Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1907 — IMPROVEMENTS AT STATE PENITENTIARY [ARTICLE]

IMPROVEMENTS AT STATE PENITENTIARY

There Are 1,050 Prisoners in the Michigan City Prison, the Largest Number of Inmates 0 Eyer Confined There.

The count at the Michigan City penitentiary Saturday showed that 1,050 prisoners were confined with in its wall, the largest number of men’ever held there as inmates, says the Michigan City News. It seems that bnilding activity at the state prison will never cease. The work ol extending the walls is now under way\ The ground floor chapel will be completed within three months and the new cell house is expected to be completed wituin two months. The walls construction will not be completed for a least two years, as concrete construction can not be successfully carried on in the winter. Acting Warden W. A. Garner is a busy man and his manipulation of the reins of the institution is like that of a veteran. To one who has not visited the prison within recent weeks great change** have ta.-en place. The new cell house, accommodating 230 prisoners in single cells, is directly west of the .administration building. The west walls of the main part of the administration building has been removed and the space between the building and the cell will be covered by a canopy of steel and glass*- The chapel is south of the cell house and is a very attractive building. ; In constructing the buildings within the walls every care ..ham been taken in making it modern and sanitary. The main walls c f the cell house are 176 leet east and by 59 feet north and south. The cell block is 150 feet and fonr inches by 24 feet and eight inches. loot space extends east apfl west thru the center of the block. In this space is the plumbing. The walls will be of glazed enamel white brick up six feet from .the floor a»d the remainder ot the walls and celling will be plastered. The cells are 6x9 feet in dimen sions and are in five tiels of 23 cells each. Taking both sides of

the blocks there are ten tiers mak- . the total number of cells to be 230. I The cells are roomy, well veutilat ed light and airy and equipped thruout with lavatory and closet. The frout grates are fiveyfeet in width, 'while in the old cells the space is orly half that large. The building, like the new dining hall is equipped with the fan heating system. This is also in star ed :» the chapel. By this system heat is forced into the build log from large ©oils by immense fans. Other fans remove the foul air by other ducts. The same faoe are Ideated in a building built for that purpose, just west of the engine house. The heat is forced Toto many coils and thence to the fans and in the summer the beat is turned off, the doors of the building are thrown open and the cool air is secured in that manner. At present 222 cells are occupied by two prisoners and in view of the fact that the cells are very small the condition is one far from sanitary. As was announced sometime ago the walls of the prison were to be extended. The work is now under way. The present inclosnre includes eight acres and by the extension 16 acres are to be included within the walls. The extension oi the west wall to the north is now under way. The w lls are being construe ed x>f concrete. The foundation will be six feet below the surface of the jround, three and a half feet wide at the bottom and tapered to two and a bull feet at the top. It is expected by Act ing Warden Garner that the fotmda tion for their entire extension will be completed by fall. The extension will necessitate the addition of 300 feet to the wess end of the south wall, 300 feet to the Dorth end of the east wall and the wtßt and north walls of course, will be 900 feet each. This will include 2,400 feet of new concrete walls.