Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-05-24

new CONVICT Quit cell mousse modern 1
IN every respect, considered the SAT- /
est made and containing 40 perfect |
steel cells wherein prisoners can be !
securely confined. This Is the FIRST |
modern cell house the penitentiary |
has ever had and It's installation will
greatly relieve the present congested |
condition. for with over 200 prison
erst II II now necessary to confine
some OF the men In one general cell |
while the more dangerous are locked
mp separately.
For many years there has stood
within the penitentlary grounds al
half completed cell house with four
tiers Of uncompieted stone cells
standing useless and exposed. The
tenth legislature appropriated $780,
900 for improvements at the peniten-
tiary and armed with this amount
Warden Shook made his plans to pro-
vide the pcnitentiary with at least a
modern cell house that could be de-
tion OF making use. OF the unfinished
cell house confronted him, but he at
last reached partial solution by
facing up one-half OF the unfinished
part with heavy stone quarrled by
the conyicts and then consulted with
the Pauly Jail Building company OF
st. Louis. Within a short time a
complete Pauly sliding door locking
device steel cell OUTFIT was ordered
and delivered, providing 40 new cells
In tiers of 10 running east and west,
30 to a tier, 10 on each side and two
tiers.
j. ii. Rauche, an expert cell install
Ter with the Pauly people. was sent
to Boise to superIntend the erection
of the steel cells and with large
gang OF convicts he proceeded with
the work. The prisoners erected the
steel apartments and riveted the bolts
under the supervision of the superln-
tendent and within a short time the
cells have been installed.
The mechanism used In opening the
cell doors Is complicated and can
only be operated by one of the prison
officials who understands the device.
Large spacious corridors face on
each side OF the tiers. A heavy graf
cd apartment shuts the corridors and
cells from the interior lobby, where
In the combination locking safe or
chest, containing the levers, ETC., for
the opening OF the cell doors are
confined, these safes standing on
each side OF the lobby and controll-
ing the cell doors on their respective
sides. The heavy grated door lead
Ing from the lobby to the corridor Is
securely locked from the safe. The
levers that are so devised as to
allow the man controlling them to
open or close all OF the cell doors at
one time, open or close Ave or one
as wished, This does away with the
locking Of the cell doors from the
inside and the use OF heavy padlocks
there as Is now the case In the old
cell house.
should prisoner escape from his
cell by some means he could not
reach the lobby where the operating
levers are located. because the heavy
doors would prevent. However,
should for some reason the door be
left open and the prisoner hold up
the guard. the lever chests would, In
all probability, be locked and the
combination setting be turned on II
the safe was open he could not oper-
ate the levers unless he understood
the mechanism. The combination
door TO the outside leading to the
cell house opens onto a grated gate
In which Is barred hood allowing
the guard from the outside to sur
Yey the interior without the danger
Of having his head dubbed OF. Should
the guard be held up inside the one
on the exterior Is therefore In COM
mand of the situation.
When completed this cell house
viii have two more tiers OF 40 cells.
making so In ALL Each cell Is pro-
vided with steel yentilator and
two cots OF steel which can be folded
mp gainst the wall, giving the pris-
oner the benefit Of the interior. There
Ia not piece OF wood in the entire
construction. The floors are of ee-
ment and the ceiling Of steel and
1 nar,enk