The times., 1899-03-22

BAD CONSTRUCTION OF
TAE JOHNSON SCHOOL
The Building in a Most De-
plorable Condition.
Severe Criticism Of Those in the
Inspectors Office.
rhe BOARD of Trnstees VIII Demand
Che Board of Trustees VIII Demand
That n Thorough investiEa-
tion BE Made.

No citizens are more deeply interested,
or more vitality concerned, than the Dis
triet Commissioners over the disclosures
recently made BY Col. George H. Harries
concerning the existence of many glaring
defects in at least seven public school
buildings. These defects are not products
Of the imagination, nor do they display
themselves only on official paper. They
stare one boldly in the face, and, although
the general public has been unaware of
the fact, they have been continual eye
sores TO principals, public school teachers.
and janitors. Even those most uninitiated
into the intricacies of building methods
and theories of construction would be able
to observe the alleged bad craftsmanship,
poor finish. and faulty construction alleged
in the report of the committee OF which
Colonel Harries is chairman. The dilapi-
dated condition of the buildings speaks for
itself and cannot be concealed.
That the Commissioners and the In
spector Of Buildings are very much exer
cised about the contents of the report is
evident when it is known that the In
spector, John B. Brady, is already visiting
the schools mentioned in the report and
collecting data-this Notwithstanding the
statement of the Commissioners that they
are taking no action. When the report of
Colonel Harries reached the District
Building it was pigeonholed until the re-
turn of Commissioner Ross from New
York. II was then discovered that the
report was lacking in what appeared 10
the Commissioners to be very important
essential-the signature of the chairman of
the committee
II was accordingly returned to the Board
of School Trustees for that requisite, but
not before its contents had been closely
scanned and notes taken. Inspector Brady
being fully informed concerning the alle-
cations contained in the document, he be-
gan to get ready for the report, which he
will be called upon to submit, and on
Monday afternoon he visited the johnson
School Building, in School Street, Mount
Pleasant, and viewed the condition Of the
structure.
Play for Time.
In view of these facts it is generally be-
lieved that the action of the Commission
ers in returning the report was merely
play for time. The report having been
returned to the Secretary of the Board of
School Trustees will probably be signed
by Colonel Harries today The absence
of the signature was mere technical mis-
take and will be easily and promptly rem
edied by Colonel Harries, who is only too
glad TO place his name to the report.
When seen by reporter he stated that the
lack of a signature would not repair the
faults noted in the document.
Colonel Harries was not decirous of be-
ing quoted in connection with the report,
stating that he did not wish to have a
controversy between himself or the Board
of School Trustees and the District officials.
He said that the report and the defects
upon which It is based stand for them
selves, and the special committee which
conducted the investigation believed it to
be fits duty TO bring the dilapidated con-
dition of the schools named to the atten-
tion of the Commissioners for proper ac-
tion. Colonel Harries intimated that the
conditions are even worse than stated in
the report. and the accuracy of his state
ments is at least backed by the present
condition of the johnson school building
in Mount Pleasant.
Times reporter visited this building
yesterday afternoon, and accompanied by
a carpenter scanned every portion of the
building The school building is in a
diiapidated condition within and with
out, and close scrutiny was not
necessary to ascertain this fact
A sixth grade schoolboy would not
find much difficulty in doing the same
thing The defects are both glaring and
prominent. The building is located at the
corner of School and Grant Streets, is of
the eight-room variety, and was completed
In 1885. barely four years ago, at a cost
of SIS, Columbus Thomas & Sons
were the contractors and c. W. Warnecke
the inspector The building is practically
new.
In a BAD Condition
Notwithstanding this it is in far worse
condition than many buildings erected
twenty years ago. The brickwork is de-
fective. particularly on the boys side; the
carpenter work is out of plumb. black
boards lean from the walls the roof weak.
plaster merely covers the partitions. many
feet of the wainscoting was not nailed
and secured at all, holdings have dropped
out Of doors, water has run down the
walls. and the heat from the furnaces as
cends through large crevices in the
stamped metal ceiling to the attic, where
il escapes through the roof without hav-
ing benefited the scholars to an apprecia-
BILE degree
The carpenter work is particularly de-
fective and decidedly inferior to the rough
work found in many country barns.
Cracks and creices are visible every
where. and as the carpenter remarked TO
the reporter. THE children do not have
TO open these doors TO go out. They can
just walk under and around them" The
tongue-and- grooved wainscoting is loose
in all parts of the building and in places
il appears that old odds -and-ends were
boys side of the school the reporter coulc
slide the upright pieces in the wainseot-
ing from side TO side. Spaces half an inch
wide were found and no nails had been
driven into many OF the pieces in the
wainscoting TO hold Ii secure. In all car
penter work the wainscoting is fastened
TO what are known as top and bottom
ground pieces. and each board is nailed
which is not the case at the johnson
School. Old tongue and groove stuff was
found to have been used along the stairs
leading from the basement 10 the boys
entrance and in the wainscoting on the
girls side of the basement. The door in
the basement which separates the Railways
leading to the boys and girls playrooms is
a particularly fine specimen Of poor work.
The iamb is out OF plum and is wider at
the top than at the bottom.
Falling I'm Pieces.
The "stile" of the door TO which the
wide at the top and 37s inches wide at
the floor, when there should be uniform
width OF about FIVE inches on each side.
On the opposite side of the boys hallway
is another door leading to the large closet
which is literally falling to pieces. The
holdings which were intended TO finish OF
the panels has fallen out and those left
in the door can be pulled out with the
fingers. Examples of a similar kind can
be pointed out in all parts of the build
ing Furthermore wooden moiding, which
should fit in clean, close joints. do not fit
at all and places can be seen where at
least half an inch OF putty was used 10
cover such defects something that no hon
est builder would think of permitting in a
house Intended for himself.
g..