The Portland daily press., 1895-11-26
first report of the Board of Health
consrlted alone

in 1891 which Mr.. TALBOT had quoted.
recommended the trough system largely be-
cause it would get along with less care.
But the old cement trough, such as the
Butler schools has, is far inferior, as no
one can deny, to the smooth porcelain
surface. No one who should inspect the
old cement trough at the Butler school
could fail to see that it was dessemina-
tor of disease germ. But in the Butler
school there was not only the trough.
There was also an air conduit running
directly over this trough. Some had said
that this air conduit was tight. But this
conduit was not tight No one ever saw
one that was tight. If water were poured
into it, it would leak like sieve. How
much more would it leak, with a force of
suction acting continually to draw the
bad air in?
Therefore they had asked at the Butler
school. that the water closet system of the
High school be adopted. That was safe,
Prof. Woodbridge having designed it. 1t
would not take an excessive time to do
1t. 1t would take week at least to get
oilO ooAOol pun Al ohSbpO clpCl oAO lCpGlIo
now going on were finished. Whv could
not a little more time be taken and have
the fears of the parents satisfied.
Mr.. Libby said that he spoke not alone
for the Butler school. He spoke for all
the schools in the city. AS Mayor Baxter
had said, the school houses should be put
in condition of absolute safety The
health of those little children should be
the first responsibility of this city govern
ment 1t is not a question of how much
it will cost, but of how much. safety can
be obtained.
Mr. Libby ventured to say that the
work on the Butler school which was
now proposed, could be finished in two
weeks. More extensive repairs on this
school and on the other schools could be
made next summer
| Mr. E. G. Jordan was the next called
on. He spoke first of Mr.. Talbot S
references to the report of the State Board
Of Health on the trough system. The
State Board had been driven into the
recommendation of the trough system, as
being on the whole best for school houses,
but the Board of Health meant similar
porcelain trough, not the great cement
trough. This porcelain trough was better
than the individual water Closets Mr.
Jordan said he had gone into the North
school where they have the water closets,
and had found eleven out of twenty un-
workable But fortunately in the North
school the closets were in a building
apart. Had they been in the basement OF
the school proper, three would have Deen
great harm In the Centre street school
the trough system was found by him
working badly because the janitor had
/ let the water get out. 1t was difficult tt
get small children to use automatic water
closets successfully; and Mr.. Jordan sale
he did not consider them better or ever
as good as first class trough.
| Gin Justice to the janitor Of Centre
street school, Councilman Ilsley makes
the statement that the closets being
separate from the school in an exposed
condition, it is impossible to keep watel
standing in the troughs, on account oi
danger of freezing, but that the janitol
fushes them frequently and regularity.
But the condition of the Butler schoo
was unparalleled in the city. There wa:
air from the water closets drawing up il
to the rooms. Mr.. Jordan said he foun(
the trough system in the Monument
street school clean and pure; and ht
noticed no odor. The trough could b,
improved, and the urinals made little
better But there was no odor. Tht
Shailer and Park street schools were also
visited, and the air was found pure. Ii
the Vaughn street school there was II.
danger that the foul air should draw int
the rooms where the pupils were.
The Butler school ought certainly b
put in as good condition as the Monu
ment street school
Casco street school is not heated from
cellar air and is safe. The North stree
school, with it's isolated water closets, i
better than any other in the city in thi
respect.
Chestnut street school had exoellen
water closets; but it was found Difficult
to keep the closets in order
Questioned by MI. Ilsley, Mr.. Jordal
said that in the Monument street sohoo
he thought the ventilation was better
and that the bad odors did not get int
the rooms.
81 know that they do, said Mr.. Ilsley
''for have had them meet me on thu
stairway and strike me in the face. /"
''Then the system is bad, said Mr..
Jordan.
Questioned as to the relative harm O
the Butler and Monument street troughs
he said it would be about as 120 to to IS
He based this on the relative areas of tn,
troughs.
MI. Ilsley was inclined to question thi
computation, as he thought the frequenc.
Of cleaning rather than area should b.
| considered.
Clerk E. G. Mitchell of the Council
asked Mr.. Jordan this question::
| stTf the fault of the air ducts in the tW,