Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-02-06
The New School House.
is COMPLETED AND WILL PROB
ABLY BE READY FOR
OCCUPANCY THIS
WEEK.
The Exterior Is Imposing and At
tractive. While the Interior
Is Conveniently Arrang-
ed and Finished
and Excellent
ly Heat
ad

ed.
A representative of the LEDGER
to-day visited the new school build
ing in the southwest part of the city
and found the building completed and
the carpenters and painters busy get
ting things in readiness to have the
school house ready for occupancy next
Tuesday morning.
The building is situated at the
southwest corner of West Breckin-
ridge and West streets on a lot of
ground 1876 feet wide on West Breck-
inridge street and 800 feet deep on
West street. The location is an ex-
ceiIent one, the ground being by far
the highest in the vicinity, and the
tower can be cen from a distance in
any direction. The building proper is
rs feet long aud 81 wide and faces
north. The north side is built of
pressed brick, while the other sides
are built of ordinary brick, and all
the windows have stone caps and stills.
The front and main entrance is in the
form of a large arch, built of rough
lime stone, to the east of which rises
agracefulround tower, which stretches
skyward to a height of 60 feet. Broad
stone steps lead up to the arch en-
trance, inside of which the floor is
tiled. From the top of the tower
rises a flag staff and the stars and
stripes will float from this.
On entering the building by the
main entrance n steps into a large
hall, running north and south, the
dimensions of which are 23x52 feet.
On each side of this hall is a large
recitation room, 23x34 feet. Each
of these rooms has a commodious.
cloakroom attached in which the pu-
pills may hang the ir wraps and hats
These rooms, a. all others in the
building, are wainscoted with white
pine, oil finished, and each is amply
lighted with large windows.
On the east side of the lower hall
wide steps rise to the second floor, on
which are three recitation rooms and
a hall. The hall is 23x23 feet, while
the east and west rooms are the same
size as the corresponding room on
the first floor, and the south room is
23x23 feet. Thege~rccT1s are wei
lighted and differ only from the lower
rooms in not having cloak rooms at
tached. There will be hat and cloak
racks provided for these.
The interior of the building is fin
ished in natural white pine and the
walls are all IL feet high and are
nicely plastered. The windows are
large and the building is unusually
well lighted. The wide halls and
stairs afford easy means of escape in
case of fire, which is not very liable
to happen, however, on account of
the splendid system of heating with
which the building is fitted.
This is the Smead system of heating,
which was put in by Lewis & Kitchen,
of Kansas City. The furnaces, two
in number, are situated in the base
ment and are very large ones, weigh
ing two and a half tons apiece. In
each room in the building is a hot air
register, which Ear be regulated by a
patent dial apparatus, and a ventila-
ton register, which carries off all the
foul air. Mr.. Kitchen, of Kansas City
who is personally experimenting the
work of putting in the heating and
closet system, stated to the reporter
that by this system the air in the
room is completely changed every
eight minutes. In the basement is
stored Al tons of coal, which will last
for months to come.
,, The closet system is also the Smea6
and is very novel. The closets art
situated in the basement and the DIR,
system is used. By this the refuse
i. which is dried by a steady current OF
heated air which passes out through
a chimney, is burned up every weel
or SC. This same system is now il
use and giving entire satisfaction il
many Kansas City schools and il
! Moberly. The entire heating ant
closet system. was put in at a cost o
, s1,100, which is quite reasonable.
The building, Is a whole, is a re
markably good one for the cost. whicl
was about $1,000, making the tota
cost of building, furniture and heat
ing about $500. The architect, Fl. D
! Hunter, the contractor, John Umstead
and the School Board alldeserve grea
credit for the part they have taken i
the erection and furnishing of tn
: building and the people of Mexic
, may well be proud of their new schoe
house.