Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-20
CHITTENDEN COUNTY JAIL.
WHERE OUR CRIMINALS WILL REST
IN REVOLVING CELLS.
The Only jail of it's Kind In New Eng
land--A Glance at its Plan and Con-
struction-its Cost Nearly S22,
0OO-A Model Structure.

Ihe new Jail has been sufficiently tried
so that it Is proper to speak of the satisfac-
ton which it gives to the authorities as
well as to all who have examined it. A
number of prisoners have occupied the
cells in the cage and every part of the ma
chinery has been found to work to perfec
tion, while the sheriff family find the
dwelling part of the structure comfortable
as well as convenient. AS there is no
other Jail OF the kind 1T present east
OF New York it is SAFE 10 say that Chitten-
den county has the safest and therefore
the best Jail In New England. LIS fame
seems to have already spread among the
criminal classes, for no female prisoners
have been confined in the cells designed
for their use, and those male prisoners
who have tested the merits of
the cage have. been mostly tramps,
who could not be expected to
have heard of the elaborate preparations
made in this city for their reception and
entertainment. Hereafter, however, the
professional tourists Will undoubtedly
Shun this city, as those who have seen
our jail will warn their fellows of the ne
cesslty for farewell to hope of escape on
the part of all those vino enter therein.
The structure is built of brick and the
exterior presents an attractive appear
ance. The dwelling part IS two stories
high with Mansard roof making practi-
Cdlly another floor The front part, which
ls square with irregular outlines and WuL
extending 10 the rear, contains - rooms.
The front entrance ana hall are nearly
midway of the frontage on Main street: to
the rignt of the hall is the parlor, while to
the lett l. the dining room. Back Of the
latter is the kitchen with china closet
between the two. East OF the kitchen
and dlrectiE To the rear OF the parlOr
is the sherli's office which has entrances
from the kitchen and out doors, and from
when alone entrance can be made to the
J4ll proper. The pantry is at the rear of
the kitchen and 1t has e small door open
l%H into the corridor OF the Jail part
through which food for the prisoners can
be passed. On the second floor, which is
reached by half circular stairway, are
three large sleeping rooms and a bath
room, and on the third floor are three
sleeping rooms. The lower floor is finish
ed in hard wood natural color and the
upper stories are finished in pine painted
in two light colors. All the windows of
with Hill sliding blinds. The walls are
plastered and hard finished with the ex-
ception of those in the psrlor,
hall and dining room, which are
handsomely papered i'll buff and gold.
The basement is divided into six apart
being the laundry, another for storing
coal, several for cellars, etc. The dwelling
part seems to be we'll finished throughout
and is quite conveniently arranged. The
'front.' rooms are pleasant, and the view
looking from the rooms facing the west,
especially on the second and third floors, s
exceedingly fine.
The exterior Of the Jail part is octaRonal
with grated and barred windows in each
front and it has basement and chamber
In addition to the main space occupied by
the cage. On the interior wide corridor
entends entirely around the cage, separat-
ing 1t from tie outer walls. The cage
consists of TWO parts, one being the cir
cular grating which is stationary and in
side of which the other part containing
the cells revolve. The grating s COM
posed OF immense steel bars q of an
inch thick aud three inches wide,
with their widest faces toward
latera lily by stet horizontal bars, passing
through their .rutre at intervals of II
feet, which at' slotted for each perpeu-
dicular bar The horizontal bars are held
III place by lOn4 keys which are driven
parallel to them aLd the ends of the keys
are rlveted and concealed 50 that they ap
pear part of the hItlHJutal bars.
Ihe revOl lHI ClLe contains 10 core |
shaped cells, each OF which is nine feet |
high and nine tter long. At the outer end |
the cell Is are eight feet wide and at the in |
ntr end four 'crt wide. The walls cell |
ing and hoor Of the cells are composed of |
iron three-lodrt H. of an inch thick and all |
The connected part, are strongly IiVetted. |
Each cell is provided with hammOcks for !
WO PRISONERS 50 tha 20 persons can be
here accommodated E+ch cell also has a
water faucet aul closet. The cage works
on the same principal aS a turn table eX-
cept that IL lerOlve, on an immense hub
at the centre, Resting at the top on Ii small
wheels. AT the bottom are four arms pro-
jecting from the outer rim with wheels on
each to steady the cage as it revolSes.
The closet, sewer and water apparatus is
stationary inside the hollow hub, which is
fully six feet in diameter.
A heavy iron door opens from the sher-
III Office into the grated passage leading
10 the entrance to the cage. In the mid
die of this passage is grated door dl-
viding it into two nearly square enclosures.
lust beyond this grated door are two 9TH
srs opening to the right and left into the
while opposite TO it still another
opens into the cage. The last is a sliding
loOr which Is operated by means of
4 lever outside Oh the middle door SO
that the prisoner will have no oppor-
Lunity of assaultng the jailer wheu the
door is opened for him to come out.
The cage is revolved by means of a crank
IN sort of closet which opens off from
the sherifi's office ja~t to the right of the
entrance ana Whlcn Is locked by a COM
bination lock. When prisoner is to be
placed in a certain c-ll the cage is revolv-
ed until that cell is opposite the entrance
TO the cage then turn of the crank ,
and he is swung around to where the solid
grating alsne cOnfronIs him, rendering
escape Impossible, We're every door in the
Jail by chance lett open. The cage can be
revolved only by the crank, but there is
an additional safeguard in the shape of
ever which operates a bolt and which
must be pulled out before the cage can
be moved particle 1t can thus
be seen that escape is An utter impossi-
bility on the part OF a prisoner. Even
" tn the best of tools il would require a
week To saw out and the daily and some
times hourly revolving of the cage would
be liable TO leave the prisoner behind
new section OF the grating each time, so
that his Wurl, wuuld never be accom-
plisned
The health Of tn" iomates of the jail
has not been overlooked in its arrange
ment The best ot ventilation i provided
from the top OF the jail, through the hdb
Of the cage, and every sanitary require
ment has been complied with in the con
and equipment of the cells. A