The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-06
The wheeling work House Pro.
iect.

ALLnoHrNY, PA, Dec. !, 1877.
John Has, EgS
DEAR stRi-Your paper Of the 18th
ult, containing an article on your visit
TO our Work House, was placed 10 my
hands to-day nj our monthly meeting,
aud Il awakened sOme interest In my
mind In regard 10 your efforts TO GET up
an Institution Of similar character 10
your county, ahd also Of regretthRt did
not meet you onyonF visit here.
Your STRUCTURES In regard TO the scope
and adaptation OF our Institutions 10
your locality are well timed, and the
same might be said Of their adaptation
10 our wants, Whilst We have an insti'
tuition with IA few defects and under as
judicious management "A any In the
country, and one which has been erected
with a. great care and economy "a ID pos
sibls in public buildings with uuSkilled
Boards, onreGpeTience has taught us that
10 many things We could have improved
both in economy Of construction and In
adaptation 10 our wants; and the eKper.
fence Of our Board would doubtless be
useful 10 you II you contemplate erecting
any buildings Of this class.
The frstgreat desideratum Is to secure
the services Of an arthileCt to get up
your plans, who Il convenant with that
class Of architecture, and who will be
willing to give you the advantage Of his
experience, 10 meet your requirements,
rather than 10 make record for himself In
getting up Costly pile OF material. This
seems TO be the leading drawback In the
erection Of all public institutions, and
one which II Ia absolutely necessary for
Boards Of Public Works to fence against,
In our case We have large amount Of
room, and that in the most expensive
portion Of our building, that Ia absolutely
useless, and worse Than useless, ~ II en-
tails needless and endless expense in
furnishing, cleaning and keeping in order.
Another drawback Is the unnecessarily
expensive character Of large part Of
the work In our buildings, in cases where
neither solidIly nor utility are benefited,
In the construction Of the cells in our
main wings the specifications required
large Tag stones not only to floor but also
to cell each cell, thus doubling these ex.
pensive flags between each tier Of cells;
this with large quantities Of cut stone
with bevCls and angles, which have no
utility save TO double the measurement
and increase the expcnse, especially as
portions OF II are underground and in
unseen positions. These laVishspeciica.
tons for homework cost us about $500.
900, being one.hali OF our whole expendi,
ture for building purposes.
A year or two alter the erection OF our
main buildings II was deemed necessary
to erect an additional wing TO he used as
3 female prison, aud the Board deter.
mined to profit by their former expert
ence and control in some respects the
plan for this addition, and with the as.
sistAnce and advice Of our late superin'
tendent succeeded in erecting this tier,
with larger cells, better ventilation and
more complete adaptation to our wants,
At cost OF about one.haii for the same
number Of cells. In this wing we ustd
tag floors, but arched the ceilings with
brick aud smoOthed them with hydraulic
cement. We also arched the whole int
rior Of the wing with hard wood, matched
and groOved, in place Of the corrugated
iron used in the other wing, which is
moR pleasing TO the eye, does not
oxidiEe, ia not liable by Contrac-
ton and and expansion 10 peel the
paint, and ia IA lasting "a the iron, and
being so lar from contact with anything
inh,mmsble the danger by fire is moi
materially increased. Our subsequent
experience has taught US that we could
have materially improved and cheap
ened this wing by the use Of concrete
floors covered by Portland cement. Oar
stone floors by constant scrubbing spall
aud chip and become irregular and un.
slightly and eau not be repaired, while
concrete floors wear evenly and can be
repaired or replaced at small expense.
Another feature to he guarded against
ia not 10 adopt too "big scale" in the
management by placing the salaries Of
the officers SO high that the positions will
be sought after with avidity. The effect
OF large salaries is to give the incumbent
an unsettled feeling in regard TO his
position, snd also magnified view Of its
importance, thereby creating 4 morbid
desire TO accomplish great ends, resulting
in efforts outside Of legitimate duty, in
attending conventions, getting up essays
on abstract ideas OF prison reform, and
printing and circulating large editions oil
annual reports, all Of which interfere
with proper attention 10 the duties Of the
position acknowledgement on the county,
The advantages OF Institutions OF this
character, combining the penal and re,
tormatory, cannot he over estimated, and
in order 10 populariIe them Boards must
cease to tolerate all useless expenditure
in their erection and maintenance.
have no hesitation in saying that an
institution could he erected in your
county, including the land for the site,
Tor 500, 600, which would meet all your
requirements, and enable you by legisla.
tive enactment, as in our case, 10 accom-.
modate the convicts Of many OF your ad.
joining counties, paying yOu low rate
Tor their subsistence and enabling you 10
profit by their labor.
Our farm OF fifty acres only cost SIS.
600, and not S27@@, 900 As your article sets
forth, We only use twenty to twenty.
Eve acres, and lind that ample for all
purposes.
You can lay these suggestions before
your Board Of Commissioners il you
deem them worthy Of your consideration.
Truly Yours,
J. ?. FLEMING.
What the WelIs3urs, bethany &