The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-07-11

or more rooms. One serious objection Il
furnished BY the fnot that children at the
ages Of primary pupils are more suscep-
linle TO the notion OF the coatagion Of
niphtheria, scarlet fever, and most other
Infectious di eases than are 7lder.cniidron.
ihc larger The number OF children congre-
gated upon one lot, and the larger the
district from which they come, the great.
er the chances Tor the rapid and wide dis
semination OF infection. Another disad-
vantage OF the large school IL that when
closed, as " must sometimes Be, on no
count OF the serious prevalence of infec-
tious diseases, or the infection OF the
so hool rooms, q larger number of pupils
are losing school time. The large school
also makes It necessary for the children
10 travel longer distance from their
homes, and this is q serious matter. Lit.
tie children are exposed to many 1au-
gers when travelling In the public streets,
and 1t Is desirable 20 so locate the priu,-
airy schools as TO give the shortest possible
amount Of street travel to the pupils. IL
has been estimated that the increase
In travel In this case would be
about 110U feet for the pupils living at the
greatest distance, but this increase makes
total distance OF about "a Of mile;
toolfer for pupils Of primary age, espec-
Tally In winter or fnclement weather.
leo much stress cannos be laid upon this
| point.
Your commissioner therefore, recon-
nsnd for the PARK Street lot school
building not larger than one with eight
school rooms, and the necessary corridors,
stairways. and wnrdrohes, whether OBJ
tanned by remodslling the old building or
by building % new.
Tuking up the question of rem olelling
1t was found, after thorough discussion
of various plans, to 10 entirely practica.
| BILE to TearFangs the present building and
put an addition In the rear, obtaining
thereby eight rooms OF equal size. with
ample corridor space. cloak rooms. etc.
The rooms would DO in size about
23ft. xSaft.i In each lighted from one
of the long sides. the light In almost every
case being taken from the most favora BILE
| quarter a
The plan Of remodeiling would provide
| or each floor one room on the Park Street
end S3it.xS5ft Gin. with windows filling
| the entire width Of front. thus obtaining
| light in this room from the northeast.
| Another room t3ft x1Sft. with ac-
| companyinR clothes rooms would occupy
the balance Of the original building on
the northwest side for a space OF 23ft
In width. The light for this room being
taken from the northwest.
| A third room would OCCUPY the space
in the northwestern side OF the projection
az the rear end OF present building and
also q portion OF the new addition which
would be built in the rear. so that a room
1 ~olts AoOtbsy iQ1utiChl WIFI IIe second
above described would be obtained.
Directly in the rsRr OF the present
building, and continuing the same width
as the front portion of the building,
would be required an addition about
3Sft. long which would contain a school
room to DO lighted from the southwest
| side, with additional windows In the
southeastern end. these latter windows
| TO be at the rear Of the pupils, as in every
case the main light in the rooms would
come from the left side.
Staircases could DO o arranged inside of
present walls. one on the southeast wall
of main building, tke.other. in the present
projection OF the southeast end. Space
| could also DO obtained for q teachers
room and library.
The main entrances would be ON the
ieft-hand or southeast side of the building
and an entranoeto play ground from the
main floor could be provided at the rear
| OF the new addition.
The roof being supported en- tirely by
| the walls Of the building would not have
to be changed in any way, except at one
point where Che third room described ex-
tends into the proposed addition this re-
CURING an unimportant change in the
framing In order 10 span the greater space
required.
The heights OF the stories at present
being unequal, (the upper story being
much higher than the first, and the base
ment story being too low and INSULT
| GENTLY lightedl 1t would Do necessary to
| raise the first door about two feet in or
der TO make the basement of suitable
height.
The second floor conld be raised to a
height sufficient to make the two school
| room stories 18ft. each, but as the
framing OF the presens second floor is not
adapted to the proposed new arrangement
Ii would probably be advisable to nut in
anf,fFalU AnOr NJ A. l..
making up the estimate of the cost Of re.
modelling this has been taken into ac-
count.
Abe basement at present has dirt floor,
and, In remodelling, it would he adyisa-
BILE to excavate portion Of this present
soil and substitute In place thereof clean
gravel, to remove any possible source of
| oontagion where the earth had formerly
been saturated with deleteriuus matter,
putting on top OF the gravel good cou-
crete floor. This would remove any pos
sible source of trouble
By the introduction of new windows
| the basement could he made light and
airy with ample chance for direct circula-
ton or air wherever necessary.
In making these structural changes ii
would not be necessary to disturb the
present foundation walls, or, In any way,
TO Interfere with the stability of the build
Ing as the only external additions would
porches as might be deemed advisable at
the entrances. The exterior of the build
ing would not be changed as far as the
general proportion is concerned, hut the
window openings being differently ar
ranged would change It's character some.
what and the result would be decided
Improvements In appearance. AS the old
nrlckwork and the new cannot be made
| TO look alike, thus showing at once to the
| observer that changes have been made,
we have included in our estimate the cost
or painting the exterior walls of the
| building, not only improving It's appear
| anco, but also serving to protect the walls
from external dampness.
Various objections 20 remodellipg have
been carefully considered but with n we'll
| devised scheme Of ventilation and with
| good modern sanitary fixtures in the
basement Tor In separate building at
the rear) remodelled building may be
nude entirely unobjscttonable from a
sanitary point of view, and it seems per-
| feotly feasible TO 80 carry out tho changes
here suggested as to provide an eight
room school building which shall be we'll
arranged for practical school work and
LIT y IL