The San Francisco call., 1896-11-28
SCHOOLS WILL
REMAIN CLOSED
Lively Session of the Board
Of Health on the
Subject.
DR.. Clinton of the Board of Ed
ucatlon Denies That There
Is an Epidemic.
Father Brennan of st. Francis Paro.
chial School Also Files a Vain
Protest Against Closing.

The three public schools closed by the
Board of Health-the Marshall Primary.
the Mission Grammar and the Everett
Grammar-wiI remain closed until the
Board OF Education shall have equipped
them with sanitary plumbing. The st.
Francis Parochial School will also be kept
closed until proper plumbing is put in.
This was determined upon at the meeting
OF the Board of Health held yesterday
morning and in spite of the protest of the
committee of the Board of Education
which met them. The meeting was quite
q stormy one. DR.. Clinton, chairman of
the Board of Education committee,
charged the Board of Health with beng
hasty. and fatty denied that there was an
epidemic of diphtheria in the City.
Health Officer Lovelace, DR.. II. 81. Hart
and DIR. Williamson declared that there
was an epidemic and that to assemble the
children in these schools was to endanger
their lives. DIR. Hart said further that
this might be only beginning, and that
other schools would be closed if the dis
ease showed any signs of spreading fur
ther.
At the opening of the session DR.. Clin.
ton called for bill of particulars, speci-
lying wherein the schools that have been
closed are at fault in sanitary way.
DR.. Lovelace said that year ago the
Board OF Health had condemned all omen
vaults in the public schools. The Board
OF Education had said that these would be
corrected during the long vacation. and
that the planking, which had also been
condemned in many of the schools, would
be replaced with new. The summer vaca-
ton had passed, and very little improve
ment had been effected in any of the
sch hools. In the Hawthorne Scnool some
repairs were being made now, but the
open vault is allowed to remain. A num-
Der OF cases of diphtheria have been di-
rectly traced to these schools, and the
Board OF Health had thought best to close
them.
Mayor Sutro asked DR.. Clinton if the
Board OF Education had the money where
with to make the changes in the plumb
ing arrangements required by the Board
OF Health.
DIR. Clinton answered: mo, sir. If Won
insist upon putting in new plumbing it
Will close all these schools indefinitely.
may say that L am as anxious as you are
to have proper plumbing in the schools,
but 1t is simply impossible for the board
to put 1t in as t ey have not the means.
The blame for this state of things belongs
the Board of Supervisors, and il should
be pa ed there. The Board of Education
submitted statement of the funds re-
qulTed for putting the schools in proper
sanitary condition and for operating
them, but the money was not allowed
Our board has not been extrayagant. but
has exercised due economy, but it finds it,
self now In position where it will have
to withhold the salaries OF the teachers.
Therefore it is absurd 10 ask us to make
repairs that will cost $4,000 or $4,000 for
each school. may say that as a member
OF the Board OF Supervisors-elect | shall
q n hnf hn
money enough next year to conduct them
properly"
DIR. Hart stated that seyenty-five cases
OF diphtheria had been reported from the
immediate vicinity of the schools. and
that while the repairs are being made the
removing of the decayed planks and the
stirring of the surface of the ground
disease germs would be likely to spread
the contagion. He said there was an
urgent necessity fund which might be
drawn upon for the purpose and that the
work could be done in less than two
weeks. He insisted upon adhering to the
original resolution. He said that other
peoples children were as dear to their
parents as his own were to him, and he
certainly would not allow his children to
attend school under the circumstances
Mayor Sutro remarked tnat ii would be
a great hardship upon the children to
close the schools for such length of zine.
us 1t greater hardship to keep them
from school or to cause their death ?D
asked DR.. Hart.
The Mayor thought that by proper
course OF disinfectlon the whole trouble
could be overcome.
DIR. Soper of the committee OF the Board
OF Education declared that he had visited
all the schools complained of, and that ne
had seen nothinS TO cause alarm. The
schools, he said, were in a reasonably
sanitary conditi on.
Dr. Williamson said that he desired tn
go on record in favor of radical measures
The Board of Education had been warned
year ago and it had not taken the warn
ing. Now Board of Health was con-
fronted with an emergency, and INNS,
meet it. He believed the responsibilitv
lay with the Board of Supervisors, and he
thought that this action would place II
there.
DIR. Clinton declared that he was WILLING
to stake his reputation as q physician on
the statement that I ie replanking, which
could be accom- plished by Monday. and
the liberal use of water in the vaults
which also could be effected in few davs
would put the schools in as good con-
d1tion as need be for the occasion. He
declared also that 1t was not true that an
epidemic of diphtheria prevailed in any
part OF the City; that he could not see
how any reputable physician could saw
there was in view of the facts, and he
thought it very unwise that the people
and especially the parents of school
children, should be alarmed in this
manner.
DR.. Lovelace declared that there was an
epidemic. and that the closing of the
schools was deemed wise as preca ution-
ary measure in keeping the children part
Kew. Father Brennan. in charge of ST.
Francis parochial school, was present, and
made strong protest against the closing
OF that institution, which the board had
also ordered
The board decided. however, to stand bv
It's original resolution ordering these four
schools closed, and to remain closed until
the proper sanitary plumbing had been
put in.
A resolution was also passed providing
that disinfectants be used literally in ali
the schools.
A meeting of the Board of Education
has been called for this evening at o'clock
to take what action may be deemed adyis-
able.
Two cases of diphtheria were reported
TO the secretary of the health board ves-
terday-both from the Mission.
nH A0rn