The New York herald., 1875-12-04
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ALMOST HoLocAUsT-DANGERs AND DEFEcra
IN WARMING AND AIRING THE MsI1TU-

ALMOST observation-disclosures AND DEFEcra
TIoSs
Nowadays, when cheap theories Of house warming
and ventilation enjoying wide circulation and
fathers Of families talk learncdy of heat and hygiene'
il might well for parents look certain unpaatablc
truths in the face, which, somehow, seem always
70 escape them, and among these more re-
qures their attention than the fact that tho
children whom they think safely housed in airy and
institutions OF learning In reality moro than
ordinarily exposed 70 the dangers Of Ere and disease
These things sometimes brought before the public
in vague, spasmodic way, but seldom forcibly
than they yesterday when ascertaned that
uptown school caught fire three times within
pie Of weeks The assigned for the accidents
invariably connected in way with the heaters,
although there certain not very plausible refer
ences made to Juvenile depravty possible agent in
the matter To resolve the doubta HERALD reporters
visited the school, which in West Thirty hith street,,
and WAS shown the spot where the fire originated and
the places il communicated with. The building itself
is large airy and rather elegant 10 look
upon. II is well furnished and apparently kept in
clean and orderly condition; but on exam
lining the provisions made for warming and
ulating u struck the reporter that If the builder
and heater had resolved themselves into society
the cremation unsuspecting juveniles they could not
have provided better
MATERIAL PoR A RoUsISG CAPITALIZATION
and furnished ampler facilities for its gaining headway
than they have done. The heating apparatus is in
nearly every in close contact with wooden
wanscot and has its pipes simply crammcd through
the flooring Sufficient space left between the tat
tubular top and the wall 10 accumulate dust paper
and such other infammable materials as may nd their
way in but there Is not room TO admit Of their removal
In this way
DEBRIS SCHOOL ROOM AccUMuIArEs
around the base OF the register in direct wh
the heated pipe and without taking the apparatus
apart nothing can be done 70 disodge It, But that is
not all Behind the register and concealed from view
rs ventilator opening 1ue which runs through
tho wall and communicates with an almost naccessi-
Bile loft having a dry wooden door cell
ing In the case of the last FIRE the smoke
and fame were drawn up this Tue from
under the register hiding for time the danger
and carrying suicept sparks along to set the loft in
blaze several hours after the re below had been extn
gushed These are the circumstances Of the IRE in
Grammar School No. 80; and from conversations held
with gentlemen who have made the methods of heating
and ventating our schools study it appears that in
against possible COMM ration. Even fire extngush-
crs may be wanting ia many, they were in this one,
and the water not be accessible any higher thar
the basement as II was in the same instance.
The reporter called upon several manufacturers of
Grammar School No. 50 doubt old, but that IL
properly located in the building danger might be
anticipated from then They agreed however. I'M
Claiming thai the system adopted by the Board OF Edu
cation in giving contracts TO the lowest bidder without
any more than mere formal regard to his RESPONSE
bihty Is much TO be condemned They cite instances
of estimates having been accepted from specua
tors whose end would simply be TO perform the work.
with the least possible TO themselves Information
from other sources tends TO show that in the provisions
for the comfort and safety OF the children
OUR SCHOOLS ARE LARGELY DEFICIENT.
Cases of poorly ventilated cassrooms were repeatedly
made mention OF TO the reporters and physician who
had given the matter his closest attention stated that
II the deaths occasloned by diseases formed in tho
school room were only aggregated people would,
be astounded at the ghastly total. Ono thing
at least Is certain that tho
taken to the contingencies OF fire most school
houses are entirely inadequate, and II also appears
that in many instances conhagration is made very
possible by tho arrangement OF tho heating apparatus
and the failure to adapt To the peculiar structure and
requirements OF the building IT is placed in.