Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-10
THE SHELL
THE POLICE COMMITTEE INSPECIS The DILAP-
dated W0RX-H0USE
The Ranch Seen in All It's Glory-Its Architectural
Beauties Discusssd-Ihe Merits and De-
merits Of the Concsrn-A New
Building Needed.

the paraphrase, ''See the wor6-house
and drop dead" This expression must
have been fOreseen By the Police Com
mittee, for several attempts have been
made 70 inspect this Institution ip the
past few years, but somehow the men,
bers could never seem TO be gathered on
the scene. Yesterday the hrSt Oihclal
overhauling OF this weather-0eaten
bath house took place az o'clock In
the afternoon. The attendance was
rather light, the only members present
being Chairman Happy of the Police
Committee, and Clerk Eugene Hanke.
The committee was assisted Ia the III
veStigatiOn by Supt. ROdenbaUgh, OF the
wOrk-house. This Institution, as the
readers generally know, IS situated on a
gentle plateau Of Wheeling Hill, oFpO-
site Eighth street, and the hrst point OF
inspection by the committee was the
tunnel lust south OF the house where
the workmen have been breaking stone
Of late. The tunnel is about IS feet
long, and in heighth will just about
gauge an average sized man. The prlS-
Oners were not working yesterday
owing 10 the dampneSS that prevailed
in the tunnel, caused by the recent
rains. They were all inside the
"wooien dive"-eleven Of them-medi-
tating and allowing the interest 70 run
on. The tunnel is now being pushed for
ward in the direction Of the crematory,
and il was the opinion OF the Commit
tee that this could be safely done. IL
was suggested, however, that the loose,
overhanging stones be knocked OIL IN
many places, in order not 70 endanger
the men. The stone was originally
sliced oil the sides without tunneling,
but OF late years the boring method has
been adopted, and three tunnels nave
penetrated the hill.
After looking az the outside work
awhile the Committee girded up their
loins and proceeded 20 make a personal
inspection Of the wOrk-hOuse. Ii Is
most duapidated structure, and looks
more like a Herculanean relic than an
Institution of modern times. This pile
Of boards sprung from the soil about
eighteen years ago, but owing TO the
merciless way In which the wind has
whistled through the clapbOardS, IL
looks a heap older The architecture
OF this shanty, II it ever
had any, is severely Of the Tuscan or
der. Ii is a building about Seventy-hye
feet long and a story and half high,
or rather one story high, the half story
being a sort Of elongated cupola,
used only for the location Of windows.
After passing through the main hall
way, unadOrned with ferns or orchids,
the committee was uShered into the
main prison room where the prisoners
were grouped together in the north end
sitting on pals and benches. 1t Is one
large room. sixty feet long, used in COM
mon by all the prisoners, the hunks being |
arranged alOng the sides Of the wall in |
double tiers Of six, making twenty-four !
beds ia all. These accommodations |
were somewhat taxed not so very long /
ago when there were ninety-six prison /
ers in the Home for the Indolent. The /
air on the inside steamed, and the in
mates sprawled out prOmiscuOuSly all /
over the floor.
In the north end OF the prison room |
are six dungeon cells. These are dun |
geOn cells with a vengeance. They are |
small compartments four by fve feet, |
without a particle OF light or air, II is !
right here that one recalls those lines |
from Byron's Prisoner OF Chillon:'
For an was blank and bleak and gray,
10 wasno night-it was not day.
But vacancy absorbing space,
And iXgdness-WlthOut place.
In one Of these dungeon cells, some |
time ago, 4 prisoner hung himself. To |
one who has seen the cells this method !
certainly looks like an easy way out. |
The four dungeon cells on the west side |
are not used nowadays, as that side of |
the building is very shaky, and the pris- !
oner would only have 20 remove a loose |
clapboard or two TO walk of in sweet |
liberty. The kitchen is located in the |
northeast corner OF the building, and /
the GRUB" is handed ont 10 the prison !
ers through q hole in the partition. For
breakfast they are served hash and |
coffee: for dinner a large dipper OF bean |
soup, meat and water, and for supper !
beans boiled dry aud coffee, each man /
also being given half loaf Of bread /:
with every meal The meals are neatly !
served, and the prisoners, many OF
them unaccustOmed even 20 this meagre |
diet. actually regale themselves. There |
IS excellent spring water obtained from /
the side Of the mountain, which is one /
OF the redeeming features OF the inStl- /
tuition. The meals are well cooked and /
we'll served, and there was an air OF /
cleanliness about the interior that one /
would little expect 20 see. Everything /
was scrubbed 10 point OF nicely, but /
in such a hOvel cleanliness does not 1
long remain. 10 requires the most con- |
slant and vigorous attention, and such \
attention is given it by the efficient SUI
perintendent-
the Committee came TO the conclusion /
that the only repairs needed was a re-
moval of the roof, and also the sides Of
the building, as well as the ends, and
possibly the foundations. In other 1
words. the only conclusion that could /
naturally be arrived at was that the .
present wOrk-hOUSe should be wiped oil I
The earth. As Superintendent ROden- /
baugh remarked, why, / believe / 4
copld take six men and long pole and \
push this building right down over the /
hin. The only thing that has kept the I
wind from blowing 10 over is the pro- I
lection afforded by the hill 1t Is a mere /
she'll" And il looks il. IL has very I
slab-sided appearance. The interior /
particularly assumes surprising /
fantastic and incOngruOuS shapes. Some /
OF the partitions are vertlcle and others
Ian like the tower of Pisa, and the /
same way with the doors, the noor ana
the roof. So many repairs were needed
that II made the committee dizzy 70
contemplate them. To think OF repair
in0 the building is something like the
fellow who took a leather heel 70 the
cobbler's TO have a shoe built around IT,