The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-08
Commissioners Hold q Special Meet
ing With the View to Its
Acceptance.
The Finest Building Of It's Kind
Between Chicago and
Portland.
IT. Principal Features Deseribcd-Put Up
without y ChanEe in tho Archi-
tect'E Original Plans.

sioners was held at the court house yeste
day TO accept the new Jail building fro
tho contractors, r. A. Bell Il Co. of Helen
The commissioner spent tho day in nal
ing . personal examination of the buildir
and in questioning the contractors and
j. Schsffer. tho supervising architect. NJ
Schaffer told the commissioner that I'll
jail Had been completed according to COZ
tract and was . good piece of work. ACCORD
ing to his final report the cost of the jsi
including extras, is $50, $3.50. The origin'
figures were $43, 495 but some changes wer
made in the steel work for the cells an
cages amounting to $4,7 700. The cost O
the extras amounts to 81. 1860. The build
ing was TO have been finished and ready TO
the sheriff on Jan. l, 1892. Tho delay i
largely due to the failure Of tho Detroi
Safe and Look company to furnish thu
steel work. Another meeting Of the com'
missionsrs is 10 be held this forenoon. wher
il ID probable that the formal acceptance OF
the building will be made.
The Lewis and Clarke county Jail build
ing ID a piece of work which reflects great
credit upon the architect who designed it,
N. j. Mcconnell. It ia safe to say that this
county has the finest prison in the north
west, and between Chicago and the coast.
Another special feature of the building is
that it was constructed without change in
the original plans. and there has not been a
dollar Of extra cost to the county by reason
OF defective architectural work. While con-
veying the idea of security and strength,
and typical of the purposeS for which it
was designed. the building 10 artistic in de-
sign and ornamental in appearance.
The exterior style represents feudal Nor
man, the style Of stone work being pitched
faced ashlar. courssd rubbls and what 10
known as rag work. The pilasters which
extend from the ground to the root and
terminate in chimney tops flank the en-
closing walls of the cell Departments. serv-
ing, az an ornament and STRENGTHENING the
walls at these points. which otherwise
would be weakened by the vsntilating flues.
These pilastsrs which are intended to serve
the purposes Of buttresses, give strength to
the walls and also convey to the most I'M.
observant the idea Of strength. Tbs win
dow openings Of all offices and rooms of the
Jail department are guarded by steel
gratinRs secured with anchor luzs to the
wall. A feature of the windows in the cell
department is that there are tao separate
openings for upper and lower cells, and
that they are not made in one large opening
with upper and lower frame. The windows
in the new Jail are divided by masonry,
thereby avoiding the separating Of the
walls into pieces. The ~jailor's residence is
made a distinct feature from the Jail proper,
and ita exterior is separated and made as
private as possible from the prisoners
quarters, the only thing in common TO both
Icing the kitchen.
feudal " on the corner, which rises one
story higher than its abutting walls. the
tower ~Eurmounted with parap0ts and bat
Element. This same style ia carried
throughout, it having one great advantage
over the more modern in That i: gives an
air OF great strength, coupled with artistic
effect, which will always look we'll, what
ever innovation in style m 9 be made in
the future. The idea in the exterior con-
has bsen to make a lasting |
as there are no corn ices of
iron, copper. ETC., to be kept in repair,
everything being of stone except the roof.
A large fronte entrance affords admission
to the Jail quarters. This entrance is of q
massive and imposing appearance, the
stones forming it being over three feet six
inches in depth. The entrance is secured
with oak doors having large hinge plates,
and the entire surface studded with bolts.
These doors are made of two thicknessss of
oak, with a quarter inch steel sheet be-
tween. The ~jailor's office is situated to the
right of the main entrance and is directly
connected with the residence portion. To
the left is the turkeys and guards Office,
up with all the conveniences, such az
counters, desk. lockers for shackles and
other necessaries of his office. All doors
leading from the Office to other parts of the
building are guarded by steel gratings, as
we'll as a close wooden or sash door. This
feature serves to keep all sound or odor
rom the prison quarters penetrating the
office. Look out ports or CRATES in the wall
the cell department from the
offices are provided. These ports have steel
gratlngs enclosed with sash. atforuing a
view to the jailor or his assistants of all
cell corridors, from the main office.
The cell department for males ia in the
rear OF the offices, on the lower t1oor, and is
entirely separated from the remainder of
the building. The prison quarters are
built for the accommodation of forty-fye
steel cells, with their necessary corridors
layatorles and other conveniences Though
but thirty cells are estimated on for the
present, the walls are high enough to en-
close the other tier ut any time the needs of
The county may require it. All the f%eaturee
u this department have been arranged with
\ view to absolute safety, convenience and
OF help. The floor of the cell de-
10 formed of large stone haps.
Two flags form the floor Of each cell, The
weight of these stones Is not less than
ECO pounds each. This makes an abso-
utely safe floor, as no man could lift such
weight without mechanical appliances.
md even then he would run into a bed of
cement. Az an additional precaution. the
upright partitions in the cells are secured
the flags and Il tlanRe lap over each
tone. to prevent the possibility
# q stone beng raised. ma
'teel cages are made of hardened steel riy-
ted together i'll such perfect style that tho
LANCER from one method of etfecting
escapes from such places ia minlmizaJ
With the bars, and the heads filed down, so
hat there ID absolutely nothing for a prle-
'ner. even provided with tools, to take hold
II end work on. The ventilation of the
Prison is perfect. Each plaster
lates two hues, n conveying cold air to
Jack of the radiator, where il is warmed
before circulating through the room, The
timer huo has an opening about sixteen
Get from the floor to take out the warm mir
md gases, making q circulation of pure mir
It all times. Additional ventilation ia
by the small windows in the roof.
shioh may be opened or closed at will. The
veil enclosed corridors are all provided
Vith safety vestIbules. where an outsider !
OF conyersin2 with a prisoner NAV
10 so. but at the same time be under the
IAiior'a attention. Steel gratlngs separate !
he entrance lobby from til, rrerc;ss (
Corridors. These g~ratings extend sistean
Get nigh and are armed at the ton
With barbed spear points. Near the en-
rance from the ~jailor's quarters to the
'rison is a stairway leading to the dun
cons that are to be used for obstreperons
tisoners. These dungeons are ali .n- I
losed with walls of masonry, the ceiIiugs
fched with brick forming the floor to the |