New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
FIRST OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS
HOW THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING
WILL PROBABLY BE ARRANGED.

LARGE ASSEMBLY HAILI-LECTURE ROOMS
AND STUDY HALIs-wILI. THERE BE
MONEY ENOUGH TO CARRY
OUT THE scHEME7
In the public offices Of this and other cities 'e'e
u.s. as rule some relaxation OF the cus'o""
tyity during the summer months and shorter hou,s
are common,v prescribed or at least allowed !"
one Of the local Offices however. the summer - ''
busiest time of all This Is the once Oh ane 20, up
jntendent of Buildings for the Boaru Vi ' g.
The summer season Is not resting '''he i T.,
perintendent Snyder and his subordina.e'' nv
there any opportunity for shorter hours thah usua
on the two big floors at NO. os' p'o'"""''
this Department occupies. ~
Whenever any considerable repairs are neceSs''
In a schoohouse the best time to DO 'he W." 49,.
the summer, and in that season there IS AWAY w
greatest activity in the building OF ne" '
houses Such activity as is displayed al the PFC
ent time was seen before ii Is one V,
results of the energy which has characterized NV
Board OF Education since the reform elehlo"' Wv"
contro. Nothing like 1t was ever seen al wv r
The trustees. who were practically supreme ~
the old regime. would no; have known whn' -
make OF It, and some of the older members OF 'he
Board Of Education have been compeNeu 10 'u"
their eyes and ask themselves II what they SEE a.
really facts or only ridescent dreams
Not less than thirty new schoolhouses anu "'
lions to existing buildings are now IN process Ut
construction. and there Is hust.lng OF the NV
kind in all parts of the city. To he precise mere
are seventeen new schoo!houses and fourteen d""'-
tons going up. From each of these buiu'hs' '
port IS sent by inspector TO superintendent
Snyder every day. and thus the head OF the 'epii'
ment IS able to keep himself informed accurately d.
to wha: Is going on. But he Is not content " 80
in his Office and receive reports lie tries to WISH
each one Of the new buildings as often as TWICE d
week. and thus has good deal OF Outside WORK
all the time besides keeping an eye constantly on
what his big office staff Is doing.
WORKING on HIGH SCHOOL PLANS.
One Of the things that has taken good deal OF
time for the last few weeks has been the arrange
ment OF the first of the new high schoo's "hcn
are 10 be erected NewYork is to have four high
school buildings in all. and the sites for them nave
been selected-one on the East Side. south Of
Twenty thrd-st: one near the southwest corner oi
Central Park. in the region north Of the PARK
and the fourth IN the so-called Annexed DiStricD
The plans the buildings however. are 10 be pre-
pared one at time: at any rate. II Is pToposed 20
get the drawing for the boys high school neary'
II not entirely. ont OF the way before eiiher o '"'
others is taken mp.
The site for this school occupies the block bound
"a by Tenth and Eleventh ayes. and Fifty-eighth
and Fifty-ninth Sis and as IS natural the prnci-
pal DR.. John r. Buchanan has had good deal 10
say about the best arrangement OF the interior OF
the building Having had long experience In high
school work. Or. Buchanan had definite IDEAS as TO
the sort OF building he would like but as they are
large ideas. also. there has been some difficulty In
embodyng all of them In building OF limited size,
which must be built for specified sum OF money.
The total amount allowed for the high school build
ngs and sites Is g. 100000 and OF this 100000
set aside for the land This leaves 81 Oo00 for the
buildings si250O0 apiece: but that sum has 10 IN
clude the heating. furniture. etc. as well as the
structure The architects therefore, are compelled
to pan for building that will not require moro
than $3.50. coo 10 put up.
Tentative drawings for the several floors have
already been made, and the general scheme OF ar
ranging the rooms has been practically decided on.
Before the full drawings be completed. how
ever the Building Committee OF the Board OF Edu-
cation will have TO approve the arrangement de-
termned on by DR.. Buchanan and Mr.. Snyder.
This will not be done until some time next month
and, the detailed drawings will then have to be
made. 1t is somewhat difficult to tell when II will
be possible TO advertise for bids and let the
tract To erect such building will, Superintendent
Snyder says take at least fourteen months. Hence
there is possibility that it will be ready for the
use OF the boys high school at the beginning OF
the school year in September 1898.
SOME NOVEL FEATURES
In the arrangement Of the building there some
novel features. Mr.. Snyder says that he has seen
nothing of the kind in the various high schools he
has visited in the pictures he has examined
The front OF the school will be in Tenth-ave This
avenue is abo 1t eleven feet higher than Eleventh.
ave. so that what Is a basement on the east side
will be story above ground the west side Ad-
vantage has been taken of the lay of the land" to
provide for large assembly hall in the basement
story. The schoolhouse will be built three sides
of a large open court, the not being incloscd
on the Eleventh-aVe. side. The bottom Of this
court will be utilized for the great assembly hall
of the largest rooms OF the kind in the country
outside of regimeDtal armores.
hall
down short flight of stairs. but on the Elev-
enth-ave. side 1t will he all above ground II will
have no side windows. but will be amply lighted
from the roof, which will be one vast skylight All
found imprac;cabe 10 provide for a gallery with
out interfering unduly with the light in the second
planned will be l9xl3l feet in dimensions and will
contain seats for more than two thousand pupils
IT will be necessary to support the roof with col
un ms. and a few seats may be left out to provide
The entire site IS about 2OOx2OO feet so that there
will be good deal of space in the basement IN od
dition TO that taken by the assembly hall Amrng
other things there Will be room for bicycles here
10, 10 n ~ Is rezed mat good many boys may wish
ON the first floor, on the Tenth-ave. side Will be
who wish consult him and the library ih pc
mainder VIII be occupied by eleven ciassrooms
feet and will be Special foa1rep of nb 5Xp
The second, third and fourth floors will be- ar
ranged much alike. ON each there will be about
ten classrooms. ecture-room. with a seating
cHpaclty oil As, ana a study hall, with upward Of
~ sittlngs The chemical labora tories will he
PLACED on the second story and the Laboratories for
physics u on the third There will be special rooms
NTH story will be rooms devoted to botany zoolorv
and physiology, as well the rooms for dra vim
ana on this floor 1t is planned to have gymnaSirn
I9Xi5 feet In size. Dr. Buchanan wishes IN bn 10,
ms CONSTRUCTED with running track and 10 have
lockers provided for all the pupils n is his inten
ton TO require each pupil TO take physical exercise
at least twice week ''' '''e
NOT LIKELY TO BE READY UNDER TWO
YEARS
when asked last week how soon he exnoc.ed -
be able TO take possession of the new srhoolhouso
"mcn exists only on paper as yet. and is liable TO
extensive alterations. DR.. Buchanan said.
Il have stayed IN town about all summer vvorL,rg
on this thing. in the hope that would be able To get
my school built in advance OF the others. bur am
not al all sure o. accommodating Tho, -. ,