Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-15
PLANS FOR THE NEW JAIL
ARCHITECTS DRAWINGS or
THE NEW COUNTY PRISON.

THE NEW COUNTY PRISON.
The Structure Throughout TO be OF
Brick and Iron Cells frOm which Es-
cape win be Impossible How the
Death Trap viii be ArrHnged-Tho
Hospital and Department. for the In
sane-The Jailer's Dwelling.
Mcdonald Bros, the architects Of the
new jall. have prepared drawings and
specifications which, if fully carried out
bv the builders, will give Chatham county
one OF the most complete prisons in the
country. II viii have a front OF 1853 feet
on Habersham street, though only As feet
OF the frout viii be on the building line.
The dwelling for the jailer is
very prettly designed, occupying
the extreme southeastern corner Of
the lot and fronting on Habersham
street with face on Perry street lane.
The dwelling Will be Of pressed brick,
trimmed with stone and terra Gotta and
surmounted by an ornate tower, the tip
of which wall be ninetY-three feet three
inches above the street. At the base OF
the tower clock viii be placed, f0rty-stx
feet above the ground.
Scroll work, stained glass, turrets and
belt courses Of terra Gotta on the front
will produce a pretty effect. The jail
proper Will set back thirty feet from the
line Of Habersham street, but will
be connected with the dwelling.
On the first floor Of the residence will be
a parlOr, a dining room, two kitchens. one
for the taller ana the other for the prison
ors, a store room and the jailers office,
which Op2pS into the main corridor be-
- - the tiers of cells. The prison
nd fc Wis p
building of iron and masonry work set in
side of four brick walls rooted over. In
fact it will be one building within another
with clear space from the first floor to the
roof of feet between the outside OF the
cell walls and the inside OF the jail walls.
The arrangement will be such that the
guards on the first floor can walk around
the "a cells on that floor and see clear to
the roof on two sides and one end. The
cells on the first, second, and third floors
are TO be built In tiers one above another,
is cells on one side and 16 on the other,
with a corridor II feet wide between. This
corridor will be used as a day walk for
the prisoners. The front Of the cells will
be closed with a strong gTated-doOr, and
the back Of the cells will be OF iron graf
ing so that the prisoners can be seen
whether in their cells or in the corridors.
The fourth floor will have only fifteen cells
for criminals. The rest Of the floor will
be taken up with hospital rooms, bath
rooms, a cell for the violent insane and a
eadded cell.
Zach floor will be provided with bath
When water closets, and wash-stand
settIed. .rISdOrs. The hospital rooms are
I'D for the male and female pa
.aents.
! on the second floor or the dwelling will
he four commod Gus bedrooms, q bath
room, and an office or guards room in
fEbtt of the prisoners corridor. The floor
SSoVe will be similarly divided. On the
fourth floor of the dwelling, and under the
tower will be an attendants room, three
bedrooms for guards and hospital bath
room.
In all, there will be 1T cells for prison.
ers, not including the dungeons under
the first door. Each cell will be feet
wide, 10 feet long, and about 8 feet high.
with an arched ceiling. The first cell in
the right-hand tier on the first floor will
be for condemned prisoners. A trap door
will be built in the floor OF the cell above,
and right over the trap stout iron ring
bolt is, to be fastened in the arch.
The prisoner TO be executed will be
stood on the trap with one end of rope
around his neck and the other end fast
sprung the condemned mans body will
drop through the floor as far as the rope
will let him fall.
Cellars, coal bins, furnace, ETC.,
viii be excavated under the first
floor of the dwelling. The Jail will
be heated by a furnace, which Will have
Co be large enough TO keep the tempera-
ture ilssde the cells at 20 deg.
when the w. thermometer out of
doors stands at 10 deg. above. A
60-gallOn boiler will be placed in the
Jail kitchen, aud all of the bath rooms will
be supplied with not and cold water. All
OF the floors will be connected by speaking
tubes and an elevator will be put IN for
raising food TO the upper floors. Both the
jail and the dwelling will be lighted by gas.
The jail stairways will be Of iron and the
roofs of tin. The main entrance will be
on the Habersham street front. Other en-
entrances for prisoners ana servants are
to be through the jail yard and past the
jaller's office.
Only the best materials are allowed by
the specifications. In the hospital and
the insane department the rooms will be
fitted with knobs on the outside only aud
with no key hole on the inside. All of the
windows will be so arranged that air can
be freely admitted. and they will be pro-
tected by strong grating. 1t is the pur-
pose Of the County Com missioners TO make
the excavations with their own force, and
the general contractor will not have
charge Of the county force, but he will see
that the excavating is done according to
the specifications.