therefore satisfied me that I was right in the changes weaving, dying and dressing yarn 70; blacksmiths 6; that I made.

There were in the Penitentiary on the first of January 1834, one hundred and fifty-four prisoners, (152 males and 2 females) since then have been received 118. Discharged by expiration of sentence 41,-by pardon 8,* and 5 have died; leaving on the 31st of December 1834, two hundred and seventeen males and one female.

All of the one hundred and eighteen received during the year, were males; seventy-six are white and fortytwo colored.

carpenters 6; sewing 6; wheelwrights 2; washing 2; apothecary 1; turner 1; fireman 1; shuttle-maker 1; brush-making 1; tinman 1; cook 1; and 35 were idle, some of whom were sick and some recently arrived. It was hoped that the Legislature of the last year would have appropriated a sum of money as a capital to be invested in our manufacturing department, particularly as a committee of the House of Representatives who came and examined into the various branches advised it in their report. We have, and must continue to labor under serious loss and great disadvantage for want of capital; and therefore cannot compete with other institutions who have their forty, fifty, and some upwards of one hundred thousand dollars capital. Had Fifty-nine are natives of Pennsylvania, four of New this grant been made, a different result in our pecuniaYork, twelve of New Jersey, eight of Delaware, eight that the I.egislature should grant not only a sufficient ry affairs would have been shown. It is very desirable of Maryland, one of New Hampshire, one of Massachusetts, one of Maine, three of Connecticut, one of Dis. sum to enable us to properly conduct our manufactur trict of Columbia, two of Virginia, one of Southing, but also to complete the whole establishment in Carolina, one of Ohio, one of Kentucky, five of Eng- ducted satisfactorily until this is done, and all the workbuildings and machinery; as the system cannot be con. land, seven of Ireland, two of Scotland and one of Germen are out of the yard. many.

Sixteen are under 20-sixty-three from 20 to 30twenty-two from 30 to 40-ten from 40 to 50-six from 50 to 60-one from 60 to 70 years of age.

On the first conviction, ninety-three-on second, twenty-on third, four-and on fifth, one.

Since the Penitentiary has been in operation, one hundred and four prisoners have been discharged; of this number only three have returned to this prison reconvicted, two of whom had served less than one year, and one two years.

We have cells completed for 311 prisoners. We must expect to receive from the respective counties in the Eastern District during the year 1835, at least 140 will be finished and be ready to receive prisoners by prisoners. It is expected that the new County Prison the first of July, when those in the Walnut street prison sentenced to the County Prison will be removed there, and we must be ready to receive the remainder. On Of the number received during the year, (118) examination it is found, that there will be at that date twenty-five can neither read nor write-nineteen can 162, who were sentenced under the act of 28th March read but not write-and seventy-four can read and 1831, and who must upon the breaking up of the Walwrite. Five were habitual drunkards-sixteen fre nut street Prison, be received agreeably to the tenor quently intoxicated, seventy-three occasionally intoxi- of their sentences into this Penitentiary. These with cated, and twenty-four sober, who rarely drank ardent the 140 to be received, and 218 the number we had spirits. Thirteen were regularly bound and served on the 1st of January 1835, would give us 520; from out their apprenticeships-twenty-three were appren- this must be deducted those discharged during the year, ticed and left their masters under various pretences which will probably be about 100, and thus leave us on and eighty-two were never apprenticed; some lived with their parents, and others were hired out either by their friends or themselves.

The prisoners were employed on the 31st of Decemþer as follows: shoemaking department 83; spinning,

These were all pardoned by the recommendation of their friends, and not by the Inspectors.

the 1st Janury 1836, 420 prisoners; being 109 more
than we have accommodations finished for. Hence the
great necessity for an early appropriation to enable us
to complete the cells.
Signed,

12th mo. 31st, 1834.

SAMUEL R. WOOD,
Warden.

PHYSICIAN'S REPORT.

To the Board of Inspectors of the Eastern Penitentiary, the Physician respectfully presents his Annual

Report for 1834.

The number of cases of disease occurring this year has been greater, in proportion to the number of prisoners, than in any former year since the opening of the Penitentiary. The increase of disease was confined chiefly to July and August; during which months, in consequence probably of the extreme heat of the weather, a large proportion of febrile cases occurred. Notwithstanding the greater amount of sickness, the mortal ity for the year has been moderate.

The following table gives a view of the state of health on admission and discharge of the forty-eight prisoners who left the Penitentiary within the year.

No. of Prisoners. | State of Health on Admission. | Length of confinement. | State of Health on Discharge.

No. of Prisoners. | State of Health on Admission. | Length of confinement. | State of Health on Discharge.

The facts contained in the above table shew, that the confinement in this Penitentiary is not unfavorable, as a general rule, to the health of the prisoners.

The following table presents a list of the fatal cases which have occurred within the year.

It is worthy of remark, that four out of the five fatal cases, occurred in prisoners who entered the Penitentiary in a diseased state, and that the deaths in all the cases took place after short periods of confinement. For the number and character of the various cases which have occurred throughout the year, the Inspectors are referred to the accompanying Tabular View, from which it appears that the most sickly months for this year have been July, August, and December, and the most prevalent diseases, Fevers, Affections of the Bowels, Catarrhs, and Rheumatism.

The average number of prisoners in confinement during the year, has been 183; the deaths having been five, gives the mortality for this year, at two and seven-tenths per cent.

The average annual mortality, deduced from the four years ending with 1833, as stated in the last annual report, was three and two-tenths per cent. The average of 1834, being two and seven-tenths per cent. gives the average mortality for the five years ending with 1834, at two and nine-tenths per cent.

December 31, 1834.

All which is respectfully submitted.

This was the note in the Medical Journal on Admission; but it has been satisfactorily ascertained that this prisoner behaved in an insane manner previous to his conviction.

TABULAR VIEW OF MEDICAL CASES OCCURRING IN THE EASTERN PENITENTIARY, FOR THE YAER 1834.

211

Passing Counterfeit money,

13

Murder,

13

3།།

337

No. 1.

Report of William B. Mitchell, Superintendent.

TO JAMES CLARK, ESQ.

President of the Board of Canal Commissioners.

Sir: At the date of my last annual report, it was considered merely possible to render the first track of the Columbia rail way passable by the first day of Janua ry last. The fears then entertained were unfortunately realized, and the want of a sufficient quantity of iron, together with the unfavorable season of the year før prosecuting works of this kind, prevented the accomplishment of my wishes; and it was not until the sixteenth of April that the first track was in a situation to admit the public use of it. Since that time it has been in continual operation. The second track was opened on the seventh of October: and all the work connected with the laying of the tracks from Columbia to Philadelphia, may now be considered as complete.

The only works of consequence originally designed, and yet unfinished, are the depots and work-shops at the two inclined planes, a collector's office at Downingtown, the connection with the Columbia bridge, and a few farm bridges. There are some additional works believed to be necessary, which are mentioned in the report of the engineer, and, if approved by the Legislature, will require an additional appropriation for their construction. These are, side tracks near the city of Philadelphia, the roofing of the inclined planes, and a house and lot for a collector's office in Broad street.

1

The amount of business done upon the rail way since it has been in use has not equalled the expectations which I entertained in the early part of the year. The causes which produced the failure are obvious, and must shortly cease. After the completion of the first track, the difficulties experienced in using it were great: The contractors who were at work on the second track, had no other means of transporting their materials-but by using the one already completed; and this, together with the transporting of iron, occasioned so many obstructions in the use of a single track, as to deter many, who would otherwise have made preparations for operating upon it, from making the attempt under these discouraging circumstances. Another reason operated to lessen the amount of tolls received: after the second track was completed, and a portion of the fall trade might have been expected, a want of locomotives on the rail way, and a line or lines of boats from Columbia upon the canal, westward, confined the operations upon the rail way entirely to travelling and the local trade of the country through which it passes.

The doubts which have heretofore been entertained of the practicability of using locomotives successfully upon a rail way having such high grades and severe curves as those on the Columbia road, have been completely dispelled; and the limited experience which we have had in the use of locomotives, affords conclusive evidence of the fact that they are the only efficient power which can be employed on a rail way adapted to their use.

The structure of the rail way itself may be considered as among the most substantial and permanent works of the kind in the country. Several of the bridges, *Of this class, 1 had been educated at a University; however, having been constructed with a view of ac1 had a good English Education, and is a tolerable La-commodating horse-power only, are not so well adapted tin and French scholar; 1 understands English, Dutch, for locomotives as is desirable. and Hebrew; 15 have had a good English education;

and the remainder could but read and write indifferently.

Only 3 of these have been re-convicted to this Penitentiary, all the other convictions have been to other prisons..

VOL. XV.

38

The expenses of the past year may be classed in the follow-
ing manner:

For materials and workmanship in lay-
ing track on sixty miles of rail way,
and grading at gap,

$730,309 46

30,000 00
11,170 00

269,580 00
38,555 25

308,135 25

1,800 00

306,335 25

If it should be deemed expedient to erect a collector's office in Broad street, construct extra tracks near the city of Philadelphia, cover the inclined planes, and grade a road from the Schuylkill bridge to the head of the plane, an additional sum of thirty five thousand six hundred dollars will be required.

In the appropriation of last year, no provision was made for the purchase of locomotive engines, or for the expense of using the stationary and motive power.These expenses have been heavy and unavoidable, and

-

together with the repairs on the Eastern_twenty-two
miles, up to the first of June, and the cost of other items
which could not have been foreseen at the date of the
last Annual Report of the Engineer, make up within a
small sum the deficiency of the Estimate which accom.
panied my last report. It is certainly a matter of unu.
sual occurrence, that the estimate of an Engineer for
the expenditure of more than one and a half millions of
dollars, and constituted of many items of doubtful cost,
should be found to be within a few thousand dollars of
the actual cost of the work when completed. The
revenue to be derived from this improvement for the
current year, must depend, in a great measure, upon
the prompt action of the Legislature in making an ap.
propriation for the purchase of Locomotive engines.-
| Arrangements have been made with the most experi-
enced engine builders in this country, for six engines
by the first of March next, and four others are expect.
ed from England in the course of the winter. These
will be sufficient to accommodate the spring trade, and
develope the advantages which will result to the Com-
monwealth, from the construction of this rail way;
should the Legislature fail to make prompt provision
for the engines, as they are turned out of the work-
shops, it will have the effect of checking the opera.
tions of those concerned in building them-for although
experience has convinced us that we have mechanics
at home who can make an engine equal, if not superior
to those brought from abroad, and at as cheap a rate;
yet they have not capital to expend in the construction
of a number of these expensive machines, without
meeting a cash market for them as soon as they
are delivered. It is therefore a matter of the utmost
importance to the interest of the State, that provision
be made at as early a period of the session as practica-
ble, for the payment of locomotives as fast as they can
be constructed; and as evidence of the necessity of this
measure, I can assert the fact that if we had now the
means of transporting all of the local trade which re-
quires to be sent to market, the amount of tolls on this
rail way would be trebled. Hence the necessity of
providing in due time for the spring trade upon the
Canals. If this trade is promptly met at the opening
of the Canals, there can be but little doubt that the tolls
which will be received in the current year, will remu-
nerate the Commonwealth for the payment of interest
on the amount expended in constructing the rail way,
in addition to the benefits conferred upon the commu-
nity by the increased facilities of travelling and trans-
portation. The favorable locality of the Columbia
rail way, by which the greater portion of the trade to
and from the west, carried upon the State Canals,
must pass over it, can scarcely fail in a short time, of
making it one of the most productive improvements in

the State.