Prison Treadmill
from: Cradle Days of New York (publ. 1909)
...In 1822 Mayor Allen had the treadmill
introduced into the prison, but it was abandoned after a few years'
trial.
The treadmill was a deterrent from
committing future crimes, and was found highly salutary in its
operation. It was in a two story stone house, sixty feet long, near the
prison. In one part of the building were the wheel and in the other was
the machinery for working it. The wheel was similar to a common water
wheel, 25 feet long and 6 feet in diameter. On the external part of
this wheel, on a level with the axle, the prisoners were obliged to
tread, moving up together as the wheel went round, and at the same time
edging off gradually to one end. Every two minutes a bell sounded, and
one prisoner stepped off and was permitted to sit still for a few
minutes while another took his place. In this manner the operation
continued incessantly for several hours. As well as receiving
punishment, the prisoners ground the corn or grain for the supply of
food to the establishment. When the wheel was in operation
each person ascended a distance equal to 2,500 feet in an hour.
From: Cradle Days of
New York (1609-1825), by Hugh Macatamney, publ.
Drew and Lewis (1909), page 128, from the series of articles
which appeared in the New
York Tribune under the title "Little Old New York."
(source) Digitized by Google.
See also:
- Today in Science History event description for building of the treadmill completed on 7 Sep 1822.
