Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-07
RESTORING THE TREADwHEEL.
The Old ssMi1l'' Coming into Favor
Once More with the EagliRh Prison
Authorities
From the London Globe.

ago. ana there are now some $50 snug little
berths-or, at any rate, as many Of that number
as are not already occupied-ready for gentle
men to whom, as advertisers sometimes say
salary is Of less importance than steady en-
ployment."
The treadweel seems to be gaining ground In
the estimation Of prison administrators. few
years back it was popularity thought to be going
out Of date. Perhaps the idea was erroneous.
But, however, that may have been, our present
prison commissioners are undoubtedly favorable
to it. ''The treadwheel," says DR.. Grover, medl-
cal inspector Of prisons, appears to be gener-
ally considered by engineers to be the most sue
cessful application Of human force as force;
that Is to say, that man working at the tread
wheel applies his labor to the best advantage"
1nareport upon these remarks Of the medical in
spectOr we fndl stated that beyond doubt the
bestmode of enforcing hard labor of the irst-class
Is by the treadwheel, as being the most exact
In its operation and the least capable Of eva
sion. On these opinions the commissioners are
evidently acting wherever practcable-wher-
ever, that is to say there are in any Jail suffi-
Gent prisoners. In the stage to which hard labor
OF the first class is applicable. to turn this pom
derous machine with any useful effect. Some
four or five years ago the commissioners inter-
country respecting the structure and working OF
treadwheels, and some very startling differences
were found to exist, as well as some very Gu
rious applications of prison labor. The work
done at the treadwheel, explains DR.. Cover, ''is
that of lifting the body, although it is station
ary,' and the severity of a days work de-
ponds, OF course, upon mans weight as COM
pared with his muscle, upon the total distance
he is required to climb in a day, and the number
OF hours in which he performs his task At
r ruoc fOrI hat
1853 feet in circumference, and prisoner on it
ascended-Or did what was equivalent to
aScending-33.6 feet minute He worked 1S5
minutes, or about three hours, day, thus
scaling height of 1900 feet altogether. ana.
assuming that he was twelve-stOne man. his
days work was equivalent to lifting 54l tons
through foot of space. At Carlisle prisoner
undergoing precisely the same nominal sem
tence was put upon wheel fifteen and one
halt feet in circumference and assembled thirty
one feet per minute for six hours day instead
of three, thus climbing II 100 feet, or about the
height of st. Bernard or the Simplon daily In
stead OF lifting Sal tons day through one foot,
as at Morpeth, prisoner at Carlisle weighing
twelve stones would lift 1877 TONS
Striking what they believe to be safe means
between the two extremes of practice i'm the
different prisons throughout the country, where
each prison was managed Independently of all
the others, the commissioners decided that in
all prisons day. work on the treadmill should
NC equlFaenC 10 tne raising OF q mans bOdy
through 5000 feet. so that prisoner now is
supposed to tramp up hill to a height about
equivalent to that OF Mount Ararat or st. Goth
ard, and. if l2-stOne man will in the course of
his days work, lift about SIS tons through one
foot This, we understand is what is
Coldbath Fields the magnitude of which
would probably surprise most persons
unfamiliar with such establishments.
though affording accommodations that be
the proper word to be applied to a treadwheel-
tor little more than One-half the number provi-
ded for in the house that was burned down.
That had GAO boxes; the new one, as we have
Intimated has $50; but even with this number
In motion the place presents very singular ap-
pearanCe The whole of the prisoners at work
appear all alive with them 1t is a substantial
structure, of considerable length, lighted from
the roof. the wheels extending the whole
length. two on each side. one on the level of
the ground floor and one on gallery level.
The space in front of each wheel is
thirty sections on each side. and
each section subdivided into three boxes in
each of which drab-suited prisoner is placed
Every man is isolated from his neighbOr by
slight wooden screen, and all are in full view of
warders on the floor of the house. The work.
ing arrangement is for every man to get quar-
ter OF an hour on the wheel and five minutes Off
There is change every five minutes. four pris-
0ners being appointed to each group of three
boxes, the Off man being seated on stool in front
OF the section to which he belongs. A warder
standing with clock before him. every five
minutes cries out: cones, change" ''twos
change" or 'threes change" as the case may
De, and at the word each man steps from the
wheel and changes places with the occupant Of
the seat in front of the wheel.
1t is dsmal-looking gathering of humanity
and towards the latter part of the day q good
MANY or them appear to be tolerably sick of
their job. which is about as dreary and unin-
Interesting as the wit Of man could devise Nor
Is the interest of it much enhanced by the
probably a good many of
the prisoners do not pOssess-that this ever
lasting climbing constitutes the motive power
OF very compact and cOmmodous fiour-mill,
into which what was formerly the deputy-gOv-
ernors house has been converted. Everything
here is very complete and efficient, apparently,
but it takes the full complement of $50 men to
work the five pairs of stones, and with less
than the full power the miller. If he had TO
depend on his business, would proba-
biy soon be bankrupt Although as
Dr. Grover says. the treadmIl is gener-
ally considered by engineers to be the
most successful application Of human force, as
force. yet,he adds. 'for the purposes of utility
TOO large proportion of the labor is devoted
10 moving the tread-wheel." However well it
may be constructed the machine must. We I'M
aglne, be too ponderous and cumbersome to
afford an econo mical motive power and its one
great merit is that it is cordially detested by all
the 1ail-blrds. prisoner of experience was
lately heard to express his opinion that the num-
ters m COldbath Fields would soon fall off when
1t became known that the tread-wheel was going
again. The rule for all prisons now is that
until prisoner has earned 224 marks-which
ne may do in twenty-eight days If he
chooses-he is to be in the first stage and to ''be
employed ten hours daily in strict separation on
hrst-clas hard labor. of which six to eight hours
Will be on crank, treadwheei, or work of q
similar nature" 1t is undoubtedly wearing
work. though the motion is very leisurely
Although there are apparently four wheels, they
are all cogged together in manner which
makes them virtually one machine from due
share of working which no prisoner can escape
and In this respect it is unquestionably one OF
the best and most equab'e forms OF punishment
as yet devised. When, AS it seems very possible
we may be able to do one day, We have sue
ceeded in making the wheels grind stream of
electricity into secondary batteries for general
utility purposes we may, perhaps, make our
prisons paying concerns
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