The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-18
The WORLDS BEST
GUARDED PRISON
is BLACKWELL'S ISLAND.
WHIRLPOOL CURRENTS DROWN
PRISONERS WHO TRY TO ESCAPE.

Surrounded by Rushing Currents as
ids of ngara-The Best SWIM
mers Cannot Reach the River
Bank, Distant Only n Quarter of
MiIe-Many Have Been Drowned
When Trying to Escape by Swim
ming-DIacISwcITs Is n "HOteI"
Visited Periodically by Most of the
Notorious ''PanhandIers' ana
"Yegg Men" from All Parts of the
United States.
BY Thomas r. Collins.
New York, Dec. 17.-It is strange that
New York city should have given up
the most beautiful place within the
boundaries to be the home of the Grim
inal, the pauper and the insane; yet it
is the fact.
BlackwelPs Island, the long narrow
islet lying in the middle of the East
river off Long Island City, is I'M
questionably the most picturesque of
all the islands that stud the shores
of Manhattan. Even to-day, when it
is covered with institutional buildings
of all kinds and descriptions, it is still
a delightful place--bcautiful with trees
and shrubs in places, and in summer
the coolest spot around New York.
thanks to the breezes that sweep down
the river.
1t would be an ideal spot for great
park for the crowded districts of the
upper East Side, if it were not given
over to the most criminal. ignorant
and depraved sections of the commu-
nifty. This seems a shame, considering
how little available open space Man
haitian has.
A Great Park Sometime.
The idea of making the island into
great public park has been frequent
ly mooted and lately revived I'm
doubtedly it will be carried out in the
end, but not for many years to come.
The prison, almshouse, hospital and
other buildings, on the island repre-
sent a large capital 1t is true they
cost comparatively little to build, for
they were built by prison labor with
stone dug by the prisoners from
quarry on the island: but the cost of
erecting similar buildings elsewhere
would run into many millions of dol
lars. Nevertheless, it will be done
some day; for New York city does
not seem to care how much money it
spends for parks and open spaces.
n lONdiQ lDG CONVERSION
of the island into a park is already
being made by the construction of a
large bridge connecting the island with
the banks of the East river. Large
appropriations have been made by
New York city for this purpose, and
the huge towers for the bridge, which
is to be on the suspension order
have already been put in place.
Safest Prison in the World.
When Blackwelrs Island ceases to
be a prison for the bad characters of
New York city, who have not COM
mitted crimes serious enough to JUS
tify an sentence of penal servitude,
one of the most remarkable penal es-
adjustments in the world will go out
Of existencd Blackwell's Island is
probably the safest prison in the
world. II is a jail from which II is
practically impossible for a prisoner
to escape, except by the collision of
one OF his jailers.
Yet 1t is only about a quarter of
mile from the shore. and the prisoners
are allowed 10 work about the island
on various tasks under comparatively
slight supervision and guardianship.
You can see the TRUSTEES" doing all
kinds OF jobs with nobody watching
them.
The wardens know that their task
is lightened for them by Jailers who
are always on the watch. always re-
ientless In keeping the prisoners con-
fined 20 the island. These are the
rushing. whirling. bubbling currents
that tear along the shores Of the is
land on am sides. like YcrltablC mael-
strom, making II impossible for even
the best ~ swimmers 20 cover the
short distance 90 the Manhattan or
Long Island shores.
None Ever Escaped by swimming,
No man has ever been known 90
swim the short quarter ~ mile
which separates che prisoners from
iihon n, buf many have tried, and flli-
"a, and been drowned ~ would Dr.
AZ faay 40 swim fhr whirlpool Rapids
~ hlaEnrR,
Among fhf prisoners confined 90
fhf leland. fhrrH ace often some ~ fhH
Hnhnff raff' ~ NrW forf boys hnd
man Nh0 hnVf been in Hnl oaf ri iNe