The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-30

for the Jail is still occupying the atten-
ton of the public property committee.
They are considering tho question Of
trying to secure the lot Immediately
back of the present jail, but nothing
definite can be done about this until the
is expected hero on the 18th of February.
Now that the question of who shall
build the Jail is settled, that of what
kind of structure Roanoke is to have
will be of interest. Mr.. Manly four
nished TIMES reporter with very
complete description of what he pro-
poses to build here.
Tho Jail building is to be OF fire
proof construction throughout, DC feet
front and 80 feet deep, built of brick on
a stone foundation. The main double
entrance in front is to be the mayors
court room. Adjoining this court room
is a private office, controlling the en-
trance to detention room, search
room and a property room. In the rear,
on this floor are the lookup cells for
eighty prisoners, the sexes being sep
arated by steel partition in one direc-
ton and tho colors by another partition
crossing the former. There are sep
arate cells in each subdivision.
side entrance on one side leads to
the jailor's residence on the second floor,
which is arranged for five rooms, bath
room and hall. The third-foor- front
will be used as an infirmary and special
place of detention.
The Jail proper, occupying the second
and third floors of the rear building, is
eacoed by Il side door adjoining the
courthouse. The sexes are on different
floors, the cOlors are separated by parti-
tions, and the prisoners in different cells
arc likewise sepa rated. The floors Gre
of artificial stone on steel plates. Each
cell has all sanitary conveniences, and
each prisoner can control fresh supply
OF water at all times. Each cell is
provided with four canvass hammocks,
hung like double section of Pullman
sleeper at night, and dropped fiat
against the walls when not in use.
Exercise is taken by prisoners in an
in erior corridor about forty feet long,
and bath cell is provided at the rear
of each corridor. The outer walls of
is admitted through Sixty-four steel
grated windows in the rear building.
jailer's observation corridor extends
around the entire cage on each floor,
from which all prisoners can be quickly
served with food. The rear of the
fourth floor will DO reserved for other
cells if needed, tie present provision in
the jail proper being for ninety-six
prisoners
Mr.. Manley states that every hard
ened bar OIL the exterior walls OF this
main cage will be the United States iail
bar of ive-ply crucible steel, made by
Brown Brothers, of the Wayne Iron and
Steel Works, Of Pittsburg, Pa, the only
thoroughly reliable makers of this pc
culiar metal in the country. Each bar
is hardened separately and severely
tested with all cutting tools before it is
used and the work guaranteed to be alb.
solutely unbreakable even with saws
and drills.
The heaters and the fuel rooms are in
the basement and full ventilation is
secured (even with windows closed) by
means Of induced upward currents lof
foul air. through registers in eight spe-
-cial fiues extending above the roof.
The work will be commenced as soon
as the location is decided upon and will
be pushed to completion as rapidly as
the weather permits.
Tho following views as to the locatio
of the new Jail have been exposed to
TIMES reporters:
Mr.. F.. w. Brown: 81 do not think
the Jail and mayors Office should be
built III connection. I would much
rather see the Jail in some secluded
spot in the outskirts Of the city. The
appearance of prison in the heart of
the city is repulsive, besides, the des-
perate characters that are confined
therein, make it very disagreeablo with
their profane and boisterous talk to those
residing in that immediate section"
building Inspector Coleman: ~
think that the present site is the most
desirable one in the city. Tho new Jail
will be a handsome building, and with
the mayors Office and sergeant's resi-
dence in front, it will not look in the
least like place of confinement. The
cells will of course be in the back
ground, and when tho lots adjoining are
built up. tho Jail proper cannot be seen
from the streets at all. 1t is evident
that at no distant day the courthouse
will have to be enlarged and it is we'll
enough now TO consider that fact, and
by erecting the new Jail on another lot,
save the site of the one upon which to
erect tho future additions to tho court
house"
j. T. Smoot: The Jail, in nv
opinion, should BIO err ctcd in less con-
spicuous place than Campbell street.
The old Jail has heen nuisance. II no
other place can be secured on favorable
terms, the proposed plan to uso the lot
across the alley is much better than to
use the site OF the old Jail
Mr.. j. NJ. Gambill said: Il am OPP
posed to having the Jail on the pro-
posed site. think that a Jail should
be as far removed from the center OF
the town as possible. l would much
prefer having the Jail down near tho
furnace for two reasons-the site would