Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-06-02
2d.-Lack of We initiation.

2d.-Lack of ventilation.
3d.-POor light.
4th.-Dangerous entrance to the
second story.
5th.-GeDeral decay from thirty
years use.
THE SPRING STREET SCHOOL,
BUILDING.
The Spring street building was
characterized as Jail.like" in q
Los Angeles daily a short time ago.
That term probably conveys good
Idea of its outward appearance, and
yet candor cOmpels lis to acknowl.
edge that the editor of that paper
owes an apology to most Of the jails
In the United States, for they as a
rule present more cheerful and
inviting appearance than this
school building. The grounds are
far more slightly than those of the
Bath street house, but they are SO
low that the water stands on them
and through its stagnancy is rich
source of miasm. They cannot be
filed without throwing the water
back on the building, the floors of
which are in direct contact with
the ground.
The privies are not connected
with any sewer. The filth in the
vaults has been for years and Is
now steadily accumulating and
permeatlng the atmosphere with
its poisonous vapors.
TIE school building is old. A
portion OF it fell down few years
ago and was repaired, but
great cracks yet remain in it.
There are two rooms Oh the first
floor. The largest one Is occupied
by q teacher who has one hundred
and forty pupils. She teaches
about ninety or them in the morn.
ing and bfty In the .f.,rnocn. The
floors of this room-as we p,cy
ously stated-lie directly OH the
ground, causing a constantly chilly
moisture to pervade the atmos.
phere. We were tod that fre.
quently in midsummer fires must
be kept burning to make the plaue
Ao oul N dtlu
with no system OF ventilation. We
were not surprised when we
learned that the teacher, having
an ominous cough, had left for the
balance of the school year.
The other room on this floor is
much smaller than the room Just
described and quite similar In char.
acter and history-the former
teacher losing her. health and re-.
signing her position with a serious
lung trouble. Here, too, for lack
of room the teacher is obliged to
have n portion of her pupils come
in the forenoon and another divis.
ion in the afternoon.
We 60 up stairs by a very narrow
flight Of steps on the outside of the |
house. Here we find the worst
school room we have been in, CELL
Ing very low, atmosphere very de.
pressing. Hsre were braces run.
ming from side to side to support the
walls and yet when the little chill.
dren went through an exhilarating
calisthenic exercise the building |
swayed to and fro.
The second room OIL this floor Is |
the best in the building but even
1t is miserably lighted and poorly |
ventilated. The teacher here also
Is obliged to divide her school,
hearing one division in the morn.
ming, the other in the afternoon.
The roof leaks and during the past
Winter the water has poured into
this apartment.
We shall not enter into more de.
tails but respectfully refer you for
further information to report by
Col. J. d. Blcknell, condemning
this building, and to q protest
against its use for school purposes
from the Health Officer, both of
which are on file with the Secre.
tary of the Board.
In conclusion, we urge that i'm
mediate steps he taken that will
quickly result in selling or demol-
ishing the Spring Street School
building. and that one OF at least
double Its capacity be erected in
time to be occupied by the Begin
ming Of the next school year.
We feel that 1t Is almost criminal
for us to go on crowding children
and teachers in this dangerous
house. We desire here also to en-
ter our protest against one teacher
having two sets of pupils. We be-
lieve that accom- modations should
be provided so that each pupil can
have instruction In school both be.
fore and after noon.
Respectfully submitted.