The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-12

plant is convincing proof that it is
one of the best that has as yet been
installed in any state where electro
cution has superseded hanging.
Warden Bridges and a member of
the state prison commission visited the
prisons in New York state and thor
oughly examined, the plan adopted in
those places and all faults that were
found there have been remedied and
all the modern ideas and patents are
ready for use in the newly erected
building.
The power house, one-story brick
building, which was erected during the
past year, is a model in every aspect.
Two Ames engines, of $50 horse power
each, are connected to two Westing-
house dynamoes that are capable of
generating a 5000 volt current. These
machines will not alone generate cur
rent to electrocute criminals, but it
generates all the current necessary to
light the thousands of incandescent
lights which have been placed in the
cells and corridors of the big prison to
furnish light TO prisoners, and also to
enable the keeper to see while they go
about the different buildings on their
ceaseless vigils
The lights in the cells are kept burn
ing until O'Clock, which gives their
unfortunate occupants a chance to inn
prove their minds reading the works
from the prison library which is one of
the features OF old Charlestown.
The execution house is nearly 200
feet from the power house. 1t is built
on the end of the new wing which was
added to the prison nearly five years
ago
This structure is 80 feet high, % feet
wide and nearly 20 feet deep. One pc
! cuiar and noticeable feature of the
execution house is the absence of Win
dows All light in the building comes
from four skylights on the ceiling.
| The building is built on a solid foun
dation of rock which was placed in po-
| sition after considerable trouble, owing
J TO the fact that the waters of the
| Charles river flow underneath the state
prison, and when the workmen en-
| gagged in digging the cellar for the new
| building. had thrown out four
II five feet of dirt, the water filed up
the excavation, and then had to be
| pumped out into the prison yard
J The walls of the execution house are
Quilt in such a. manner that they are
| nearly as solid as the rock of Gibral-
tar, The wall on the Ruthford street
| side is supposed to be impenetrable.
rhe stone was laid to thickness of s
inches from the inside, and then one
| thickness of boiler plate iron was in
serted and next to that the masons
aid II inches more of stone All por-
ions Of the building that were thought
0 be weak points We're made perfectly
safe.
TO enter the execution house one
goes through a small doorway which
doubly guarded by two iron doors.
fhe room where the chair has been
placed is nearly V shaped and tbe
hair stands in the small part of the
V.
The wires over which the current will
pass run underground from the power
house to the execution chamber, where
they are run into switchboard which
lhangs upon the wall of the room within
six feet of the chair Here the elec-
trician who will be the executioner viii
stand, but the chair itself is so placed
that the criminal who is occupying II
will not be able to see the man who
sends his soul to the world beyond.
The chair is o. COMMONPLACE looking
one, and If 1t were not surrounded BIZ
the electrical appliances and the straps
to hold the occupant in a perfectly rigid
position, 1t would not even arouse the
curiosity Of one who had not had theil
attention drawn to it particularly
Over the chair runs two good sized
wires which are encased in silk. On