The San Francisco call., 1908-07-31
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
WEAK, SAYS EXPERT
Board of Education Appoints
Commission to Investigate
Structural Conditions
Children Will Not Be Admitted
Until Grand Jury Is Salts
fled on Question

OAKLAND, July 3O.-Doubts of so
grave a nature exist regarding the
safety of five of the most modern
school buildings in the city that the
grand jury has ordered a searching
investigation of their structural con-
ditions to be made and approved be-
fore the buildings are occupied by the
children for the autumn term.
The board of education was today
| instructed to appoint a commission of
expert engineers and architects to de-
termine questions of inherent weakness
in the construction of the Longfellow,
Lincoln, Prescott, Washington and
Franklin buildings.
The action was taken after H. H.
Meyers, structural steel expert of San
Francisco, had been employed by the
grand jury to look into charges of
faults in the steel work on the Lincoln
building, and the submission of his
report. So impressed were members
of the grand jury by his findings that
the buildings will not be permitted to
reopen until every assurance has been
given that the designs are correct.
bond issue was ffoated and the five
schools whose security Is now ques-
toned were rebuilt along apparently
most approved lines. Steel columns,
reinforced concrete floors and a guarded
use of brick and other forms of
masonry were literally employed.
Today the grand jury is in a state
of doubt whether the steel employed
to support the weight of the walls
, and floors and partitions is heavy
enough for the purpose. This is. the
point to be determined by the com
mission. and until a favorable report
is returned the grand jury will not
permit children to enter. Meyers said
the Lincoln building was supported
by steel too light for the purpose.
Testimony of an opposite nature also
was given before the grand jury. w.
w. Breite of the Clinton ironfworks of
Clinton, Iowa. which firm secured the
contracts for the steel in the Lincoln
school building, furnished the work
ing plans for the skeleton. He was
/ positive that the margins which he al
| lowed for security in his calculations
were ample for every purpose.
| A. Sutton and c. Weeks, San Fran
cisco architects, who designed the
building, also maintained that the steel
structural strength was sufficient to
support the building under all cir
L ,cumstances.
Carl Jones, employed by the board
of education as inspector, said that the
specifications had been followed out to
the letter and that If any defect ex-
listed it was due to bad Judgment on
! the part OF the QeSlSHSTS anu MOI "
! poor construction.
superintendent of Schools McClymonds
said:
| The board of education insisted on
having class A buildings, with en-
phasis laid on having them earthquake
proof. We demanded such buildings
and we were willing to pay for them.
We employed architects of unques-
toned standing and ability. and they
knew what we wanted. If the build
| ings do not come up to the highest
standards it is because conditions after
the disaster when they were designed
were such as to interfere with the
/ Judgment of the engineers and ex-
perts employed.
''If the buildings are bad, we GER
tainly want to know it before they
are occupied
THE matter has assumed grave pro-
portions" said District Attorney Brown,
and the grand jury has been deeply
impressed with the idea that five Of the
school buildings of this city are un-
safe. The grand jury has the best
interests of the people at heart, and
| / feel that the action taken today was
the only possible way to arrive at a
solution of the problem"
| The five buildings each averaged in
cost from 100000 to 100000 The
fLincoln school building is considered
one of the handsomest in the state,
costing approximately 100000.