The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-20

is II o'clock in the morning. !
mount the bridge where the COM
mandant of the vessel has cour-
teously given me space and there
set up my two Photographic in
struments and mark off my ground Of
view on q chart of the islands as
memorandum.
In the grayish mist of the horizon
appears the He Royale, and on its left
the lie du Diable. We will not see
the He St Joseph, which is hidden
from view behind the lie Royale, I'M
til we turn to port in going TO our
anchorage Very soon the details of
conformation begin to appear and we
see standing out one after another the
several buildings in which the more
dangerous criminals are confined and
a comparison forces itself on the mind
between the frightful life of the con-
vict within and the exterior aspect Of
these shelters which look so peaceful,
and of the luxuriant vegetation, where
every shade OF green has put its touch,
encircled by the brilliant azure of the
sea and sky.
lon the extreme point of the lie du
Diable, to our right, stand a score of
cocOanut trees. 1t was there during
the first TWO years that the prison
house of Dreyfus stood, but when the
matter entered the new phase the stu
alton was considered too much exposed
to the view of passing vessels and for
fear of an attempt at escape they de-
cided upon a change of location. His
new hut was built on the summit of
the hill which overhangs the shore.
The accompanying drawing shows
1t exactly as far as could be seen
through the glass at d distance of $50
yards and rapidly sketched on paper.
1t is small house of about four meters
square, with a pointed roof covered
with zinc, painted white. 1t stands on
one OF the sides of rectangular pals
ade, which completely surrounds it.
his palisade Of about 40 feet long
and 4 wide is formed of thick posts of
wapa, pointed at the top, closely Joined
and leaving no interstfces between
them- They are about 10 Ieet high.
which makes Impossible the view of
the island or the sea from the interior
ON the side where the slope OF the
ground is great the palisade is sun
ported by stone foundation, laid dry
which has probably given rise to the
story OF the wall Of masonry which oc-
casloned so mucn noise Within the
prison house, as We learned later.
place mcfOseu by iron grill work a
Veritable chicken coop is reserved for
guard who has the condemned man
always under his eye
The grill communicates with the
prison house by a door with a double
lock. The officer of the watch has the
key to one Of these locks, and the other
is in the hands Of a superintendent or
inspector. Neither of these men can
open the door without the concurrence
of the other.
For furniture there is a little iron
bedstead made in the colony with a
mosquito net, a table, a combination
washstand and toilet table. some
shelves for books. papers, etc, and 8
small stove on which the prisoner does
his cooking
Ar the eng of the palisade and Just
opposite the prison house stands the
mouse OF his keepers, large building
of about thirty feet on the side. with
three windows or doors on each side.
accommodating six guards.
The house is surmounted by n tower
thirty feet in height, q lookout from
which 4 Waterman constantly scans
the horizon. while near by is d revolv-
Ing Hotchkiss rifle cannon whose voice
has been heard more than once, and 1t