Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-19
ME FOR The NEW PRISON.
onvSEw or Sms srsPs rSk'S foR a
FJNk CuUxrg jar
- nsslAlns Would Cost ssso.oOo. ons-six'h
~ Whsch might Ds Realized by the
sale Of shs Present Jan site
IN Bu,lding Lots.

tom
Tho main tower on the prison has bulged
nve inches within the past three months, and
II not taken down this summer may fall
down. 1t Is not considered safe to occnPy
that part Of the building The side walls OF
the prison are kept in place by iron rods,
bolted on the inside and outside, and in some
parts OF the prison half dozen OF these rods
are used at each cell. The contractor who
ola the mason work on the walls of the Jail
was very economical in the use Of material,
% far % lime is concerned for it appears
there was not any lime used in making NOR
tar for the walls. In one-half the cells there
ere holes in the wall, and it is not difficult for
the convcts to dig out the soft bricks
The board OF inspectors In their last annual
report tcall the attention of the court and the
county commissioners to the condition of the
present prison building, which has several
times been referred to in the report OF grand
iurles thereon. The building is in ruinous
and dangerous condition. Prisoners cannot
be securely confined in It, and there is great
danger OF the front OF the building falling OF
its own weight, with probably fatal results to
some OF the employees and prisoners Ia
addition to the fact of lack OF security in the
confnement of prisoners and lack OF safety to
the employees and prisoners, the board desires
TO say that the management could be made
much more economical to the county ii proper
facilities were afforded for giving work to the
prisoners, which cannot be done in the
present building"
ITS NECESSITY.
The question as to the necessity of a new
prison has been discussed for several years,
but 1t did not take definite shape until last
fall Several times during the past three
years the building of prison was recon.
mended by one grand jury, but the succeed
ing one failed to see the necessity of 1t and
did not recommend it In November last
sl...-
commended a new iau 1t was followed Il,
r.,,,..v, -, A o,, I'll, ;,,. uaa...,...o. .
"'u HP,n W." s'n''iai ieooiinie IL
oa'ions' ANer the seiohu recommshuatio
consultation was held between the prison
inspectors, board of public charities and
commissioners. The board Of charities were
greatly impressed with the necessity of the
proposed new building and wrote strong
letter to the commissioners to that effect.
At the conference above noted everybody
present but one commissioner favored the
building OF a new jail.
The board OF prison inspectors at a meeting
held shortly alter the above conference
passed series OF resolutions requesting the
county commissioners to take action on the
matter al an early day. That body did act
on 1t and when the vote was put Messrs.
ys, "nu , ~ 'a.i "r,I ,su ~ ia'o W ~. rio
solic,tor n, the insnectors q; C Kennedy nre.
pared the necessary papers, presented them
to the court and there they remain.
THE LAW ON NEW BUILDINGS.
The law governing the erection of county
buildings is as follows:
an sh.u bs law,ul for tho commissioners
of any county having iirst ohtsinad the an,
nrohstion of Two sn,ressiva GRAND inrias and
ofthe cnurt of ma rter sessions n, sncJ conntv
to cs,,se 10 IN. arec,e5 at the seat of insti,ca
tbereof. when occasion shall renuire' such
bnildinv ar buiIdinus as NAV ba nacessarv
for the s9cn,r ,TnIati1I, Of tba conrts and cs
the several onicars nf tba county and for tho
reception and safe keepinp of the recorJs =
and other papers, In charge of sucb officers
and also such oiber buiidjnus 90 NAV be
NECESSARY and pronar for the nnrnosas ot a
county iaiI and yynrx housa and ~ raad ba
TO purchase pround for The erection nj sncb
buiidinpsu
AS VIII be seen by the above law the court
has onlv IN spnrove of the necessity of tho
building With the selection of a Site thew
have nothipp To do Ifcommon runor ia trne
onr indnes have snljt on the nronosed site
Judge Patterson NJ is said admits the neces
.itv ofa new nr,son bnt wants ~ erec,ad on
the comfy farm. west of rbe harm. and in a
lima with the otber conntv: bniidipgs wbiIa
Judoe Ijyinpston thinSs il onpbt tn be
aractad on tha site orioinaIiy intandad for
a. '
,,,r,,, s,,,,
ihE rhorEH Site
In January 1878 when the bill was before
the legislature providing for the erection OF
penitcntary Ior the confinement oi CRIMINALS
convicted III lne central part OF tue state, lhe
county commissioners oiiereu 10 uohate 10
the state a tract OF Zols acres OF land, on
which TO erect the proposed institution. The
petition 10 the legislature set forth "that the
tract ofland had great natural advantages
for prison site. 1t is commanding eeva-
tiOn overlooking the surrounding country ;
at the base flows the big Conestoga creek,
stream remarkable Tor its beauty and the
purity of its waters"
The site where the inspectors propose to
build, II the judges will approve the petition
presented for that purpose, is the site de-
scribed above as offered TO the state. 1t is
situated on the county farm l662 feet south
west OF the new alnlshouse which would be
the nearest building. 1t is 6715 feet above
the surface water OF the ConestOga The
drainage would be perfect, nor would there
be any danger OF contagious diseases reach
ing the puiiding, as II would be completely
isolated. II the building is erected on the
site selected by Judge Patterson, it would ad-
Join the tract oi land owned by DIR.
M. L. Herr, which will in few
years be built up as it has been laid
cided TO run streets through il, 1t would
occupy field one of the best owned by the
county. The other tract Is not OF any prac-
ucai purpose Tor raising crops, as 1t Is too
stony. The county can better spare 1t than
the land near the barn.
TO CONTAIN 200 CELLS,
Tbe old nrison contains so calls ona n, M
.,.a -. =, - 80, ~ 80 a. a.' az ~
tinhe SINCE IL mas peen puiit mas the keeper
been able To carry out the provisions of the
act oil assembly in reference 10 sentences to
separate and solitary confinement. The
building OF the new prison would do away
with RUNNERS hall, an institution which is a