The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-01-19

cen signed aud in part by the stone ioun'
alton being retarded from an inability to
btain men who would work during the sea.
on of very hot weather last summer. lie
las performed his work creditably to him.
elf and satisfactorily to the board who have
accepted it and paid him.
We now, after these preliminary state
nents, come to the building itself which is
one Of the most admirably arranged for the
purpose In the whole west. 1t is brick
building resting upon substantial stone
foundation and both foundation and build.
lug are smoothly and firmly finished
The brick work was sub.coutrac,ed to the |
firm of Davis 4 Douglas and the stone
work to Nicholas Lettg.
The building is nearly square, being about
Is feet on each side 1t is three stories
high and is amply lighted by numerous win.
dows. In the arrangement Of the interior
we would compliment the Architect and the
Board. 1t IS most admirable. Ii seems i'm
possible to improve upon it, On entering
the door at the back or front you ascend a
short stairway leading to the main hall Of
| the first floor, extending to the other end Of
the building and descending again by short
! stairway to the back door This hall is very
spacious and it was at first suggested that 1t
was on extrayagaut waste Of space as pas.
sage way. Practically, however, it IS Of
great advantage as it prevents crowding and
confusion in tho entrance and exit Of chill.
dren. There are upon the first floor rooms
which are 3Ox33 feet each, and each having
accommodation for GO scholars, There are
two rooms on each side of the hall aud it is
80 Fixed that either one Of the teachers stand.
! ing ut her room door, can command the
whole hallway to preserve quiet in the com.
ing in and going out of the building.
There is but one clock in the building
which is in the right hand room towards the
front, aud in this room is a row Of bell pulls
leading to every room in the structure. The
teacher in this room keeps the time and
regulates the calling Of classes, dismissal,
etc These four rooms on this floor are de.
voted to the primary department There
are two main staircases leading up into
the next hail. aud there are four rooms
on this floor also. There are hat and coat
rooms upon each floor with rows of pegs
placed in reach in which each pupil is re.
quired to quietly 60 and deposit his or her
overcoat, hat bonnet or shawl and file quiet.
ly to their seats through door leading from
these coat rooms into q school room oneath
side The entrance to these coat rooms are
from the main hnM. w the second story
which we have now reached in the progress
Of our description, the rooms upon the left
hand side arc somewhat larger than those
upon the right, owing to the fact OF the hall
being slightly narrower, aAd tho doyetaing
of portion Of these coat rooms into the
main apartments. This floor is devoted to
to the intermediate departments and gram.
mar schools, and with the one below seat
about $40 scholars. The ascent 10 the next
| floor is by a rather devious stairway the land.
ing being opposite and near the left side of
the building. The next floor has two apart.
ments separated by glass doors which can
be thrown together by the sliding Of the
doors and form the finest hall in the city,
This is to be used for higher grade Of
grammar school than the two on the floor
below, but not quite so high q grade as the
High School at the upper end of town, as
there are not sufficient children who reach
that point of advancement, to support two
schools of this highest grade On this floor
it is proposed to use one Of the rooms for
recitations aud the other for the purpose of
study.
In the matter of heating and ventilation,
matter which is of vital importance in
school houses, and on which is dependent
the health and strength Of the occupants, a
novel idea has been introduced which rem.
ders the air as pure and hoalthful as til out
doors, yet continually warm. 1t is exceed,
ingly simple and can be described in few
words The furnaces, two in number are
placed in the basement, which is the full
size of the building, and arranged so as to
have small apartment at their back, con.
uected by g window of the basement with
the outer ARA current of which is admitted
heated by the furnace and carried by means
Of registers through the coat rooms to the
top Of the building: it then passes down
from the upper portion Of the room forcing
| out the cold air frst-then the impure exhsla.
tons Of a number of bresths, with which the
air is poisoned, and then through baseboards
of perforated iron, passes beneath the floor
through hues and outside the building. In
this way an equshe temperature is preserv
ed from ceiling TO floor, the floor is warmed
by the passage of the heated air beneath and
the dreadful agony and physical danger of
teacher and children sitting with cold feet is
obvisted. 1t is known as the Rattan Fur.
mace and the Rattan system Of ventilation,
and was introduced into the building by
Edwards 4 Gould, agents Of the system.
L. IN b.; ri