New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-03
STATE ROADMAK1NG.
WORK OF THE CoNvICTs AT DANNEMoRA.
A SPECIMEN FOR FARMERS TO SEE-fiNpiN"
OUT THE EXACT COST OF IMPRoNENlENi
HOW THE WORK u DONE

southwark 10 the heart OF the Adirondachs' i' M
use i, TO transport summer tourists rom i''''
., the Adlror dack resorts and It thus travcrS'' SOM
Of the most picturesque scenery III ui' '' -.
year the summer traveller who Journeys ai'S ''''
route has something Interesting to see beyoh" MAJ
iGcont land.cop.s lie need not leave the car IL
,rlii he j., seated 10 look upon this wonder II -
directly lv the station here al D1nncihW'' ''
curiosity Is the spectacle Of State Prison co"'"' ;"
their peculiar striped suits, engaged III ''''"''"'
opparcntly without guards. and seemingly ~ ''' 7"
Interested and concntcd with their WORK ~ ''""H"
they free men. -
The road they are now at work upon starts NJ inc
u,I r,iu-or station runs due north about SIN
,contb of n mile and then the same dsianc" east
ward 10 the Gates OF the clinton state Prison ION"
before the railway train coming from PiAt'S""'H "'
r. achcd Danncmora the obS"rvani rav'h'r MS "',,
the tall brick walls cncrcllng the prison ana '"' w.
buildings ~ the prison itself overlapping inc ""''
The railroad train rises 800 feet In goihS lT"'i
Plat shrg TO Danncmora. and Clinton Prison "S'n'
boine situated upon an cmincncc. the in'titn'i"h
humorous bindings can bc seen. In somewhat
stately group for many miles before 'P r""i"'"
traveller arrives nj Danncmora. From the prison
windows one commands ono OF the gand'St V''"N III
the Adirondacks although the convictS' except '"oN
urho are now cmploycd at roadmaking see little OF
H. The prison is the sanlrlm OF STATE Pr''""''
being situated In a most heathfu location and having
thc best hospital the largest bathroom ana an "nl
inen,Iy slilful physician in DR.. Ransom But posi-
blv tho convlcts do not admire Clinton Prison as Il
health resort.
Governor Flower in his last annual message 70 inc
legislature first suggested the employment Oh '"e
convicts at roadmnling He said Il recommend
that the Superintendent Of Prisons he properly ""'
tborizcd by law 10 employ Of the prisoners AZ
Dnnnemora In roadbuildng in the vicinity OF the
prison The state controls the roads for about twenty
miles around the institution. and nDont -oo co"N",H
could he employed I'm this work Win dement, "o"'
10 Themselves and to that portion OF the STATE III"
Ton Prison is so sltnacd that the employment ol
conylcs on roads outside the prison IS not open 10
thc same objections that t. would he AT other state
prsonsv The Legislature Of the present yenr. acting
mon this sngccston passed law authorizing Austin
Iathrop Superintendent OF Prisons, 10 employ moi 10
exceed 300 convc,s in the Improvement OF The roaus
near the prison and appropriated Flo'oo" Tor '''
purchase Of roadmaIins machines ana implements
and 10 pay other necessary expenses OF the uid'r
taking Moreover the state Engineer was directed
10 fix the grade and the width OF Tie rOdu"a!S u"'
10 be improved near the prison.
OBJECT OF THE UNDERTAKING.
There has been a mistaken impression in tho STATE
that This experiment in roadmakine which has been
undertaken bv Governor Flower the Snp"rf'"nd"nt
Of Prisons and State Engineer Schenck has Tor is
chief aim the desire to learn whether The cohNl'''
a. the State prisons be safely employed IN f"ad
making I'm every part OF ia" state. In places distant
from the state prisons rs well u tn places near
them That (, not the design. The plan Is To max"
model road, for the purpose Of displaying them Il"
,he member, Of the board, Of supervisors, ana also
10 learn the cost 81 such road. But there j. ID"
thought Of employing ia" convci- elsewhere ~ mANih-
road, except I'm the immediate Vicinity Z" 'hn'"h
Prison. Tie aim I, 10 induce The farmers ~ I'd"
STATE n, Represented I'm board, 81 snP"ri~or' I" N"
consent 10 an Improvement Of country roads.
Q tho. 4 IL 1850
fully employed 1t Is the judgment Of superintendent
Iathrop that not only would II y" dangerous 10 ON
plov the convicts ~ roadmaking I'm uicHly settled
communities. but that II would be- too "Hpcn-iN" an
opcration since Il would 10 necessary {" employ
large number Of guards 10 prevent iAc "-'ap" "'
conyics Clinton Prison is IN an Isolated place IN
a virtual widorno,- and twenty milo distant from
a VILLAGE Of any size. Experience has shown that
II +, rare that a convict who escape, from the prison
can long remain nj liberty.
state Engineer -chcuck s"ut here Thomas Ihii"r-oi
an expert engineer employed In hi- "iic" AZ Albany
10 SURVEY the roads which 10 b" improved ana L"
establish the grade 81 The uow road Ia" roads To DE-
improved were ia" ordinary di.' roads common II"
American village and 20 tie American country sd" II
IS n road which is almost impossible because Of mud
In th. fall and spring. Nevertheless. II has been
over such a road that tine supplies FOR th" great
pr son with IT. lO- conyiCs and hfiy keeper, W"T"
hauled the year round. and over which also passed
70 the station the goods Manufactured ~ tn" con
vic'5 I'm the prison. The road from IL" s'a'on To III"
Prison wa, thu, the first selected for improvement
state Engineer >chcnck who has u-t been here. said
speaking about the work: discovered 80, soon 49, ih"
street VI, are now Al work upon had been gone over
with plough that only foot below Tie surface ~
the earth covering IL there WI, rock. II wa there
fore unnecessary ~ lay Irfod Nacidam road
The earth i, first pac.,i down with roller ana me"
obong Zig stone, Of foot IN l'niih SCI "n ''s" are
placed upon th" surface 81 Nh" cronid lhl' com
uro. cd ana then thc hg stone, covered with LAYER,
Of smaller stone, until TIE surface IS once NOR bN"l
All that The street needed WAS a covering Of thr""
grade, Of small stones brought from the cu,h'r. ana
basket cutters composed ~ larg" stones. bal W"
shall construct % Icford Macadam pavement ~ soon
a, We o., ont side the limit, OF the village oi Danu'
NORA for We shall come upon the ordinary rural
dirt road with no roca beneath IL Ioundniion
Probably the rond ont side III" village VIII b" ~"
more Interesting one to expert. but then IT," farmers
~ the state may fancy tue road within th" Ni!lnr'
,clich I, les ,,uor-ivr. hi Is tr' day OF "hal
the road makers call thin roaG,' whcr" II tn" Iouh
ton /, good a macidamilcd road j. built which j. "nF
,iX inches deep ~ th" c'ntfc ana our lh'h''
,t th. ont . That, oi cour-" i, c"mnra
lively cheap road. and pcIiiap, IT, ch"1ph'-'
would reconcile tc farmer, of The state 10 the plan,
Of the state Road Improvement society Tor the III
p-,,mcnt Of the roads Of the state onr road within
the village Of Dauurmora j, ten inchcs deep at TIE
centre and "ieht Inrc- AT tn" outer 'ds'~. In pli'
where discover have a good sand l"nn1a'loh
We shall reduce the covering c"npi" of inch''.'
TIE COST or me PLANT
The road Which &, under con-irucrion + twenty
Pine feet sid" from curb - curb Ini this Is IN the
village vlcr. there. +, broad street. outside the
village. In the country. The road VIII be eighteen I''
wide. Warden 1lmNcr', hr-t stop toward the max
ing ~ roads. Of cOur.r. Wa, to secure III" lhP'-
m"nts. purchased" hc said. - crn-hcr for ;3'"
a roll. for 500. and engine for 49,. That made
ii..ir total price - 10 Tat got rcHi" OF 10 per
cent for cash, which brought down Their total cost 10
i gl3 Tlrn bought -hovrl., pick. wh"'lb ROW ana
pDug,, WLrh brought up the total cost oi he pl'h'
20 about - 200 ! bought = roller which +, dragged
ly horses. Lu, would have preferred u steam roller
the appropriation Of $4,000, however. WAS h''
sufficiently larsc 70 lL,tlN ne in making such pnr