The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-10
Legislative Committee and
Expert Inspect the New
State ~Reformatory. &
NO EVIDENCE OF EXTRAVAGANCE
Chairman Johnson Says Some
thing Will Be Done to
Complete the Building.
Especial to "rhe Jersey city News.''l

and the members of the State Reforma-
tory Commission, accompanied by Henry
dickson, a master builder of Newark,
visited the unfinished State Reformatory
buildings here yesterday afternoon. The
members sof the party arrived about 1:45
at the Railway station and were taken in
carriages to the Reformatory grounds,
about a mile distant. There they found,
as the result of the $1S5 900 already ex-
pended on the work, a building which
looked as though the money had been
well expended.
Senator Johnson, of Bergen, chairman
of the committee, said the visit had been
prompted by a recommendation contained
In Governor Voorhees, inaugural address,
which read as follows:-
In this connection. and as constituting
one of the objects for which extraordinary
expenditure may be needed, I wish to call
your attention to the incompleted build
lngs of the State Reformatory at Railway.
From time to time there nave been appro-
priated and expended on their account
various sums, a~ggregating $1S5, 900. Work
on these buildings is now and has been
practically for more tina a year at a
standstil. In its incompleted form the
building now partly erected stands as a
monument to the folly with which the IN
uertaKlng was conceived or to the lament
aple lack OF good judgment shown in not
pushing the work to completion. There
may be room for honest difference of opin-
ION as to the wisdom of finishing the
buildings in accordance with the extensive
pians originally authorized. The sum
estimated to be necessary for this pur-
pose is a large one-in the minds of many
larger than is warranted in accomplishing
the objects of a reformatory.
There is a need, however. for some new
buildings in which to confne our GRIM
lnais. Increased accommodations must be
provided either here or elsewhere. From
the annual report it appears that the
State Prison is again overerowded. not
Wlthstanding the recent addition to the
number of cells. Increased
ton, however, is not all that is demanded.
1t is of the greatest Importance that we
begin at the earliest possible mo-
ment a system of prison treatment, which.
wherever tried, has proved so beneficial in
the reformation of criminals. Motives of
humanity and selfish interest al Ike promnt
this undertaking. 1t will be within the
province of the Legislature to determine
whether the work shah be completed as
originally designed, or whether the pres
ent plans shall be SO modified as to call
for thes expenditure of a less sum of
money without interfering with the
method Of treatment Of prisoners which
1t is proposed to follow.
These statements are not intended to
impute a reckless e-xtravaganc in the
work already done. I believe that the
strictest honesty has characterized every
disbursement The buildings are models
in simplicity of design, and there is an
absence of elaborate and exterior orna-
mentation calling for useless expenditure
L hope that the Legislature will give
earnest attention to the matter, in order
that the interests of the State may be
served and the Inauguration of a great
anG beneficial work no longer delayed"
Inc Senator from Bergen and most of
his colleagues said they agreed with all
the Governor had said, and added that
something will be done toward securing
the completion of the building before, the
present session of the Legislature ad-
journs. What that something will be Sem
ator Johnson said he was not prepared to
say, n would not be until the commit
tee had carefully considered the reports
OF Mr.. Dickson and other experts as to
what should be done.
The unfinished building, great dome and
the far-extending northeast wing,
stretched along the level acres where the
proposed big penal institution is to be
situated. Graceful and costly Is the CEN
trail dome from which the four wings are
to extend, northeast, northwest, SOUTH
east and southwest. But there is empti-
ness in the central building; there is a
void in the one wing where $50 cells will
one day be ready to receive ESQ first often
ders- The numerous dungeons under the
wing are sun uncemented. and there is a
foot of frozen water in the cellar of the
central building.
The State Reformatory Commission
composed of David M. Chambers of Cam,
BenjaminsA. Vail of Railway, Rev. George
S. Mott of Newark, Patrick Farrelly Of
Morristown and John W. Ferguson of
Paterson. have expended $l75,oo0 on the
unfinished buildings. Without the expen-,
diture of a great deal more the buildings
now standing will be worthless. Approach
land nearly as level as a floor, the great
structures loom grandly up, with a dense
forest extending far behind. Sheds have
been erected near the central building,
and to the north is a neat one-story struc-
ture for the superintendent. No stairway
leads % the dome crowned Enclosure. AL
mos- The skill of a tightrope walker is
necessary to secure entrance. An incline
of 30 degrees must be assembled to reach
one of the doors-to-be. The arched brick
foundation of the flooring is bare.
The walls, the iron work, the founda-
tions, even the great copper roof speak
of the substantial. The upper floor. above
the G1lrdlCG SecllOfl, Is nearly competed,
but far from being finished. The out-
doors surrounding stare through great
openings where the other wings may
some day be built and attached. The
iron work under { roof is still an ex-
| posed maze of int cate trestling.
The wing looks more bare than the cen
trail building. There is no platform-like
floor to break the great stretch of space.
There is al 0 no finishing work in evidence
in that section. The expensive covering
to hide all the nakedness of rough plas-
ter and bricks is lacking. The roof sup
porters stretch web-like from end to end,
and beams of light from the windows
brighten the rough interior.
The commissioners, in their last report,
among other things, said:-'It will be
necessary to complete and equip the
northeast wing; complete and equip the
| central or guardroom building, erect and
furnish the power-house, prepare the con-
duit for pipes, erect and equip the do
nestle buildings, erect and equip the hos
pital. take care of the sewerage of the
building, provide for the architect, engi-
neer, inspector, etc.
careful work. Everything is on a s~ubstan-
tial scale. No equitable material has been
used. The dome of opp and the wing
roof of slate offer no skirmishing field for
sparks. The walls are thick: The founda-
ions are broad and deep. The superstrue-
ture- of the floors was made to endure for
ever. Everything shows a money-con-
summing solidity that, carried to a con-
clusion, will, it is claimed, consume nearer
a million dollars than $500, 600. For many
things have not been k into consider
alton. The wall must be erected, and
as it is to be zone story high and of great
thickness recurring a heavy foundation.