Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-07
THE PENITENTIARY.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND
TIE RsBUILDIsG OF THg Shops
The Fire Probably the Result Of Careless
ness, but Mr.. Moses Not Blama-
ble-Jther Items.

\ JOINT meeting OF the ccndtc Nohh-
mittee on Public Institutions and Edu-
cation and tho Committee on Asylums
and Prisons was held in the Senate
chamber last night to receive and con-
slider the report OF the Subcommittee
appointed TO investigate The cause OF the
recent penitentiarv fire. the loss sus-
iaincd by the state in consequence
thereof. Sc. Mr.. Lovenstein, chairman
of the Senate committee, presided.
The subcommittee. Mr.. Echois (the
patron Of the rosoluton), chairman.
after quoting the resolution reported as
follows:
First. As to the cause of the recent
fire
On the Dist ultimo your committee
visited the pcnitentary, and after IN
spcctmg the burned buildings in order to
GET an idea of their location, examined
under oath all parties connected with the
pcnitentary who could be supposed to
know ANYTHING about the fire or It's
origin and whilst various theories were
entertained from the investigation made
and facts ascertained your committee
arc unable to report what was the lmmc-
date cause Of the fire. At first 1t was
the opinion OF some that it was the act OF
an incendiary. but upon investigation 1t
is the unanimous conclusion OF your
committee that such - not the case, and
that the fire originated from carelcssncss
/ bv some one connected with the PRISON.
4 stcnomaphic report OF the evidence
taken is herewith filed and asked to be
taken as part Of this report
Your committee deem It proper that
as far as il has been able 10 ascertain
from a searching investigation no blame
attaches to Mr. W. ". Noses the super
intendcnt. Everything WIS done by
him that could possibly have been done
under the circumstances. he turned IN
the alarm himself to the city Fire De
partment within very few moments
after the fire broke out. and but for the
assistance rendered by the Richmond
Fire Department the entire penltentlary
would have been destroyed.
I'm this connection your committee
would state that the water supply al the
penitcntary IS inadequate and ought to
be increased.
Second. As TO the extent Of the
damage done by said fire and the less 90
the state occasloncd thereby:
The damage sustained was quite an
extensive on. the whoIeof the buildings
used and occupied by Joseph Davis,
ESQ, as q mandatory being burned.
The estimated loss to tine State De-
struction Of buildings (cst'mated),
/ So. COO; furniture, tools and fixtures,
provisions. machinery. and raw material
Ia carpenters and hiachsmiths' shops,
/ II. on SS-totll (cstimatedl, S2i,OlhS6.
IN addition to the loss Of property
above mentioned. there are five hundred
aud sixty.odd conyicts out Of employ
ment, they being the hands worked by
the Davis Shoe Company, estimated hy
the Superintendent to be a loss 10 the
/ State of about 900 per month. ltcosts
the State about twenty-five cents per
day per capita to maintain these con
victs.
Third. As to such recommendations as
may be deemed proper in order to repair
the damage done your committee recon-
mend that the building shall be replaced
in more substantial form than the old
one. 1t has been estimated that three
story fre-proof building can be erected
on the site of the one recently destroyed
at a cost Of $4,000.
Respectfully submitted.
EDWARD ECHOLs,
W. p. DUPCY,
II. l.. CARTER.
Messrs. Duane and Barnes, members
Of the subcommittee on the part of the
Senate, concurred in the report, bat had
not signed It because they were not pres
ent after MIR. Echols wrote it.
The report was unanimously adopted
and will be presented to the General As
sembly to-day.
VISITING Committed.
Mr.. Lovenstein appointed the follow
ing subcommittee 10 vsitcertaln cduca-
tionaI and eleemosynary institutions:
Senators Lovenstein and Koiner chair
man of the Finance Committte),' dele
gates Echols chairman of the House
Finance Committcel Magruder, and
Dupuy. These gentlemen will leave
here at g A. NJ. to-day for Williams
burg, where they will visit the lunatic
ASYLUM and William and Mary College.
Next day they 60 to the Hampton Nor
NAL School and return to Richmond that
afternoon.
UETyErsTr.
The Joint session here ended and
the Senate committee held IA session 10
hear Colonel c. :. Nenable, chairman OF
the faculty of the University OF Viz
qiuia and professor Of mathematics, as TO
what that Institution was doing in the
wav of preparing teachers for the schools
of tine STATE. Members of the House
committee remaiucd by invitation
Colonel Neuabe made very interest
inc statement of the work of the
institution and Inc received the
strictest attention of his auditors.
He said the faculties of nearly every
school and college in the state are COM
posed almost entirely Of University men.
Every spring three-mouths' session is
held. to which all OF the teachers OF the
State ore invited. He among other
things said that since 1860 the instltu-
ton has received in requests, winch be-
come the property Of the State, at least
$3.50, 600 IN value in excess Of appropra-
tions made by the State during that
time.
A Horse knitted. a Nan Shocked. and