Evening star., 1902-08-16
TWO FREE HOTELS
Uncle Sam Has Spread Him
self in Construction.
HAPPEN T0 BE JAILS
OFFERED TO THE WORLD AS
MODEL INSTITUTIONS.
Occupants Are to Wear Civilian Garb
Will Eat Together, but
Sleep Apart.

Sleep Apart.
Written for The Evening Star
Uncle Sam is putting his finishing touches
upon the most modern and best-equipped
penitenttary of the world-a great prison
which penologists at home and abroad are
expected to regard as a model for construc-
ton. maintenance, management and disci-
pine This Institution is the federal peni-
tentlary at Atlanta, Ga.-our first elaborate
national Jail built for the exclusive confine
ment of offenders against the United States
proper
A still greater federal penitentiary is ris-
| Ing on the national reservation at Fort
LeaVenworth, Kan. Although each of these
institutions will cost round half million,
the latter will be much the larger and more
complete, because it is being erected entire
| ~ by convict labor. The federal prisoners
of the temporary penitentiary at Fort Leav
enWorth are toling day by day to erect
massive walls for their own confinement.
Not few of these unfortunates work with
the consciousness that they are weaving
about themselves fearful web which must
entang1e them for life. The Atlanta peni-
tentiary has been built under private con-
| tract. The labor, while more expensive
| than that done by the convicts in the west,
| has been more rapid Both Of the big jails
will be conducted alike
The Atlanta penitentiary is a colossal let
| ter IT. Laid fiat upon the ground. The top
| Of the IT, is occupied by cells exclusively;
| the stem by the dining room, kitchen,
! chapel, hospital, storage, ice, heating and
| electric plants. At the point of junction of
! the base and the stem Of the 'T'' is ro-
", t@I +l,a ifnr, fto,r
! offices. All departments are under the
| same roof. The warden and his staff may,
! from the rotunda, view every part of the
| great building.
ALI Cells Locked at Once.
The long, rectangular front structure Is a
well-lghted hall from whose center rise
| five tiers of steel cells In each tier are two
rows, each containing thirty-eight cells.
| Thus there are $50 cells, each with two
! hunks. The total capacity Of the big prison
| therefore Is 76O. Each cell Is 5 1-2 feet
| wide, 8 feet deep and 8 Ia feet high; Is
| made of the finest tool-proof Bessemer steel
| and Is coated inside with silver-aluminum
| paint. Every contains white enamel
| stationary washstand, hygienic closet and
| table. in addition to the two folding hunks,
| which turn up against the partition when
| not in use, and which are provid I'd with
| mattresses. pillows. sheets and spreads.
! The floors Of the cells are granitoid. A
| novelty of arrangement is that a utility cor
| ridor separates the two rows of cells in
| each tier. This improves ventilation and
| affords space for heating pipes. electric
| wires and repairs. Each tier Is surrounded
| by steel gallery. The rotunda cuts the
| entire cell space into two separate blocks.
novel locking mechanism is placed at
| the end Of each cell row. This consists of
a steel box. which. when open. displays a
crank and lever. By turning the crank all
l.. ha n laH r
simultaneously. The lever, however, may
be set to keep any individual cell locked
while all of the others are opened, as in the
case where one prisoner is deprived Of his
| liberty for purposes of discipline.
This great prison has it's own Ice factory,
| electric plant, chapel, pharmacy, hospital
and laundry Great whirling fans always
send a breeze Of fresh air through the cells
and other apartments. In fact the water
supply yentilat ton, drainage, electric light
ing and steam heating are as excellent as
those of the Waldorf-Astoria. The hospital
| contains fifty beds. and there is continually
on hand a resident physician receiving a
| salary of 81, 600 a year. The chaplain Is
given 81 500 year.
The discipline of this new prison will be
firm but not severe. No corporal punish
ment no lock-step will be allowed by the
Department of Justice into whose jurlsdlc-
tion all federal prisoners fall after convic-
ton by the courts. There is no dungeon in
the entire institution, and the most ex-
trerlne punishment cOuntenanced by the
Washington authorities will be solitary
confinement in the cells of the lowest tier.
By good behavior each convict will earn
the privilege of joining the daily assembly
of prisoners in the chapel during certain
prescribed hours. Here they may read,
write and enter into conversation with one
another.
ers has been adopted for this institution. In
other words all Of the convicts will be
marched three times daily into one large
dining room. Here are arranged long tables
of plain board, along the sides of which are
stationary opera chairs, whose bottoms lift
to provide an aisle through which the con-
vcts may march. single file to and from
meals. They win be permitted to use
knives forks spoons and china Dishes but
will be denied the luxury of table linen.
They will have breakfast daily at 6:3O din
ner at noon, supper at $50. The average
cost per man per day for food will be about
eleven cents. Here Is a sample menu pre-
scribed for one day In the new penitentiary:
Breakfast-Rice, prunes, bread and but
ter, coffee.
Dinner-Baked beans, salt pork, toma-
Supper-Hominy. beef hash, bread coffee.
On some days fresh beef, liver, bacon,
| sausage, syrup, currants raisns. peaches,
! apples, etc, will be items allowed. The
walls Of the kitchen. dining room and cell
houses are lined with white enamel brick
to a height of six feet above the floor.
Stripes Abolished.
One of the most striking reforms which
goes into effect with the opening of this
model penitentiary is the abolition of the
stripes, except as a safeguard when the
convicts are working outside the prison
walls It Is Uncle Sans theory that such
marks Of degradation lower a man in his
own estimation, If he be continually brand
ed Herewith. IN
The new prison garb is a civilian suit of
plain sky-blue wool, a blue and white
'hickory" shirt and cap with visor Twice
week in summer and once week in WIN
| ter each convict will be taken to the we'll
equipped penitentiary baths in the base
ment, under the cell houses. where are ar
ranged rows Of porcelain-lined tubs and