healthful arrange
ment, and also admit of the finest archi
~tectural design of exterior. The system
is remarkable in presenting so many I'm
provements which are quite original, ant
reflects great credit upon the inventor
) for their pains taking thought and tn
, large amount of time and money whicl
, must have been spent in developing II
The first noticeable feature of the III
v~ention is the predominating use OF Iron
. In their initial plan for prisons the ceI
/ is made of plates of cast iron, so fastene
}. together that no rivets or bolts are e'
posed to the operations of the prisoner
d from the inside. The floor of the cell
. made of plates of cast iron, two feet wld
running across the cell, and each one SUI
If ported by a lip on the edge of the mex
e The sides are constructed in the san
+ manner, and in the partition walls OF
/ edge OF each plate, which stands vert
cally, is let into a groove formed in tn
> edge of the next; 50 that the first ste
\ in the construction of a cell Is to bun
t. a cast-iron box, the top, sides and DO
tom of which are fitted into and suppo
1t each other. Outside of this is built
Il solid bulkhead of wood, and the extern
IA of the buildire finished off in a We
n desirable manner with brick, ston
d, wood or iron outside of all, making,
II together, a compartment from whit
% skilled mechanics, with the best toe
and appliances of their profession, CT
st cut their way out only with severe al
K protracted labor, and the job becom
., quite an impossible one for prisoners u
70 der surveillance. Proper ventilation
also attained without impairing the S
e, curity. Cast-iron windows and do
II ~ frames of ample size are built into t
IL walls in such a manner that they cam
an be removed without actually taking t
IS, walls down. In the frames are insert
70 70 cast-iron windows and doors, three incl
II thick. perforated with holes large enou
ch to admit an abundance of light and a
but still quite secure from any attem
a to break through. The ordinary glaz
iv window sash is placed inside OF this C
m window. Here the advantage of ca
iron over the usual wrought bars
strikingly apparent. The most effect
,to tool which the prisoner is usually able
40. obtain is a saw, made from a case KIN
Ter A corset stee! or watch spring, and W
es- this a wrought iron bar may be u
III a few hours. Two bars cut off
oh forced aside will generally make a h
to large enough to pass a man; but m
50 than ten times that amount of iron m
Cne he sawed through to make a hole la
bIe enough in the cast window. Moreo'
id. the cast iron can be chilled 80 that
best steel saw will not cut it.
alb But the most important I'M novel
ook movement, and the n which prom
Iers to be the GROWING point of success is
" hollow wall filled with dry sand or OF
mobile material which will run rap
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