The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-23

lREDI USED
This Subject Before Grounds and and.
Buildings Committee.
Buildings Committee.
BUILD ON THE PRESENT SITE.
r;cnort from the Finance Committee
Embracing tho Results of Itssln-
vestications.-Pla Plans Of the Van
Dorm Company Explained.

Dorm Company Explained.
The Grounds and Buildings Committee
If the Council took up the consideration
of mans for a Jail at its meeting yester-
day evening The representative OF the
Van Horn Iron Company Described the
mans submitted by that firm. Another
meeting will DC held on Iuesday night
TO hear from other parties.
In response to the request OF the
Grounds and Buildings Committee that
the Finance Committee give it any lnfor-
nation or suggestions is might deem prop
cr. in view or the fact that the FINANCE
Committee has made some lnVeSuSatlun
of the subject, Chairman Caskle. OF tne
Finance COMMITTEES, handed the commit
700 ;. letter addressed to him by the Sub
committee. consisting of AIessrs. Bloom
here camn and Gordon, to which had
neon assinned the task of looking into
the matter.
The subcommittee 5 report 10 MI. S'ao
kie is as follows:
I'VE, ,yo7,ld say that q tier you had refer
rcd III. question to us. under he author
itv Of the Council we proceeded vita the
investigation, and that there h:ld peeh
prepared for your sub-coinhjtt;e various
plans by Jail constructors, aoas OF which
met with our approval We, li'Fi'.i'tS'
returned them to their owners, with the
request that they be changed and nodi-
rcl in order TO meet our views I:efcre
these changes and alterations could be
effected the Council relieved or commit
tee from further consideration OF the
matter. and, of course, We pursued same
no further We. therefore. have no plans
to turn over to tile Grounds and Bulld!ng
Committee. as requested. and do not
1,nn
ever changed them or not nc CITY
Engineer who is the adviser OF The Com
,nittec on Grounds and Buildings, was
acting with us, and he has full knowledge
of the plans. as we'll as of the ames
and addresses of their owners. together
with such data as we had collected
Tile COMMITTEES CONCLUSIONS
Replying to the request of the Grounds
and Building Committee, that we make
such suggestions or recommendations as
we may think cXpcoient and proper,
would state that your committee, after u
most thorough invest cation of the whole
subject and after conferences with the
officials connected with the Jail, came to
the conclusion thatlthet new one should
be constructed upon the site of the pres
ent jail extending same towards
Fifteenth Street, and taking in sufficient
ground belonging to the city to answer
our requirements for years to come: that
it should be d plain and substantial build
ing, devoid of ornamentaton and con-
structed of fire-proof material. AS it is
more economical to- build high than to
extend the building should contain four
stories In the center or main building,
thereof there should be sufficient accom-
modations for the officers, kitchen, store
! rooms etc, as wellEas. an ample hospi-
tai and accommodation for the insane,
the wings on, either side to be for the
|
lions lead us to believe that, considering
the class and character Of our prisoners,
we do not require a5large number of tool
proof steel cells, as we seldom have
many dangerous characters confined at
one time; the largesnajority of our pris-
| oners would not walk out if the doors
| were open.
NIGHT BE ADDED TO.
Ordinary iron cells would answer the
| purpose, and there should be only suffi-
| cient cell-room provided to meet present
| requirements, the wings being construct
! ed amply large. so as to admit of placing
additional cells therein. as the growth of
| the city may, from time to time, require.
The building should be properly venti-
| lated, have perfect sanitation and be
| heated by steam the boiler being placed
| in a separate building on the outside.
Your committee came to the concu-
| sion that the number of inmates of our
| city Jail could be ma terially reduced by
| placing the prisoners in solitary contine-
ment, and had, therefore, concluded that
| the proper thing would be individual
| cells. that commitment to Jail would
mean confinement and punishment for
| the prisoner and not a haven of rest and
| a place for the comminslins of congo
| NAL and kindred spirits. In our opinion,
! solitary confinement would keep out of
! our Jail a very large number of regular
! inmates.
! I'm conclusion, we would say that as the
! steel cells are the most extensive part of
| the jail, we feel. that by building on the
| lines Indicated and adding the cells as
necessity may from time to time require,
| a JAIL proper, adequate, sanitary and fire
proof can be built for the 100000 appro-
| priation and will answer our needs for
| fifty years or more.
COL. CUTSHAW'SS VIEWS.
Colonel Cutshaw opened the discussion
! of the construction of q new Jail with q
| few Introductory remarks which set forth
| the fact that the decision had been
! reached to place the new building upon
| the site OF the present Jail, and also that
! the cost of the building should not eX-
| coed the limit named-$6O, 900. The plans
presented for the consideration of the
| Finance Committee We're alike in calling
I; for steel cell building. the cells to be
!
| facing the walls. and windows of the
| building on each side. They differ in the
presence or absence Of a utility corridor
! between the cells in the centre of the
! building.
I. THE PLANS EXPLAINED.
| Mr.. Foutts, the representative of the
| Van Dorm Iron Company prison builders,
explained the plans submitted by his com
| pany. These provide for a building 'front.'
| ing on Marshall Street about $50 feet and
| running back about CD feet in depth They
| provide for a sub-basement, basement
| and Tour upper stories. The central por-
| ton of the building would be given to the
! administrative officers, hospital, kitchen.
| etc The two wings would contain, with
| the basement. five stories. Each floor of
! each wing would provide space for sixteen
| steel cells, measuring SIG feet and s feet
/ high. These cells would be fitted fer the
use of two men each with berths Ringing
against the wall after the fashion of the
upper berth of a Pullman. This allows
| for 16O cells or a capacity of 800. 1t is not
contemplated that all the cells will be
built in at this time. however, as this
I IN. ~, 7: