The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-25

REMEDY AT LAST
Addition to the Trenton
Prison Almost Ready
For Use.
NO MORE CORRESPONDING
Splendid Sanitary Arrangements
Description Of the
New Cells.
NO MORE ~OVERCROWDING

CAArAA4 III ~ tAt(H 1870
appointed under the act of last Winter
has a building nearing completion that
will provide two hundred additional cells
and also much needed hospital accomoda-
tions.
Although the Prison is sixty years OF
age it has never had a commensurate
hospital. In fact 1T has had the most
primitive and inadequate facilities, not
w~ithstanding frequent appeals to the
Legislature. It is left to the present
Commission to supply at least what has
been needed since the first.
This building is now ready for the roof,
which is being put on, and is a thoroughly
f~re-proof structure. The cell house is
made of rough dressed stone, thirty-four
feet in height, is 160x4S in dimensions and
will contain 200 steel cells, arranged in
two tiers of four stories, making fifty
cells in each story.
The location of the new building is
south of the center entrance, connecting
with the old cook-house hall, and runs
parallel with the Third street wall al
most to the wall of the arsenal grounds.
For the purpose of facilitating the build
ing a new gate was made in the Third
street wall, which will prove to be a per-
manent convenience.
DIVISION OF BUILDING.
The building is of two parts, that
nearest the old cook-house hall being of
stone for the accommodation of more cell
room, and at the south end of this is a
brick building in the shape of a cross,
which will be devoted entirely to hospital
uses. The architect is Thomas Cressey,
of Newark. Charles Kafer, of this city,
has the contract for the entire work ex-
oept the steel cells, which was given to
the Pauley Jail Company, of st Louis.
Thomas Prior & Sons are sub-con-
tractors on the mason work, and it can
be stated that this has been done to the
delight of all concerned, as they v
made a very handsome job. Tit con-
tract for the steel work, consisting of
floor beams, window guards and roof
trusses was sublet to Duncan Mackenzie,
who also made a very creditable JOB, the
window guards being a particularly n
some job.
ARRANGEMENT OF CELLS.
latest and most approved style of prison
architecture. The building, as above
stated. is 160x48 feet and stands 81 feet
in height. The cells, which are of quar-
centre SO as to permit of a broad walk
all around them. The cells face long
St0tl-S QdfQSQ WiIQOWS dllQ l IA
with steel balconies, approached by
steel stairs. The backs Of the cells are
not close together, as in ordinary cell ar
rangement, and herein is where the ar
rangement in the present structure is
superior. A corridor. six feet in width;
extends the length Of the basement and
with a yentilatin cupola.. This corridor,
or air-Shaft, thus comes in between the
two tiers Of cells and serves q manifold
purpose. Each cell is provided with a
stationary wash-basin and a toilet. The
latter are not in the cells proper but
project into this air-shaft. When not in
cells. Besides accommodating these
toilet projections and the number of
pipes that they require, the shaft serves
and also accommodates the steam, gas
and water pipes and sewers I'VE The cells .his
DARK DUNGEONS.
In the basement are eight dungeons.
The basement ut Is : 4 feet R square S.n and the ls
one is . grated door and the outer one,
a ahnss feet totai Rsed dark ( w sflia' t naki IS cl taea
Passing through this dollhouse one
comes to the new hospital, which is
54ln T to O. # Two i Stories u = or and p = b : e9n-
1t has 2,400 feet of floor space in each
story. In the, basement are large din
is 1895 feet, and the Others isxSo. 4
large open hall reaching to the roof is
the centre to which all these rooms COM
municate. This hall has an open steel
stairway reaching to the upper stories.
Besides the rooms mentioned, there are
toilets, a pantry, a morgue and the foot
only about half below the level of the
FOR THE SICK.
In the first story there are three wards
for the sick prisoners. corresponding in
size to the rooms in the basement, men
toned above. The same pleasant open
also a physicians room, a dispensary
and a reception room on one side of the
hall. and a nurses room, bath room and
lavatory on the opposite side. with the
elevator closet.
The second story is a counterpart of
the the f and d 59 sns ssn ee1,ts ena of an t o-per na1ag
room 14x21 feet, an isolating ward of the
same dimensions. and nurse, bath and
fG,se1 F4om cont uha npl no wood ' except IN
the windows, doors and floors. The floors
are composed Of steel beams, bridgedd
flooring PE s RlfssTa q %E 81 i0a Il TINS
The ventilation of this part of the buil't
t baIlt : within falin TIE hSsis Walls, who's whose end ends open open
into the compartments through registers,
will carry off the foul atmosphere caused
by breathing, The heating Is by both
direct and indirect means. Radiators of
steam heat in the various wards supply
the first means which are relied Upon in
very cold weather. The indirect means
are connected with the ventilation of the
building, and consist of coils of encased
steam pipes, to which the cold, pure air
from the outside is introduced by means
of conducting pipes. This air Is warmed
as it passes through the radiator and
ascends to the rooms above, affording a
never failing supply of pure warm air.
FOUL AIR PIPES.
The foul-air pipes, already spoken of,
with the aid of these warm air pipes,
keep the air of the rooms In constant mo-
ton and the whole quantity is changed
every few minutes, the carbonic acid.
gas-1aden atmosphere leaving by way OF
flowing warm current from the basement
steam coils.
The Commission is also putting in q
sewer of 15-inch pipe. 1T begins and
connects With the Cas- street sewer.
the drainage OF the new wing n hos
The authorities found that the old
sewer was not sufficiently deep to drain
the whole building. The new sewer Is
carry off the refuse from the lowest part
of the basement.
Another new feature is a crematory.
While the city has been discussing the
one large enough for their purposes. 1t
Is used to destroy all the refuse from
the institution and its workshops.
The Commission have In contempla-
ton the construction of a new cook
other provisions, and the alteration of
the present space used for hospital, to
adapt it to a spacious and comfortable
room for chapel purposes. The cost of
all the improvements exeouted and con-
- ~, n1afnd xvf1l hn within tho q r0n,1n