The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-10
BAKING POWDER.
THE NEW CONVICT DAMP.
The Grand Jury to Consider Maj
Blandford's Plans This Afternoon.

Blandford's Plans This Afternoon.
The grand jury of the superior court,
which meets this afternoon, will probably
take under consideration the plans pro-
posed by Maj. Blandford for the proposed
new county convict camp, for which
s., 900 was appropriated in the county
budget of 1898,
The committee from the grand Jury on
convictS and convict camps has looked
into the matter, and will probably be
ready to make report. The bad condi-
tion Of the present camps and the need
for change will, no doubt, receive some
attention in the general presentments of
the grand jury May19.
The plans which Maj. Blandford has
submitted provide for many improve
ments aud advantages over the present
camps, which, in the language of one of
the commissioners, ought to be burned
down. The stockade is to be ~ feet high,
300 feet long and $50 feet wide The ar
rangement of barns, storehouses, kitch-
ems, guards quarters, tool sheds, etc,
are conveniently planned, and the main
thing needed is a new barracks for the
convicts and new hospital, the present
structures used for that purpose being in
bad sanitary condition and entirely UNI
fit for habitation.
The male convict barracks proposed by
the plans submitted by Mai Boandford is
one that can be kept free to a great ex-
tent from the bad sanitary conditions
and regulations which surround the pres
ent one. It is to be 100 by 40 feet in area,
two stories in hight, and the upper
story &c contain the sleeping apartments
for the convicts and a sitting room.
The sleeping apartments are to be pro-
vided with IA cots made of iron frame
work 21zX6 feet in size, which are made
!
up to the wall where they will be out of
the way and afford abundant opportunity
for keeping the room clean. The present
cots consist of a lot of mattresses sup
posed to contain rice straw thrown on a
long fixed wooden platform with no way
of keeping the floor under it free from
dirt or filth. The lower story of
the barracks will contain the messroom,
kitchen and Commissary, whereas at pres
ent the convicts must eat and sleep in the
same apartment, which affords too small
an air space for one-third the number
that is confined there. Some arrange
ments will also probably be made where
by instead of being chained all day
Sunday so that the guards can get off for
a day, the convicts can be given little
opportunity to exercise themselves.
The camp is to be situated on a knoll on
the county poor farm, the present site of
the home of the superintendent of the
farm. From this point it will be quite
easy to drain it thoroughly to salt water.
An artesian well is to be provided for ac-
cording to the plans, and a large wash
room separate from the regular quarters,
where the Convicts can clean themselves
after days work in the muddy canals,
an opportunity which few of them have
now, that is to do it with any satisfaction
Some of the commissioners have been
urging the immediate erection of these
new permanent convict quarters, but
others have opposed it as an expenditure
which was unnecessary at the present
time. The money, however, has been
appropriated for the purpose and has
been provided by taxation, and it can be
used for no other purpose. 1t would
seem, therefore, that there is no good
reason for delay