Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-21
School Buildings that are Snowy
ShAmA.


School Buildings that are SNOWY
Shanis.
While upon the subject OF school system re-
form, attention should be given to the matter O
the defects In our school buildings and the neet
that an Improvement should be sought In tn,
erection OF the new school houses authorized
by Congress. The law provides for two new
buildings at cost OF $4,000. IL is to be regret
ted that the act limits the number Of buildings
to be erected for this sum to two. The money
could be much more usefully expended in the
construction Of three and even four build
tngS. Experience has proved that the Dig
buildings protesting to accommodate twenty
or thirty schools are failures in everything
except outside show. Buildings OF this size
cannot be warmed with any uniformity; the
lights and ventilation are necessarily de1ec-
tive; there is great waste or time Tor pu-
pills and teachers In the ascent and descent
of many flights OF stairs, TO say nothing Of the
fatigue OF IT, and the danger from fire to those
confined Ia the upper portions of these tower
ing structures. The easements of these great
buildings are damp, unhealthful reservoirs of
oul air. sewer gas. &C, which is disseminated
through the whole structure. The sudden
death some time ago OF two OF the janitOr'S
children housed In the basement OF one OF these
big buildings {the Waliach}. attributable di-
rectly TO the foul air of the building, called at
tention lot only to the defects in the ventila-
ton and cleanliness OF the building, but also
to reprehensible negligence in its over
sight by the sub-board Of the District
Under the new and more capable sub board
many OF the defects in regard to ventilation
and air supply In this building have been REM
edied, but there are probably some that are In
herent In school structures of this size. Health
Officer TOwnshend in his report upon glaring
defects In our school buildings thus deals with
some Of the great snowy structures:
AN inspection OF this magnificent temple OF
education Illustrated but too plainly how easy
1t is for one to be deceived by appearances.
IAN must be perfect within that beautiful
structure, would be the most natural thought
Of any casual observer, but like the charity
which covers multitude OF sins, the brown
stone front often harbOrS numerous evils. The
visitor OR sight-seer passing through the spa
cious halls ard large, handsome rooms, would
In all probability echo the verdict of the
passer-by. But when the expert comes
and the surface is penetrated, an entirely
different exclamation comes from his lips.
Here you have wide, airy rooms, whence do you
obtain air to fill them? he inquiries. The air Is
heated 10 an agreeable temperature, but was it
pure before being heated7 Here are means Of
ventilation and drainage very attractive to the
eye; do they accomplish the object desired or
are there grave defects? These rooms are am
ply lighted, but is that light properly applied?
These are the important questions which arise
LII tuC uiIuu VI tuc sanitary 0AUcIU, ana some OF
these am sorry to say, had to be answered In
the negative, where a thorough inspection dis
closed the true conditions which existed"
He then proceeds to show how the adage
that All is not gold that glitters" is Illus
trated by defective drainage, ventilation, water
closets, &c, In these stately buildings. He
makes numerous recommendations for the
remedy Ct these evils so far as possible, but 1T
is evident that some Of the worst are insepa-
Yablp frnnl md Mo oft I,o t,,,i1
Tie best judgment Is now to the effect that
the model school building should not accommc-
date more than eight schools. Under the al
lotment Of sixty pupils to a school this would
allow $50 to the building, which is as many as
can be properly cared for under one roof. The
proposed two new buildings will, for the money
appropriated, be considerably larger than
this, and win accommodate perhaps twelve
schools each. 1t would, we repeat, be more
satisfactory if the money could be divided to
permit the erection OF three or four buildings
Instead OF two, but II 1t is not practicable under
the law to do this the next thing to do is to see
that the utmost care is taken In the plans to
avoid the defects In our present school build
1ngs. AS the school buildings of even twelve
rooms will be only half the size of the present
big buildings there Will be less difficulty in dea.-
ing with the problems OF ventilation, heating,
lighting, &C In their construction.
An arrangement has finally been effected the
community VIII be glad to know, between all
the street car lines for the Interchange of tick
cts; the arrangement to go into effect on the list
of April. The difficulty In regard to the tickets
Of the other lines being too thick for the bell
punch OF the Avenue line has been overcome by
the adoption by all the lines OF tickets the size
OF those now In use on the Avenue line.
From recent publications upon Zulu land,
brought out by the British disaster there, it ap-
pears that the ZuiuS are by far the most war
like tribe In South Africa. Their conauests
have been extended further than those of any
other, and but for the arms and organization Of
the white man, 1t Is believed that they would
have reached the walls Of Cape Town as con-
queTors before this. They are described as
enormous eaters OF meat when food Is plentiful,
but as being capable OF enduring famine for q
long time when 1t Is scanty. The most honOra-
Die position In Zulu land is that OF soldier, and
boys are trained for military service at an early
age. wives are held as property, and valuable
property, Tor the reason that the greatest re-
ward OF soldier is to receive present OF a
wife. The Zulu chiefs are ignorant OF ANYTHING
except cattle and the extension OF territory, and
their conversation is devoted to these subjects,
They have, however, a quaker habit of re-
naming silent for hours. This silence is
held to give them dignity, but 1t is
embarrassing to the interviewer. The curious
1aet Is developed that these ignorant warlike
Bushmen possess no little artistic skill. Scenes
OF the chase and OF native costume are found
portrayed upon the rough rocks with vigor and
with a few colors Of such permanent character
that they appear as fresh as If executed recent