The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-10-01
The Middle Penitentiary.


The commission appointed by Cover
nor Hartranft to select site on which
to locate the proposed middle district
penitentiary met at the Lochiel hotel last
evening to read communications from
the counties composing the middle dis
trict, and to map out a prog ramme for
visiting the sites offered.
A special train brought the commits
sion to this city from Philadelphia yes
terday afternoon. The commission was
accompanied by Messrs. Francis Wells,
Philadelphia Bulletin; Hon. James
M'Manus, Michael Cassidy, Esq, John
A. Wilson, Esq, Mayor Stockley, Geo.
w. Leuffer, Esq, William Baldwin,
Esq, John Morris, Esq, and Thomas
Noble, Esq.
There were present Col. Charles
Thompson Jones, of Philadelphia, Presi-
dent; Henry Rawle, of Erie; Henry
Howell and George.J. Young, of Phila-
delphia j. K. Moorhead and John
Paul, of Pittsburg. Delegations from
AOAIS3 OoillSlO anu DlCSCuI-
ed the claims of their respective sections.
The legislature has appropriated $780,
GOO to be applied in purchasing the site
and erecting thereon penitentiary
capable of holding $50 prisoners in soli-
tary confinement. AS there are now
confined in the eastern penitentiary at
Philadelphia, las conVicts, and in the
western penitentiary at Pittsburg, S5
convicts-making total of 230 convicts
sent from counties included within the
district-it is likely that the now insti-
tuition will be almost filled as soon as
completed. Fifteen acres of land will be
required. Harrisburg and Tyrone have
offered to donate the ground, while
Carlisle says it will do so if asked for by
the commission.
In addition to the profusion of stone,
iron and coal which each locality puts
forward as an advantage in its favor,
Harrisburg furnishes figures showing
the total population of the twenty-seven
counties in the middle district to be 777,-
600, and that the six counties nearest
Harrisburg have more than one-fourth
of the population and one-third of the
convicts.
Tyrone shows that it is within seven
miles of four counties-Cambria, Blair,
Centre and Huntingdon-that it can be
reached from ten counties in the dis
trict without change of cars, and from
ten others it will have but one change,
and from the remaining seven with but
two changes, point which they claim
is of some Importance in connection
with the transportation of prisoners and
that the state has none of her public
buildings along the centre line of the
state, the Pennsylvania railroad be-
tween Harrisburg and Pittsburgh; and
in furtherance of the state policy of
scattering its public buildings, that,
therefore, Tyrone is the more eligible.
Carlisle claimed the best soil, good
drainage and large, orderly population,
and that produce could be obtained there
at about half the cost of Harrisburg.
To-day the commission, accompanied
by Governor Hartranft, Mayor Stokley
and the state board of charities, will
visit Selinsgrove, Northumberland, and
Williamsport. Tomorrow, Lock Ha-
ven, Bellefonte and Tyrone will be
visited, after which the commission
will repair to Altoona and remain over
night. On Thursday they will inspect
sites at Huntington and Lewistown, and
on Friday M'Veytown, Marysville and
Harrisburg will be inspected.
Captain William B. Hart, of this
city, was elected secretary of the COM
mission.
The meeting adjourned at II o'clock
P. Harrisburg Patriot Of the eth
inst.