Year: 1877

From the Report Of Joseph BarIiere, Vice


President Tennessee State Commission


Centennial Exhibition Of 1876, on Cox d


Heath's Prison Construction:


The following is synopsis of the re-
port OF Vice-President Joseph Barbiere,
of the Tennessee Centennial Commission,
on the only invention citizen Of Men,
phis had Mt the Nations Centennial.
The report, while lengthy, is neverthe-
less just one, due to the pluck and ge-
MUS of the enterprising gentlemen who
are introducing this valuable aid to the
economy Of our prison system. Messrs.
Cook & Heath, in connection with the
great works of Randle, Heath & Liver
more, are doing grand work for Mem
phis, in manufacturing, thus furnishing
employment for our mechanic and la.
boring classes. This is the leading es-
tablishment of the Southwest, and de-
servedly so. We are particularly pleased
to zee our friend Livermore, o! the rail-
road past, take 10 naturally to the iron
manufacturing interests, thus adding a
complete force to what is known as one
of the strongest teams in the iron econ
omy of the country:


"Among the exhibits in the Govern
ment Building was one which deserved
more interest than il would naturally
awaken in the average Sightseeing
crowd. 1t was in the Patent Office De
partment; being a model, illustrating
improvements in the construction Of
prisons and penitentiaries, invented and
patented by Messrs. Cook & Heath, of
Memphis. They have d, veloped COM
plete system OF prison construction, oov-
ering not one point alone, but all the
points in which the customary methods
have shown themselves incomplete and
faulty. The chief point arrived at is
perfect security with economy, while at
the same time the system is designed to
allow of the highest perfection in warm
ing, ventilation, and healthful arrange
ment, and also admit of the finest archi-
tectural design of exterior. The system
is remarkable in presenting 20 many i'm
provements which are quite original, and
reflects great credit upon the inventors
for their pains taking thought and the
large amount of time and money which
must have been spent in developing it.


The first noticeable feature of the in
vention is the predominating use of iron.
In their initial plan for prisons the cell
is made of plates Of cast iron, 50 fastened
together that no rivets or bolts are ex-
posed to the operations Of the prisoners
from the inside. The floor of the cell is
made of plates of cast iron, two feet wide,
running across the cell, and each one sup.
ported by lip on the edge of the next.
The sides are constructed in the same
manner, and in the partition walls enc
edge OF each plate, which stands verti-
cally, is let into groove formed in the
edge of the next; 40 that the first step
in the construction Of cell is to build
a cast-iron box, the top, sides and bot.
tom of which are fitted into and support
each other. Outside of this is built a
solid bulkhead of wood, and the exterior
of the building finished off in a very
desirable manner with brick, stone,
wood or iron outside of all, making, al
together, compartment from which
skilled mechanics, with the best tools
and appliances of their profession, can
cut their way out only with severe and
protracted labor, and the job becomes
quite an impossible one for prisoners un-
der surveillance. Proper ventilation is
also attained without impairing the Sc
curity. Cast-iron windows and door
frames of ample size are built into the
walls in such manner that they cannot
be removed without actually taking the
walls down. In the frames are inserted
cast-iron windows and doors, three inches
thick, perforated with holes large enough
to admit an abundance Of light and air,
but still quite secure from any attempt
to break through. The ordinary glazed
window sash is placed inside of this cast
window. Here the advantage of cast
iron over the usual wrought bars is
strikingly apparent. The most effective
teol which the prisoner is usually able to
obtain is q saw, made from case knife,
corset stee! or watch spring, and with
this wrought iron bar may be cut off


few hours. Two bars cut off and
forced aside will generally make hole
large enough to pass man; but more
than ten times that amount Of iron must
be sawed through to make hole large
enough in the cast window. Moreover,
the cast iron can be chilled 80 that the
best steel saw will not cut it.


But the most important and novel i'm
provement, and the one which promises
to be the crowning point of success is the
hollow wall filled with dry sand or other