The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-18
STATE PRISON SITES.
Relative Merits Of wingdale and
Beekman Examined.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str. In
the editorial article on How Not 10
Get n New state Prison you refer to
the Towner bill as II It was the only
one on which the Governor held a near
ing on Tuesday.
There we're two bills before him. the
Towner and Sage bills. The important
diffc renee In the measures was the
amount to be expended by tho state for
a new prison and the character Of the
commission to be chosen by the Gov
TO carry out the details. Tho
Towner bill leaves the cost unlimited
and provides for n committee OF state
officials to carry out the plans In regard
1, selection Of site and buildings. The
Sage bill limits the cost OF tho new
prison to $l,250,0O0 and leaves two
members OF the committee to be Sc
lected by the Governor. without pay. the
other three to be tho Superintendent OF
Prisons. State Architect and Superin-
tendent Of Public Works.
From my observation. the Towncr bill.
Judging from the speeches for It at the
hearing, was full Of politics and non
progressive az to modern ideals. while
the Sage bill was backed by public
spirited citizens who were working dis
intercstedly for n better prison. built In
surroundings and under conditions that
are adaptable to twentieth century
methods.
Both bills leave the selection Of a site
to the commission appointed by the Gov
ernor therefore. all depends on tn, char
actcr and wisdom of such n committee.
1t Is the feeling of those interested In
prison Improvement that of the two
Beekman IL altogether the most deslr-
able location for a modern industrial
and agricultural prison. and is most
likely to be 40 adjudEed by the COM
81. 49, .-.Il - ,aIAa
the Sage bill. hence their interest in
having this bill signed.
Having visited and made an exam'-
nation Of both the Wingdale and Beek-
man properties It is my unqualified judy
ment that Bcckman presents In every
way the greatest possibilities for a
modern type of prison
Wingdale has approximately 100 acres
OF tillable low land. the rest of the prop
erty being located on a steep hill bach
OF the proposed site OF the administra-
tion building Parts OF this hill land
might he cultivated, but such land Is
out of sight Of the proposed prison, be-
/ sides being close TO the Connection line.
II 1t would be necessary to nave each
squad Of convicts In charge Of q sep
arate keeper while doing their work.
The water supply on this property IS n
small brook which does not look big
enough to take care Of an ordinary
family. much less 1900 convicts. Ham
mersly Pond. owned by an outside in
terest, les back of the property some
six or more miles but the cost Of tap
ping this supply would be among the
heavy additional expenses.
The cost Of grading the twenty acres
Of proposed prison equipment would he
enormous, as II would require n NJ OF
from siN to ten feet OF a large part Of
the Whole property used for construc-
ton. II is easy 10 see why the place
was given up AS a prison site By a past
administration
The Beekman site with its 500 acres
has an u~nfa.llug water supply in the
Eishkill Creek. which runs through tho
property. and IL Is my belief there would
be possibilities here for building a power
plant that Nigh furnish electricity uin
Client to supply the whole prison with
both light ana power, which would ua-
tcrlally reduce operating costs. prac-
tically all the land Of this site presents
the best OF agricultural possibilities. \
hIll or em!nence on this property IS 50
located near the railroad, where the
prison buildings would naturally stand,
that the whole property would he in
the view OF the administration building
The poughkceps.e branch OF the New
York. New Haven and Hartford Railroad
passes through the property. and with
a station located on tho grounds the
whole work Of receiving and deliver ~
7 convcts and supplies would he possible
direct from the prison. Tho drainagc
question Is a matter Of n disposal plant.
and conditions for this purpose are NJ.
parcntly the same on both the Reekmar
ard Wincdale properties.
NeiGhhors to the Bceknan site wou't
prefer the State prison to be located
there instead OF the present State tramI
colony, owing 20 the cCnvicts being
confined to the grounds of the prison
whereas tho tramps may roam "a they
please. HERBERT 8. CARPENTER.
NEW YoRK, May II.