Evening star., 1896-04-15
A Star Reporters Inspection Of the Build
ips'
Slopine Floors and BulgfnG Walls
.Ey-
Health Exercises Abandoned BE-
cause Consi&erea Dangerous.


drab paint, probably applied during the last
school year, have rendered this relic Of
olden school days fairly presentable to the
casual glance OF the unconcerned passerby
AS the building was pronounced unsafe at
the meeting OF the school board last even
ing, it was with feeling bordering on
trepidation Star reporter today mounted
a rickety porch that leads to the main en-
trance Of the ediflce, which d supervising
principal described as a disgrace to the
national capital. But the porch, as further
stanch than any other portion Of the build
ing. Just within the doorway the first thing
that meets the view is narrow stairway,
so steep as to remind one very strongly of a
ladder. The foot Of this stairway, by actual
measurement, Is 3 feet and 8 inches from
the front wall of the building, and leads
from passage that must be used by the
pupils OF two rooms on the lower floor. At
the head OF the stairway the condition is
even worse, for rear stairway, equally as
shaky, steep and dangerous as the front,
leads down, leasing space less than five
feet in width. through which four lines Of
children are forced to pass at the same time
The fearful fatality, in case Of fire or panic,
can easily be imagined, for in the neighbor-
hood Of two hundred children would un-
doubtedly endeavor to crowd through the
narrow passage, down the steep stafrways
and on the heads Of two hundred more
pupils pushing through the narrower pas
sage below, In an effort to reach the front
door.
sloping and sprinsy Floors.
Entering the southeast corner room up
stairs, the floor slopes gently toward the
east wall, and the sensation in moving
scross 1t Is a strong reminder Of a walk
along springboard.: Four inches is a con-
scrvative estimate of the distance the east
wall has bulged eastward and consequent
~ there Is significant gap, with number
less cracks in the plaster, intervening be-
tw cen it and the remainder Of the build
fEg In the adjoining room the situation is
even worse, and from all appearances a
healthy push frun an ordinary right arm
would cause a catastrophe. Between the
moor and the east wall in this room is a
decided opening. t5si -
In the west half Of the building the walls
have also begun to show tendency to
break away, as ominous cracks in the plas-
ton of the building is falling plaster.
Gaunt-looking. irregular holes relieve the
n'onotony of the ceiling. and not, long ago
several square feet Of the material sue
cumbed 20 the force of gravity and sought
a resting place on and about desk that
had been vacated by little girl just a
moment before. During the visit Of the
reporter today tt was necessary for the
the ceiling in one Of the lower rooms.
which had been threatening to take matters
into Its own. hands, so to speak, for some
time past
Walls That Bulge.
Hidden behind a door on the first floor Is
all that could be desired in the way Of
de monstration that some time in the near
future, unless the condition Of things is
speedily remedied the front or north wall
will come in sudden contact with the side
walk Viewed from the outside, the east
wall presents more or. less graceful but
whi oh
might be considered perfectly lovely from
an architectural standpoint were 1t not so
plainly dangerous. Standing at the base of
the wall. and giancing up, IT is impossible
10 see tie projecting cornice Of the roof.
which, by the way, everhangs several inch
es, for the view is interrupted by the lower
Of the two buiges Of the wall. At the
northeast corner Of the building, near the
ground. it is, a novelty to see the bricks of
the wall within an inch of one another.
rhe south wall also presents a bulge SO
perceptible that it seems improbable that
1t could ever have been strictly perpendic-
ular. Incidentally, it might be mentioned
that all the floors respond to footsteps with
springboard action. For this reason it
has been necessary to eliminate health ex-
efcises from the col rse Of instruction.
There Is absolutely no system Of ventila-
tion provided at the Anthony Bowen school
building. Each room is heated by a big
coal stove and it is said that the pupils
forced to occupy seats near the stove are
constantly perspiring, and those at the op-
pcsite end Of the room usually wear over
coats and wraps during school hours.
This being a warm day there was no fire
In the stove. no possibility Of the presence
OF coal gas, and all the windows and door
ways were thrown wide open, but the re-
porter who entered one Of the rooms from
outdoors. needed no argument to convince
him of the really frightful lack Of yentila-
tion. The tops Of the window frames are
fully three or four feet from the ceilings.
and hence IT is impossible to provide for
the dissemination Of impure air In cold
weather, when the stoves are in full blast,
1t sometimes becomes necessary to open
The WINDOWS and again health Is epdanger-
ed by drafts. Again, no cloak rooms are
provided. and therefore no other course is
open than to hang the outer garments and
hats OF the children about the rooms The
eject OF this on warm, rainy days does
not need description.
On several occasions Of late have panics
been tmminent at the Bowen school: one
day Just few weeks ago the pupils caught
the odor of burning wood, and had not the
1aIitor just at that moment discovered
that the wood work near the hall stove.
located just beneath the stairWaY. VA
catching fire, the situation might have as
sumed serious proportions.
-:~-=7ss.-----
.ANACOsTA AND RAFIS TRANSIT.
A Hearing This Afternoon ON the