The Portland daily press., 1878-04-25
CITY AFFAIRS.
Special Meeting of the City Coancii.
REPORT OF COMMITTEES ON BRAcKETT STREET
SCHOOL HOUSE.

BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN.
Aldermen Brunei, Clay and Haseltine were
absent.
Orders passed - The committee on public
buildings were authorized to put new boilers
into the High School building at a cost not ex
ceeding $1,000; the same committee were au
thorzed to erect by contract a new schoo
house on the Bracket st. lot according to the
plans by f. FL. Fassett, with any notifications
they may deem advisable, at a cost not exceed
ing $4,000. to which is to be added the arcbi
tects compensation; the same committee
We're also authorized to make alterations and adj
ditiop, in the present Bracket street school
house according to the plan recommended in
their report. at cost not exceeding $1,000
that the rent of the CITY hay scales for the pres
ent municipal year be fixed at $500, payable
monthly; that brick sidewalk be built on the
easterly side of Preble street and a plank side
walk on the northerly side of Portland street
from Green street to Libby's corner. That the
salary of the Judge of the Municipal Court be
fixed at 5000, and that of the truant officer at
$500 That the regulation in regard to storing
powder in the city magazine be changed by
striking out 1000 pounds as limit to the
amount to be stored at any one time and in.
creasiug the limit to 1000 pounds.
Petitions presented and referred.-Of William
L. Jones ct ais, residents OF that parl of Port
land known as the Islands, that plans, sur
veys and descriptions of the real estate on said
lelduuS 10 mdu6 tut present year III the
same manner as is being done in the city pro-
per; of Frank Simonds that Federal street be
reaid out from India to Hancock street; of
Henry Dunlng ct ais, that Sheridan street be
grad ed of John A. Smith to erect woode n
building on the corner of Mayo and Oxford
streets; OF G. A. Fiodlay to erect same on the
corner of North and Cumberland streets.
The license of E, K. Boothby and that of
T. B. Davis to sell gunpowder was renewed for
another year.
st. John street from Portland to Congress
street was laid out in accordance with the old
plans and accepted.
License was granted Smith, Tibbets & Co.,
to sell gunpowder for one year.
The Grand Trunk Railway Company pre-
location south Of the present track on Com
mercial street, between Portland pier aud
Central wharf. 1t was decided to grant
hearing on this petition retarnable at the next
regular meeting OF the City Council.
Harrison s. Cousens was appointed special
policeman without pay.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The order passed by the upper board in rela-
ton to the hay scales was laid on the table in
this board
Councilman Andrews introduced an order
that he finance committee be requested to re-
port at the May meeting of the city council
why work has been suspended oa plans of the
cty's revaluation by the commission appointed
for that purpose.
The report of the committee on the Bracket
street school house was recommittci with the
suggestion that all after the words s'ndeed the
most serious difficulty" be stricken out.
On motion of Councilman Andrews the order
accompanying the above report, which was
passed in the upper board, was laid on the table
Until the next regular meeting.
Ga motion of Councilnon Sturgis it was Or
Tered that the committee on public buildings
Do authorized to cause plans and specifications
or two stored school house on the Bracket
treet lot, to seat 800 pupits, to be drawn, with
lost OF said builiing, and report at the next
ocular meeting.
The aldermanic board adjourned when this
rider was passed.
JOINT CONVENTION
A joint convention was held for the purpose
If receiving the report on the Brackett street
late city officers.
The following were appointed weighers of
,oal: John f. Randall, John S. Conley. Hem
y f McAllister, William T. Curtis.
George W. Witham was appointed constable
It Long Island.
Florence MCCARTHY was appointed cutler of
loops and slaves, and Isaiah Daniels and Ed
yard e. Clark were appointed surveyors of
lumber.
The following report of the committee on the
3rackett street school house was then read by
he Mayor:
Amid a great diversity of views and opinions,
he committee diligently and patiently sought
o ascertain the true state of the facts and what
vas the most jud'ciO1s course on the whole to
,e pursued in the premises. They fluid the
Ichool house to be large and substantial brick
structure 100x35 feet, occupying the smaller
portion OF an eligible lot of dry, clean, gravelly
'ol 1876 feet front by 1876 feet deep, with 20
eet passsge-way at the side. This building
las sound Pinch wallis a slated roof, and is
lot old, having been built to replace one de-
Itroyed by fire in 1852, under the superinten-
lence of Hon. Phinehas Barnes, then chairman
If the school committee, than whom the schools
If Portland never had tirmer or more judi
,ious friend. AS originally constructed the
second and third floors were designed for, and
have always been used as school rooms, which,
as now partitioned off are six ia number,
pleasant and spacious, being IL feet in height
and on au average in size 32x25 feet and we'll
furnished with all school cOnveniences. And
hey have the advantage denied to many school
rooms that the sun lies in them all day long.
The basement, formerly consisting of one large
ward room, with an unfinished wood room In
the rear, was some four years ago converted in
TO three school apartments.
Than % loi to a q maj % IN
l. That the priVy vaults, although outside,
are lily Constructed and liable to get foul, and
are so situated that their unwholesome odors
ara carried into and pervade the rooms.
2. That the rooms in the BASEMENT pacticu-
larly the middle and front rooms, are low, not
we'll lighted and generally unsuitable for school
rooms
3. That all the rooms are not properly
warmed and ventilated, being heated by box
stoves.
These defects, although undoubtedly exsg-
gerated by zeal and ardor for new school
house, the committee find really exist to more
or less extent, and require, it need not be said
in these enlightened days OF hygenic reform,
to be remedied. 1t would be but a poor result
of our school education, if in the training of
the mental faculties of our children, they
should be subjected to the risk of impaired
health and the implantlng of the seeds of
disease in their systems. This condition of
things is not peculiar to this one building. The
privy vaults especially of many Others are
both faulty in construction and situation, and
have heretofore been badly cared for and
attended to. The present city authorities who
cannot, it is believed be accused of indifference
to the sanitaryIcondition of the city, did what
they could last year to remedy these evils which
they found existing and hope to do more dur
ing the comipg long vacation of the schools.
Fortunately in the case in hand, the remedy
is obvious, simple and Inexpensive. 1t is thu
unanimous opinion of the committee that there
is no necessity to resort to so heroic method of
treatment as to pull down and demolish the
present structure. That would be doing as the
Dutchman did, who buried his barn to rid it of
rats.
As far as the vaults are concerned the COM
mittee advise that they be wholly removed,
and proper water closets constructed in their
place. With good drainage and furnished with
Srbago water as the building is there can be no
difficulty in doing this, and at comp aratively
small sxpense-not exceeding two hundred
dollars.
AS an equally simple remedy for the other
defects the committee advise that the box
stoves be discarded, and the nse for school
apartments of the two obj ctiOnable rooms ia
the basement be discontinued, there being no
reasonable objection to the room in the rear,
and furnaces be put into them, by which the
upper rooms may be both warned and venti-
lated
Responsible parties will guarantee to do this
for between three aud four hundred dollars,
tIA h.1n off fInn In, n