Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-13
To Correspondents.
Asking for Bread and Getting

justice to ask OF Congress for our schools such
an appropriation In the way of public lands. or
otherwise, as has been granted for educational
purposes to the different states ami territories.
The special need IS for better school rooms and
more OF them. The deficiency in this respect is
every day becoming more aggravated by the
rapid Increase OF applicants for seats In 1872
the whole number OF pupils enrolled was l55jJ
and in i-1S 10 was g, S42; showing an average
increase OF about per cent. annually. In their
last report the school board say that eighteen
OF the schools, containing an average Of sixty
pupils each, have no separate school rooms;
Seyenty-Slx are in rented rooms, mostly
suitable and unhealthful: ten are in old bar
racks, an Inheritance OF the war. and cannot
much longer be kept from tUmbling down
making total OF 104 school rooms iInperatively
needed 20 accommodate the present number of
pupils, to say nothing of provision for the new
ones.
As 10 the defects OF the present buildings. Il
only needs 10 read Health cFicer TOwashend'S
report 70 explain why there has been such
frightfui amount of sickness amongst teachers
and pupils this season. IN this report based
upon careful personal inspection. he declared
nearly every school building in Washington
and GeOTgetOwn-even the big. SNOWY Struc-
tureS-to have defects of a serious character
In the Jefferson building one OF the cold air
ducts lied from directly setger tran; another
led from damp, close and m0ldy area: while
in every instance these ducts are conducted
under the ground-hoOr OF the binding In the
Franklin building the same imperfect air duets
were found as in the Jefferson building In the
opening TO the air duct in the northeast yard il
was found that the same opening is used .for
fargs se1'sr PIPE, and Is q damp. moldy under
ground passage. The air duct entering from
hn fhual rl &c
the latter being defective. and any escape Of
foul gases therefrom must necessarily be car
ried directly into the rooms of the building.
The wateT-clo5etS are also detective The
Thomson building, 18th street, is '.defectively
ventilated" The Sumner building has the Oh
jectionable underground air duets, and the air
Is made impure also By the housekeeping opera
lions carried on in the basement some OF the
rooms in the John F Cook build,
ing are poorly ventilated. ana the heat
unequally distributed. In the Seaton
building defective, offensive water closets
were found. la the Curtis building. George
TOWN. The air duets are under ground. The
entrances TO these passages. six in number.
were found damp, moldy and wet. and con-
tanning nth and debris of all kinds. Tro Seecer-
openings are located directly at the mouth If
the air ducts on the north side OF the building:
one ceSSpoot-trdp, which at time OF inspection
mad no water-seal, and the other an imperfect
connection with down-spout. Any escape Of
foul odorS or nOxious gases from these openings
must necessarily be carried directly into tie
Sch"ol-Toons. The area surrounding building
was also filled with debris and filth"
The ''sudden death al the Wallach building
some time since OF two of the janitors children.
said 10 have died OF malignant diphtherfa, was
the cause OF some changes for the better in re- /.
gard to ventilation, source of ar-suppiy. &c. /
Yet there are some faulty conditions still exist
ing which need remedy. The water closets
here are improperly located, odors therefrom
penetrating the SchOol-rOOms.- The Health
officer adds: considerable care has been ex-
erciSed lately at this building in preventing
anything that might prove Injurious to health.
1t would be well for others to follow the en-
ample and not wait for some tragic occurrence
to transpire before they throw out the safe
guard
These are the glaring defects in the great
''shOw" buildings that were supposed to be pat
terms OF educational structures, but upon an
examination OF the smaller buildings rented or
erected for school purposes, these evils are
found 10 be aggravated by the impurity OF the
air from the attempt 10 crowd sixty or more
pupils into q small badly ventilated room. The
defects OF these buildings generally are cnarac-
teriZed by the Health Officer as Imperfect
ventilation. unequal distribution Of heat poor
light, damp walls, or insufficient air SPACE
large number Of these buildings are declared
70 be totally unit for human habitation." OF
the school building on Third street. between I.
and New York avenue, the Health officer says:
8 Here we found f40 children packed into two
rooms. each u Ieet long. % feet wide. and II
feet high. OF course. the air. TO one coming
from the outside, was sitting. An atJempt had
been made 10 yentilate by cuttidg holes through
the thin BOARD walls OF the structure. but IL
awaited little, cold air being taken in. but the
impurities not being carried out. The structure
i dilapldated: and prigy accommodations not
being sufficient, f;ecal matter is deposited ia
the yard twill be seen that there are but 81 and
a Traction cubic feet OF air allowed each pupil
here. while the minimum quantity sanctioned
oF authofltleS Is 2l1 cubic feet for each person.
ana this where provision is made for constant
supply OF fresh air
The shocking condition Of other buildings Is
thus described:
The building corner OF 4th aud l. streets is
dark the walls are damp. the ventilation Is
very imperfect, the pTiyieS are against the walls
OF the building and are very defective There
was urine on the HoOrs, and this was soaking
them aud saturating the walls. There is no
yard-rOOm for scholars The building. on NJ
between 10th and 18th streets is a diIaDidate1
frame, with one room; the walls are damp the
light defective, there is no means OF ventila-
ilOn an offensive priyy IS located within - feet
CT The back windows, and the yard is also DAMP
having no means OF drainage The old brick
structure corner 2uth and Il. has damp I'm
ventilated cellar under the SchOo-rOoul the
walls show evidences Of dampness. the drain
age IS defective. and the only ventilation Oh
talned is by the windows The building il gen
orally unsuitable for school purposes. The
woCd structure on 18th, between Ohio avenue
ana ID street, northwest. contains one room
welch Is dark. has no means OF ventilation
other tllln 10y raising The windows no yenJlla-
tion under the floors, no proper means OF drain
age. ana has nItiy bOX-priyies- The building
corner ID and y streets southeast. formerly a
narket-houSe, Is Very deficient in air-space
and IS poorly ventilated. the means OF heating
are defective. and gases from the stoves escape
into the rooms
These are the child numbering dens in which
23,@e children are 'educated'-educated for
tie grave. The health officer commenting
upon this frightful condition OF things recon-
mends that these unit buildings shall be va
Gated las soon as proper accommodations can
De obtained elsewhere but when will this be?
The taxpayers OF the District already paw
about 100000 annually for the education of
The abnormal population here. as well as their
own chlldren,-the largest tax, with possibly
single exception, paid by any community OF
The same size In the country With all their
load OF Indebtedness they cannot, however well
disposed undertake the additional expense OF
prOTtl!nv I'LL