Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-27

NLOt1lIINVNlMO wv
placed at the head of the workhouse
was made by District Commissioner
Cuno II. Rudolph.
Mr.. Whitaker went to Occoquan with
twenty-seven prisoners in July. 1910.
This force shortly was increased to
500 men. the prisoners having been
transferred from the jail in Washlng-
ton Tents were provided LOT tnelr
temporary accommodation. and the first
niece of construction work started was
the building of a road a mile ana
quarter long from Occoquan creek 10
the site selected for the institution
buildings.
The road was finished in sixty days IL
was built with a grade of not more than
: ner cent. although its terminus is ="
feet above the level of the creek
The next task undertaken was the con-
struction of dining room, oIncers
quarters and two dormitories to be occu-
pied by prisoners. These Duliolnss W. W..
completed by December =. On that oato
an eisht-inch snow fell and the Occoqudn
"nlon1 moved from the tents into more
comfortable quarters. 1,
During the five-month period. from July
To December a sawmill had been erecteu
so that timber on the tract couid De utli
numerous minor improvements ihdoe.
While the nucleus of the INSTITUTION ~ va,
being established Mr.. Whitaker ana Ilo
wife lived in a small one-rool' .ia M
structure which also served as the do
ADMINISTRATION building. In the TWO wear
that have elapsed since the dlning room.
officers quarters and two dorhl'oIies
were built the plant has grown d. ,,s d
rand rate 1t now consists OF two as
tirct departments for male ana ienia a.'s
prisoners. The latter is provided WIN
two dormtorics with acconiniou ''I ,.o'a
for 1.O prisoners, two dlhins rooliS, "
laundry capable of furnishing empioA
ment for thirty women: a tailor shop o.
similar capacity and a hospital
COMPOSING the equipment Of the male
department arc two dornhtorles WIN
sleeping quarters for 400 colored prison
crs one dormitory with accommodations
for 10 white prisoners. tailor shop WIFI
bath facilities. large recreation rooih'
hospital, officers quarters and aon'lii'S-
tration building In addition. residences
have been built for Supt Whitta ker. As
sistant Supt. Manuel Ream ana Cfliei
Clerk Carl Lewis n MODERN ns nm - ..
heen constructed. while a blacksmith
shop and large barn are among other I'LL
proyements that have been added
I
future a new administration building, a
new dining room for the female depart
mcnt and a large dairy barn capable OF
housing fifty COWS.
While the work of proVldlng the liSt'-
tution with the buildings needed has been
i'm nrogress. improvement along other
lines has not been overlooked. A plant
for furnishing heat and hSnt mas peeh
provided, sewers have been laio an up
to-date water supply system installed
hun
liZed so that much of the food consumed
by the inmates of the workhouse could
be produced at home.
The first sewer built for temporary use
consisted of Il Pinch pipe leading from
the institution to ravine, one-half mile
distant There is now being completed a
permanent sewer which emptes INTO &C
couuan creek, a mile and a half away
This has been constructed so that 1t can
be tapped at different parts and the sew
erage used for fertilizing purposes.
The power plant provides each building
with light and heat. Steam pipes are
laid in "a cement tunnel which leads from
the laundry building, in the female de-
partment, to the male department, dis
lance Of 900 feet. Construction of this
tunnel was one of the first projects COM
pleted.
The water plant, which is valued at
$4,000, represents an expenditure OF only
about $4,000. The water used comes
from the race above the village of Deco
guam, being brought of its own force to
the pumps on the banks of the creek.
where it is pumped into large tank of
5000 gallons capacity. From this point
it is forced through filter. Before it
reaches the pumps. however. it is filtered
through Il rock and sand bank which was
built by Mr.. Whitaker, so that much OF
the sediment carried may be eliminated.
Early attention was given to the ques-
ton OF making the workhOuse self-suD-
porting and was followed by the insta!l2
ton of machinery for the manufacture of
from $1,000 to 40.0NO brick q day. Six
new kilns, in addition to the two now in
operation are being constructed, and, as
a result. it is believed that the plants
output of brick will range from $500 0uJ
to 100000 annually.
x x
A stone-crushing plant has been in OPP
Grafton for several months and is now
being enlarged. The institutions output
of stone in the future will. it is expected,
produce an annual revenue of $4,000 for
the District government, while it is es-
timated that the revenue produced by the
brick kilns if operated at full capacity.
will amount to from $4,000 to 100000
annually.
Progress has been made in the develop