Spencer Cross
The Squirrel Cage
Graffiti and decay from the Squirrel Cage historic jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa. These aren't great photos, but the subject matter is interesting:
The patented design allowed one jailer to rotate the entire, three-story cylinder (and all its prisoners) around in a circle using just a hand crank. The jail held 63 prisoners who could not leave their cells unless their cell was cranked around to the doorway. Built in 1885 for about $30,000, safety concerns eventually led the jail to be modified away from the original rotary configuration. The county quit using the jail altogether in the 1960s.
www.councilbluffsiowa.com/tourism/attractions/squirrel.asp
www.thehistoricalsociety.org/Jail.htm
The patented design allowed one jailer to rotate the entire, three-story cylinder (and all its prisoners) around in a circle using just a hand crank. The jail held 63 prisoners who could not leave their cells unless their cell was cranked around to the doorway. Built in 1885 for about $30,000, safety concerns eventually led the jail to be modified away from the original rotary configuration. The county quit using the jail altogether in the 1960s.
The Squirrel Cage
Graffiti and decay from the Squirrel Cage historic jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa. These aren't great photos, but the subject matter is interesting:
The patented design allowed one jailer to rotate the entire, three-story cylinder (and all its prisoners) around in a circle using just a hand crank. The jail held 63 prisoners who could not leave their cells unless their cell was cranked around to the doorway. Built in 1885 for about $30,000, safety concerns eventually led the jail to be modified away from the original rotary configuration. The county quit using the jail altogether in the 1960s.
www.councilbluffsiowa.com/tourism/attractions/squirrel.asp
www.thehistoricalsociety.org/Jail.htm
The patented design allowed one jailer to rotate the entire, three-story cylinder (and all its prisoners) around in a circle using just a hand crank. The jail held 63 prisoners who could not leave their cells unless their cell was cranked around to the doorway. Built in 1885 for about $30,000, safety concerns eventually led the jail to be modified away from the original rotary configuration. The county quit using the jail altogether in the 1960s.