The Republican journal., 1907-08-08

The cubic air space should he we'll up
average attendance of 10 it is only ITO
feet, which would be tolerable with a
good system of ventilation. But systems
of ventilation are more satisfactory
when the cubic air space per pupil is
up TO about what it should be.
The lighting in this room is bad. Cross
lights are trying to the eyes. Direct
sunshine enters the windows during all
parts Of the school day. The window
tops are very low, exceedingly low for
the width of the room. Taking into
account the lowness of the window
tops, the amount of light with all win
dows unrestricted by shades or other
wise is probably about one-half OF what
it should be. The actual proportion OF
window surface to floor surface Is less
than l to II. There is wide space
above the windows, three feet and a
half, which might have been utilized
for increased height of windows.
Some suggestions might be made for
the improvement of this room, but they
would be as impracticable and uneco-
nomic as those suggested for the rooms
on the first floor
RECITATION ROOMS.
The recitation rooms are poorly light
ed, unventilated, and unsuitable for oc-
cupancy by pupils for considerable pc,
RODS of time, particularly when they
come to them from a room whose at
mosphere is just as badly polluted.
Hall.-JuSt in the narrow hall on this
floor, where the outpouring throng from
these rooms and the downpouring flood
of children from the room above meets,
is where, in case of fire, or an alarm OF
fire, there is the greatest danger of seri.
Gus calamity. Here about $50 young
people, with ordinary school attend
ance, would meet in frantic crush.
The condition of things there struck
me as offering a first class opportunity
for disaster.
Third Floor-On this floor there is
only one school room, the size of which
is 40 feet long by IS feet wide. The
teachers desk is in front. The floor
space here is ample for As pupl Is
ordinarily attending. But there is no
provision for ventilation.
Az the rear there is mulllon WIN
dow of four sections which, with two
other windows on each side OF the
room, gives a combined window sur
face of S6 square feet, which is only
one-thirteenth of the floor surface,
These windows, however, are very low
The top of the mullion windows being
only eight feet above the floor while
the top of the other windows is about
nine feet and half. The peculiar con
struction of these windows lessons very
much the efficiency of the light which
they might supply. On account OF the
slope of the roof it was necessary to
construct them in the form of dorme1
windows. Each window, therefore,
viewed from the school room is placed
at the outer end of an alcoye which is
feet inches deep and only feet and
a half wide. While the lighting of the
rooms below was properly characterized
as bad, the lighting of this room may
be designated as exceedingly bad. 1t
is. in fact, so far as ! remember, the
worst lighted school room of the many
which | have had occasion to examine.
CONCLUSIONS.
My conclusions are that this High
School Building, in its present cOndl-
ton, is very unsuitable building for
school purposes. The breathing and re-
breathing of its polluted atmosphere
cannot fail to have deleterions effect
upon the health and the physical and
mental development Of children or
young people, and in some of them the
deterioration will, in some degree, be
long lasting or permanent.
A further result of breathing pollu-
ted and lifeless air is that there is Off
cred the most favorable conditions for
the transmission of infection, whether
that of grip, pneumonia, diphtherla, tn
bercuiosiS or other infectious disease.
While the results of the reception OF
most of these infections are soon mani
fest that of a tuberculouS infection
may show itself years afterward.
During school life the organs of one
Of the special senses and the organ
which takes cOgniZance of the results
of their actuity need sedulous care to
provide favorable conditions for their
work. The increasing number of per
sons with defective vision who require
the use of glasses in early life is a pref.
ty good indication of the overwork of
young eyes under conditions of strain.
The most potent cause of defective eyes
and eyesight is faulty lighting, -deticien-
cy in the amount of light, light in front
Of pupils, direct sunshine on desks light
from right side instead of left, etc. AS
regards conditions for brainwork, it
may be said that pupils can accomplish
much more and do 1t in shorter time
and more easily while breathing decent
ly pure air, than they can while under
the toxic influence of polluted air.
There results, therefore, in unventilated
school rooms depreciation in the work,
ing capacity of both pupils and teach.
ers which is equivalent to the waste OF
school money.
My opinion is that it would be unwise
for your city to try to reconstruct this
building with view of making it suit
able for school purposes. Its structu
raj defects are believe, too many and
too great to offer any encouragement OF
success.
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