The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-22
ENFORCED AND sUNEXPEGT-
Ed VACATION.
TOO UNsANITARY FOR USE.
HEALTH OFFICER AND SCHOOL.
BOARD COMMITTEE VISIT
THE DOUGLAS.
1T is WORSE THAN REPRESENTED.
Two of the West side Schools Are
NOW LOcled-No Telling When
They Will Open.


were dismissed at o'clock yesterday
afternoon and the school ordered
closed for an indefinite period This
action was taken as the result of the
unsanitary condition OF the building,
and after an inspection had been made
by the committee on health and sani-
tatlon from the board of school in
spectors. Yesterday afternoon Messrs.-
1oerg and Schelle, of the school board,
Superintendent of Schools Curtis, SUI
Ferlntendent of Repairs Gerlach and
Health Inspector Sinks visited the
school. The visit was made owing to
letter having been sent to the board
by Health Commissioner Stone on
Tuesday in which attention was called
to the condition of the basement of
the school building. The school is fit
ted with the Ruttan system of closets
and has no sewer connection. Since
November last the drain pipe, which
is supposed TO carry off the surface
water from the basement of the school,
mas been either stopped or frozen up
ana the surface and other water has
been dipped out of the basement by
inc 1an1tor with bucket. For the
about six inches deep in the basement
and the result has been that the filth
has been floating around In the base
ment of the school and rendering the
entire building not only in an unsani-
tary, but in an unhealthy condition
The members Of the school board who
visited the school yesterday afternoon
found the condition of affairs all that
the commissioner Of health had stated
In his letter and somewhat worse than
pictured. AS result the school was
ordered closed and will remain so I'M
til the building can be placed in good
condition.
Inspector Yoerg seen yesterday
afternoon said the committee on
health and sanitation had been direct
ed by the board, as soon as the letter
from the health commissioner reached
the body, to investigate and if neces-
sary close the school. This had been
done, the investigation made showing
that the basement of the building was
in bad condition, mixture of excre-
ment and water being found there
several inches deep
The health inspector and the COM
until the condition of affairs had been
remedied. Mr.. Yoerg said the school
board had repeatedly asked, for the
construction of a sewer on Stevens or
! Orleans street. but that the council
had failed ito Order54the sewer built
On account of this and, a lack of funds
the board was una bic to remedy the
matter now and the school would have
TO be closed for an indefinite period
The school board, Mr. Yoerg said had
repeatedly called the attention of the
council to the unsanitary condition of
the Douglas and other schools In
September last an appropriation was
asked for to be used in repairing the
closets in the Douglas, Hendricks, Cor
man and Ericsson schools, but the
council had refused to furnish the
necessary funds
Health Inspector Sinks, after return
ing from the visit of inspection, said
the health department. had ordered the
school closed, and 1t would not be re-
opened until the sanitary condition
of the building had been attended to.
The committee from the school board
which had been with him during the
inspection, had agreed to the order, as
the condition of affairs was found to
be just what the -health commissioner
had reported. Inspector Sinks intimat-
ed that the health department would
not allow the school 10 open until after
the Ruttan system had been removed
from the building and a system of
closets connected with the sewer had
been put in. An effort would be made,
the health inspector said, to dig up the
drain pipe and draw the water and
filth now in the basement of the build
ing off This would for a time remedy
the matter, but the building would not
be in a good sanitary condition until
it was connected with the sewer.
The records Of the council show that
Sept 10 last preliminary order was
passed for the construction of sewer
on Orleans street from Stevens to
George street for sthe purpose of con-
Meeting with the Douglas school. The
hearing came up before Commissioner
of Public Works Copeland, who at that
time held the office. The city engi-
neer's estimate fixed the cost of the
sewer one block in length at $632, or
a cost to the property owners of 80
cents per front foot. There were four
teen property owners on the street.
and, as eleven of the number objected
to the improvement, no further action
was taken.
On Oct II the council passed an
other preliminary order for the con-
structure of sewer on Stevens street
from Orleans to Ohio streets This
sewer would also have given the
Douglas school a sewer connection, but
eight of the eleven property owners
on the line of the improvement object
ed. and the matter was laid over until
March of this year, but as yet has not
been taken up. The health commits
sioner at the time the Stevens street
sewer was before Commissioner Cope
land wrote a strong letter advising
that the sewer be built on Orleans
street. as it was the shortest route
from the school to a sewer and the
building was in a very unsanitary
condition. for want of proper sewage
1t is understood that another pre-
liminary order VIII be pushed through
the council as soon as possible, ordering
a sewer either on Orleans or Stevens
street 1t will take at least six weeks
before the contract can be let and
even If no objection should be made
the sewer could not be connected with
the school before the end of the June
term. 1t has been suggested to one of
the members of the school board that
an outside closet might be constructed
on the school property, but to this the.
board say that they have no funds to
pay for the work
DR.. Stone, questioned yesterday. said
that a peculiar thing about the condition
of the Douglas school was that there
had been no serious sickness among
the scholars wh1 had been exposed
to the foul atmosphere Of the building
for several weeks The sanitary condi-
ton Of the Munroe and Adams schools.
DR. Stone stated, were excellent, as had
been ascertained by an investigation.
The resolution passed by the board of
aldermen allowing the school board to
transfer s., 600 each from the teachers
ssiaries- af,d-sisiasfs- salaries funds -
the supplies and repair funds will come