The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-25

face Of Puget sound.
II McNeii's Island. the
Dcation Of one OF the Oldest Federal peni-
1Dmfiarfes In the United States. and
~ only one OF its kind now in existence
Desl1as that q Leavenwosth. Kan. which.
1owevse. dates from comparatiyely ~
oanl pared.
TIE ponitentiary at McNesi's inland II
ne - tho lan6marks Of PuGet SQUAD. and
Aas teen tho involuntary abiding place oe
1housands OF oonytcts since IT. establish
lent mce6 than 4 duarter Of = century
DeO. But In SPITE of this fact there are
0kv people In Seattle who have ever
Although within fourteen miles OF Ia
roma and directly In the pathway OF
Nteamers running between that city. aad
Olympia, McNelfs isiand = practically
Aersa incognlta - most travellers 1t has
9sw attractions outside Il ths penttentiary
oseif. an Il has never been the policy
- tn government to encourage visitors.
$or tAAt reason the ordinary ottisen's
1nowisd9e Of the place has been gained
9som chance glimpse Of the prison build
ns1 from . passing steamer.
N(soeeAoaoss. ths penltenttaSv = n N
llitution of considerable present and more
urospective importance. II now contains
oRvsnty convicts. and II the destination
r. al prisoners sentenced to imprisonment
~ the United states coart. u Tho ais.
1E4cts Of Waahington ana Alaska with
Ne growth Of the latter's territory the
- % tt annual contribution to NcNeil's
inland win probably increase, 30 that for
= years - como the number OF inmates win
1T be tass then at present
~
s{HHD Sound steamers do not stop a.
Ae1eelrs. e1cept b. request. There
y - wharf. and all passengers and freight
hnst 10 ''itghtered'' ashore AZ first sight
~ h moat Impressed with the apparently
G1mlnuttve alhe Of the main prison build
~. II II not until the visitor II assured
1AA& BY little crcwdlng Il will accom-
MEDIATE 80 convscts that he begins to
ceuperiy appreciate II. The walls OF the
maidstone. cut and laid In broken courses
= daxxiing white mortar. The style Of
architecture IL severely plain. and yet tho
e6ect II not Mt all UNPLEASANT Hut for
Ne double steel bars crossing and re-
tossing each tall window. the building
much resembles country church minus
sns mont doorway and the oessry on IL
Oansasd roof
The building was erected in iSss from
leans drawn by w. f. Boone. . well known
oeastie architect. II seems to have first
eeen occupied two years later. according
% the prison records. Al that time II
Nas badly needed. for those were the
1aimy days Of smuggling on Puget sound.
md the Federal court aA each term sent
over'' convicts by the dozen.
Adtctnin9 thu main building on the rear
md ID the newly built warden's quarters.
= two-story structure Of red brick. which
within the last few months has replaced
x1e old wooden building erected ~ ths
nme time ~ the main structure Stiil
nsfthef back and at q little distance from
- main building h q long, low oue-stcry
rick building. just erected and deaiened
Wf occupancy - = blacksmith shop.
lice shop. store house. laundry. ETC. And
lar this ID the new one-room brick build
NC containing the ncesyienc gas plant. and
smother similar one used as . machine
eAep There are several other small build
Aes, but they are rough structures Of
URwed logs and are doomed to destruction
sow that they have been replaced by
lsack.
All the buildings are contained In .
eeurkade tnelossnE between three and four
acres. inside OF which IL also contained
sne tiny yine-covered cottage occupied BY
warden palmes's family and situated 10
sne north Of the main building. The
stockadc 10 more for show than fer pro-
seceion. 1t 10 built ct inch eoarda. and 10
~ more than ten feet high. An active
nan could scale II at any place, and In
Isoft Of the building en- the edge OF the
esen overlooking the Sound there In no
S*SAaoes sae h24a serving tHste8os AZ tHe
southeast eorner % the s:oekade stands
shs most ornate feature Of the peniten-
sNfF Eroonds-a square glass ard wood
watch tower built On high stills ard sur
Rounded ty al iron-rasled platform. In
sosHer days prisoners were sometimes al
0wed 10 take exercise inside the stock
auc. and then guards with rifles occupied
we watch .oser. The watch tower - not
use now. except for the STEERING 81 the
- American nag that iieats from the
&stAa above Il every fine aay.
~ 10 It's tasersSr. the MeSsifs Island
eassfatsary was ra doubt model In lis
~. Qua since that ass extensive tmpreve-
osate In ssit construction have been
aae The tAg stone building IL about
e6fy~saur feet seng by farsy-two feet
ssde. and has walls nearly TWO Fest thick.
S1ssas these walls Is hasit q huge coF~ 81
sssk about tsa feet smaller each Way In
Gmsnssass TIE core il pierced with SOW
aky-fwo large cells arranged IN THREE
49, ard each separated from ttx pesGa-
- ey sixteen lachss og hrsek- The eppsr
9as Are reached by wsatfng statreAaeo Of
Maa and long IRON galleries. similar -
ssAosfassd rso escapes Each cell IL ven-
tasiea hy grstsngs in the deer and ey two
al Shafts. cue below fer cold air 20 enter
md che above for soai ar 10 escape ana
eessssns .wc banks. each large enough 10
eessss~
Iae sailting - heated BY steam and
ngnssa by sessyssns gas. although until
Netnssy wood stoves ard ksrosene oil
- Ssesi Everything about the interior
- tas psssen - seruralcusly clean Tne