New-York tribune., 1902-01-11
WILL BROOK NO MORE DELAY
ULTIMATUM TO CITY PRISONS ARCHI-
TECTS AND CONTRACTORS

After an investigation OF the prolonged and
scandalous delay in the completion OF the new
City Prison, in Centre-st. on the site OF the old
Tombs. Thomas w. Hynes. the new Commits
sioner OF Correction, yesterday gave an ulti-
matum TO the architects and contractors He
called them to his office. at No. las East Twen-
tieth-st.. and told them that there must be no
longer delay that the work on the prison must
be pushed with vigor. and that the prison must
be ready for the city's use before the warm
weather OF the coming summer or some of them
would suffer.
Mr.. Hynes spent some hours on Thursday in
portions Of the work had been completed and
what portions unfinished Then he sent
notices TO the architects and contractors to ap-
pear in his office for consultation. The result
was that he had before him yesterday Walter
Dickson, one of the architects who drew the
original plans for the prison. Arthur J. Horgan,
Of the firm of HOrgan e. Slattery, who were
substituted for Withers e. Dickson as super
vising architects by the late Tammany admin
istration; a representative OF P J. Carlin e. Co,
the firm holding the contract for the building.
and John Long, member of the firm that has
a sub-contract for carpenter work in the build
ing There was present as a representative of
the city Chandler Wilmington, of the super
vising engineers of the Finance Department.
1t was developed at the conference that much
OF the recent delay in work In the prison build
ing had been due to the action of Horgan &
Slattery in changing the original plans, in
creasing the amount Of work to be done and
vastly adding to the cost of the building. Then
there has been a disagreement between the gen
era contractor and the sub-contractor for car
penter work, growing out of the changes in
plans. Mr.. Hynes let the contractors and ar
chitects know that he thought It was shame
and a scandal to spend more than five years
in work prison building that could have
been completed and in at least two years
ago. He said there were urgent reasons why
losses through such delay. All differences
among tie contractors and architects must be
adjusted at once, he added, in order that the
work could be pushed forward with speed.
The architects and contractors consulted and
said they would push the work as rapidly as
get the prison ready for the city's Mr..
Hynes said that the city must have the prison
ready for occupancy before the warm weather
came. Each summer when the criminal courts
take their vacations, the Tombs prison has be-
come overcrowded The new prison must be
prepared for to prevent such overcrowding
the coming summer. the commissioner declared.
The architects and contractors said they could
fore July l. They were told that the latest
date that could be thought of, and they left
the commissioners office with the understanding
that some of them would be liable to severe
penalties II the city could not occupy Its new
prison by the date named.
The inspection on Thursday showed that work
in the prison had been almost at stand
still for months. and that sufficient force of
could complete the prison in a few months
All the exterior work was practically COM
pleted two years ago. The steel cells have been
placed in position, and most of the interior ft-
tngs of the cells in place. The electric light
and heating plant has been installed Elevators
and dumbwaiters and some inside partitions and
fittings are to be constructed before the prison
can be turned over to the city.
cells prisoners
and thirty-two bath cells. Every cell is large
enough 10 accommodate two prisoners If neces-
sary The prison will be fireproof stronghold
as safe and comforta BILE modern appliances
can make it II will cost the city over 81 30O0O0
not counting interest on that sum for FEW
years before it holds single prisoner