New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13
TO OPEN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHANGES MADE THIS SUMNER.
AN ENERGETIC SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAS
WORKED HARD FOR CHILDREN.

AN ENERGETIC SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAS
WORKED HARD FOR CHILDREN.
Although vacation is full Of meaning to the ma
iorfty Of teachers officers and pupils OF the pubic
schools IL has in reality little significance to the super
intendent of public school buildings and his assistants
lie Is not only busy while the hundreds OF schools are
m session. but he is busy during July and August "Nen
his colleagues in other departments are free from ce
There is no time during the year, In feet Wheh he ~
so much to engage his attention. so many de'ahs 10
consider so many things to plan, during the sum-
mer vacation.
In city such as New-York new school-houseS
are in constant demand TO accommodate the growing
influx of children old buildings mnst be rented anu
repaired, and new sites must be acquired Inc re
pairs TO the buildings form large item IN the alnai
budget OF the public schools. one hundred anu my
Thousand children however careful must damage te
buildings which they use day after day o. b. D.
SNYDER the new superintendent who ScceenN
George w. Debevose last June, has found that uhs
damage is considerable. In the short time however III
which Mr. Snyder has been I'm control OF is lmlorV@n'
department. he has made eviable record mas accom-
pnshed many things, and ELECTED the praise OF coihpo
tent members of the School Board. In order to bring
about these results, however he has allowed hHseH
few idle moments. His work is hcrculean. NO I'M
provement or suggestion has been too trivial or lnsig
nifcant to merit and secure his attention. FROM
early morning till late at night he has looked after the
future interests OF the school children Every efort
has been made by the superintendent and his assistants
to have as many new buildings rs possible resdy Iof
the use Of children tomorrow. Teachers and parents
hone that there will be accommodation this year for
all pupils who apply for admission, and that the ex
perience Of last year viii not be repeated
It is difficult at the present time to give correct
estimate OF the number Of additional seats PROVIDED
for the children during tho summer The new build
ing in Onehundred- and fifty -seventh-st near Court
will
is ready for use, is also Primary School
No 46, at spuyten Duyvil, with 800 seats. Primary
school No. IT. in Seventy seventhst near Third ave.
with seating capacity of 800, will also be opened III
few weeks The new school at Fifty-firstst. and
First-ave., which win accommodate 1892 pupils, VIII
be turned over to the school board about December l.
The building at SlxtyeleLth-st and Amsterdamave,
which is equally large will be ready for use at the
begnnng of the new year Several other houses Will
be prepared 30 receive children in the spring OF 1871
The Grammar School Ninety thirdst and Amsterdam
ave-, with 1900 seats, will be occupied December l.
Additions Of various kinds, including many wings
and new class rooms, have also been made 20 Grammar
Schools Nos 81 75 49, 70, SO, SO, A. and to Primary
Schools Nos "a and CO. These changes will add sew
eral thousand seats TO the schools of the city.
But the work on the new buildings has been only
small part of that done by the superintendent and
bis assistants. The repairs and the work on the new
buildings during July and August have engaged the
steady service o,OOO ana nave cduSeu q large
expenditure of money. Tho repairs alone, known as
vacation work." have cost about S2150OO. In re
pairing the old buildings efforts have been made to
make them as much like the possible.
New windows to increase the light ventatOrs to
freslen the air ceilings to add to the health and
cheeTfulness of the rooms, new freproof starways
additional play grounds, and comfortable seats
and changes in the site Of the assembly-roOms are
among the many improvements made to make life
toerabe and attractive to the hundreds Of little
whose homes not in the neighborhOod Of the
schools.
The changes made in the old buildings come under
-four heads Repairs, sanitary Improvements heating
and furniture. Changes of one or all kinds have
been made the following schools: Primary School
No. "a, in the second Ward; Grammar School No l.
in the Fourth Ward; Grammar Schools Nos % and
8, in the Sixth Ward; Grammar schools Nos. 2, H.
81 and 80, in the Seventh Ward Grammar School
No. 80, in the Eighth Ward; Grammar schools Nos
g. 16, 10 and T. in the Ninth Ward Grammar Schools
Nos. 40 and 90 in the Tenth Ward Grammar Schools
Nos. 80, TO- -, SO and II, and Primary Schools Nos
o and 81, in the Eleventh Ward Grammar Schools
Nos. 81, 80, As Sd, ~ and 49, and Primary Schools
Nos. and 80, in the Twelfth Ward Grammar Schools
Nos. 4 and "a. and Primary Schools Nos
10 and 90, in the Thirteenth Ward Grammar
School No. 21 in the Fourteenth Ward; Grammar
Schools Nos. 10, 50 and Al IN the Fifteenth Ward
Grammar schools Nos IL, As, 50 and So in the Six
tenth Ward Grammar Schools Nos. -, 10, % and
26 in the seventeenth Ward; Grammar School No. 80
and Primary schools Nos T. 2S and % in the Eigh-
teenth Ward: Grammar Schools Nos. n, SO, So TO-
76 and 10 in the Nineteenth Ward Grammar Schools
Nos o. 80 SO and As, and Primary School No. % in
the Twentieth Ward Grammar Schools Nos. "A
and 40 and Primary School No. 10 in the Twenty
first Ward: Grammar Schools Nos. II, 81, So 81, ST.
d. % and 67 in the Twenty second Ward, and
Grammar Schools Nos co. 81 and GA in the Twenty
third Ward This long list Will give idea OF the
labor necessary in making the older schools ready
for use by the pupils OF this city.
Mr.. snyder since his election has also given much
attention to the plans and specifications OF build
ings TO be decided upon this fall. New buildings
70 be erected among other places, at Washington,
Albany and Carlisle SIS, Mulberry and Bayard sts.,
Hester and Chryste sts and Bro0me and Ridge sts.
AS these houses are to be erected In the crowded parts
Of the city, where land IS and valuable, one OF
the superintendents objects Is TO &c n0mlZe much
space possible IL is 70 be hoped that the school
Commissioners will allow him TO carry out number
Of excellent ideas for the new schools which he Intends
Il have thought much about these Matters he said
to Tribune reporter a few days ago. and hope 10
the Board OF Education aud the other Commissioners
of the pracueabliity of my views. Our space in the
have large Fairgrounds for the children, and yet they
az a means OF preserving their health / favor tie
Idea of establishing gymnasium for the children in
INC INC, stucs in the Two department schools of the
naslum 100 feet long go feet wide, with ceilings from
twenty TO thirty feet In height In the central parts
The new buildings, In all probability, will have pitched
roofs, while those recently built have square roofs
The pitched roofs Will add more room to the buildings
The gymnasiums can be well lighted BY the dorner
windows 4 part Of the gymnasium can be used for
manual training and equipment rooms. The roofs will
| be made, as far as possible, of red tile.
Changes viii also be made In other ways. The
boys closets, for instance will be made of perfectly
solid MATERIAL so that nothing can be absorbed. There
win be as few corners and crevices as possible in
| these rooms. II these plans carried out the
closets can be washed thoroughly, the water-hOse
can be used In them. The floors will be either Of
slate or fine asphalt, which is sanitary l wish also
10 do away with the exposed girders and the sub
stituted iron beams, with brick arches
The lower floors o. the new buildings added Mr.
Snyder. should be made think, OF noncOmbuStible
material In the big houses to-day have FIRE
proof stairweys but the lower floors, which the chill
dren obliged 10 use In cases Of IRE, OF wood
They should also be Of slate fine asphalt We
must draw lessons for the school houses from the
disaster in Park Place. BOARD floors. too hold the
dirt moisture and germs Of disease. This is not true
| OF the slate and asphalt floors.