Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-30
THE WASHINGTON JAIL.
something About Its HistOFy-A De-
scripfiOn of the Building.

The building IN Which Guiteau was hanged to-
day Is the fifth building used as a jail in the Dis
tTfct. The fist vas Il small brick affair In the
n2igAOorhoodo OF the coast survey building on New
jersey avenue southeast, used for few months
Immediately after the District was ceded to the
Federal government. The second was in the
square bounded by AZ, 9th and streets and
Louisiana avenue, and there McGurk was hung In
1859. The third was brick structure on street,
just In the rear OF the City Hail. afterwards used
as Inc washington Iniirmary hospital: and the
corner OF 4th and streets, which was vacated in
1873, and demolished the following year.
THE PRESENT JAIL
Is located on 18TH street east, between b and G
south, the grounds being bounded On the south by
the washington asylum grounds and on the north
by the smallpox hospital grounds. Were it not for
It's proximity TO the Eastern branch and the small
pox hospital, the location would be looked on as
all that could be desired. The Jail Is quite an
imposing looking edi1ce, built OF Seneca stone,
the outer wall being pierced with large windows
which give plenty OF light to those inside. The
building faces west, and is nearly $50 feet in
length, the north and south wings being each 1872
feet So Inches long and 62 feet WIDE In the center
Is tne rotunda, 6a feet 81 inches by a feet ~
Inches, and % feet from n0or to peak of root The
building Is, In fact, prison within prison, for
between the walls which enclose the cells and the
outer walls there is a space OF Is feet Each OF
the cells Except the double one at the end OF each
cOrridor is feet wide feet long and 10 feet high
mas grated window opening on the space or court
between the inner and outer walls, and barred
door opening upon the corridor. A thick, solid
brick wall running down the center of the wings
divides or separates the corridors There are four
oors or tiers OF these cells and total of 272 cells
IN the building. The entrance to them is by v.G
OF an iron door In sort OF cage in which the cor
close the stairways OF iron which up on either
sie OF the rOtunda. In the south wing those pr1s-
and In the north wing those under sentence to
jail In consequence of this division, generally
the wort st, Of criminals are found in the south
% inches deep. On the first floor is
THE RECEPTION ROOM,
wherein SITS the officer in charge OF the entrance
and directly opposite the entrance, Is a hallway
which leads INTO the rOtunda. On the right is a
door leading to the deputy warden's office, and
behind this is a storeroom, In which a number of
tools, such as ropes, black caps, cords and hand
cuffs are kept on hand On the left is the wardens
ONCE. In the upper stori are the rooms for the
female prisoners and the physicians office.
Crossing the rOtunda the visitor comes to the east
wing. On the lower floor OF this wing Is the
Kitchen, and above IT the chapel This wing IS 81
feet by So feet So inches. After the food Tor the
prisoners is prepared In the kitchen, it is cut no
and placed In tin boxes Of convenient size to sin
hours these boxes are carried by the kitchen
hands On bearers to the entrance doors OF the
wings, and the "duty hands" or prisoners who
remaining out OF their cells during the day, take
them up and pass the boxes into the prisoners
On the right OF the east wing Is the mess room for
the guards, and on the opposite side a store room
The soldiers, who have been kept at the Jail since
Guiteau was taken there, are Quar-ered In the
chapel In the basement are the boilers for heat.
ing, as also the bath rooms, &C.
There Is probably no better arranged prison in
the country than this. Every visitor Is struck
with the even temperature and perfect ventilation
To Chief Justice Cartier Is due much OF the credit
OF the design, he having after examining with the
architect, Mr.. A. B. Mulet the plans or some IS or
more persons, suggested the plan which was
adopted. The officers OF the jail, from the warden
down, are all experienced men.