The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-01
REPAIRS ON CITY SCHOOLS
BOARD WILL MEET TO-DAY TO CON-
SIDER THE IMPROVEMENTS
WHICH ARE NEEDED
NO NEWS FROM DAVIS YET
Members Are Curious to Know Why
the MacaIesteA Man Has
Not Reen Heard
From.

Extensive repairs are in progress upon
the forty-five public schools of the city,
and at the regular meeting of the board
of school inspectors this afternoon, Supt-
George Gerlach will make preliminary
report to the board upon the advancement
OF the work One of the new departures
provided for by the board is an emergency
room in the Central high school that will
be properly equipped and furnished with
such emergency supplies as the character
of the apartment may require. Every
large high school In the country is pro-
vided with an emergency department, and
several very sudden cases OF illness at
the Central high school last year re-
suited in the committee authorizing Mr.
Gerlach to make provision for an emerg-
ency department at the Central high
school. Just before school closed for the
year in June, young woman was taken
violently Ill, and it was several hours
before the services of a physician were
secured, or anything of a medical charac-
ter done to relieve her sufferings. In adj
dition to this the board is rebuilding the
interior of the basement of the Central
high schools, making over the old rooms
formerly used for storage purposes into
class rooms. The appropriation made by
the council for new buildings made no
provision for any additional high school
rooms, and as the Central high school
has been crowded for sittings the board
has taken this means of temporarily re-
lieving the situation Later a new high
school building will be built, probably at
some point In the University avenue dis
trict
For many years the school board has re-
ceived an insufficient appropriation for re-
pairs, with the result that many of the
schools are in a bad condition Of repair,
in fact, some of them are in wretched
condition. This year, however, for the
first time since 1893, the board receives
an adequate appropriation, amounting to
$4,000, which will all be used this summer
in putting the schools in shape for the
opening Of the next term.
Six new schools arc to be constructed
early next spring, but the board viii
probably make arrangements for the pur-
chase of three sites within the near fu-
ture. The matter will be discussed at to-
days meeting. The city owns two sites in
the First ward, one of which can be trad
ed perhaps for a tract in one of the
wards where it will be necessary to pro
cure new ones. 1t also owns property in
the Second and Eighth wards that can be
used for school purposes New buildings
will be constructed in the First, Second
Third, Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth wards
next spring. The appropriation of S75, 900
for repairs will be used in kalsomining
and touching up rusty spots in many Of
the buildings. New heating plants will
be put in number of the schools. Eleven
of fhc,Y, o1o,,
with steam heating plants that are en-
tirely satisfactory, but the great number
have the Ruttan heating plants, that are
lar from satisfactory, and will be re-
placed as far as the appropriation will al
low. New roofs will be put on four
buildings that leak, ard new coats of tar
and gravel will be put ON several others
Rlckety stair cases VIII be repaired and
the Yentilating apparatus in a number of
structures will receive needed repairs and
Improvement. The furnishings of many
OF the buildings will be renewed and re
placed, including curtains of nearly all
the schools
a general carpenter shop is being put
IN at the Jefferson school house and
large part Of the basement is also being
used as store room The board intends
also to make repairs in the plumbing
Where 1t is possible, but owing to the
expensive character of the work 1t will
be impossible to prosecute the work very
far without special additional appro-
priation for this purpose, which cannot
be looked for earlier than next wear
The board intends to make the st47 nnO
allowed for the construction of the six
new school buildings cover the construc-
ton of the entire Improvement With
hardly ever an exception, every ward in
the city is very much in need of addi
uonal sittfngs, and the buildings of the
new schools will be awaited with no little
interest by all connected with the schools
The board will also consider the s11ner-
1ntendency question. President Corning.
seen yesterday afternoon, was at a loss
to know what to think Of DR.. Davis
silence. Supt A. ]. Smith was to have
seen Or. Davis in Paris and talked over
the situation with him, but to date tha
board has heard nothing of the meeting
OF the former member Of the board and
the superintendent of schools