The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-25
Superintendent T. A. Mott of
Local Schools Makes Rec
concentrations to the School
Board.
LOCKED DOORS ARE CON-
SIDERED FIRE TRAPS.
Other Changes Which Will Aid
The Children in Escaping
From Local School Build
Ings Are Set Forth.

| Recommendation of an important
nature are included in the list prepared
| by T. A. Mott. superintendent of the
city schools, and submitted to the
school board for consideration. The
| board at its last meeting approved OF
! the suggestions made and if not soon
er it is probable that extensive i'm
| prOvements will be made at a number
of the buildings during the vacation
| season. One of the most worthy of
the many suggestions or the superin-
tendent is that which provides for
some arrangement whereby the eXte-
| riOr doors of the buildings would be
kept unlocked at all times. These
are double doors, but it has been CuSto-
| mary for many years to keep one pair
locked and bolted in position. This
leaves an exit by means of the single
entrance only. All buildings are
equipped with a set of swinging doors
several feet within the outer doors and
usually at the top of a short flight of
stairs. In case of fire this space be-
tween the single exit and the swing
ing doors might become jammed and
prove the same firetrap as that be-
tween the partition and doors III the
Collinwood school house disaster
Removal of Locks.
Removal of the locks on windows or
a change in their location is advocated
by Mr. Mott At present these locks
are attached to the upper aud lower
sashes, where they are beyond the
reach of children. Additional stair
ways in buildings having but one and
the removal of heating plants from the
easements of all buildings is also stip-
ulated as one of the requisites for the
removal of great danger from fire.
With the exception of the omission
of a detailed description of the various
buildings of the city. the report sub
mtted by MIR. Mott to the school board
was as follows
To Board of School Trustees,
Gentlemen:-After careful study Of
the school buildings of our city with
LUIGI " ilt ltIotctIlou olItISu
from the danger of fire, I submit the
following facts and recommendation ::
There are ten school buildings be-
longing to the city of Richmond. all of
which are built of brick with slate and
iron roofs. The partition walls with
in the buildings are all of brick except
in case of a few small closets or cloak
of frame. The floors and stairways
are all of wood and are not fire-proof
Each building has two or more exits
with doors opening Outwards in all
cases. These outside doors are usual
ly double and open into a vestibule; a;
between this vestibule and the main
hall of the building there are in all
cases double doors swinging both ways.
These inside double doors have no fas-
Jennings nor locks. The outside doors
are locked at night. but our rule for
bids their being fastened or locked
when school is in session.
The buildings are all two-stOry
buildings except the high school and
Finley school. which are three stories
In the Finley school the third story is
not used for regular school work. Oc-
casiOnally classes recite on this floor,
or parents meetings are held there.
The third story of the high school is
occupied by three recitation rooms and
the large school auditorium seating
about five hundred people. This au-
ditOrium is used once or twice a week
hI-+ Io 8,
evening entertainments 1t is also used
daily for recitation purposes.
In all the buildings the windows
open upwards by lifting the lower sash
The windows are fastened by the usual
form of catch between the upper and
lower sash
Six of the buildings have but one
stairway each. These stairways how
ever. are broad and ample for all usual
uses. Four Of the buildings. the high
school. Starr. Finley and Hibberd have
two or three StairwayS each. connect
ing the upper and lower floors 1t is
plain TO all that each additional stair
way constitutes an important element
Of safety in case of fire.
Heating Systems.
The heating systems in all the build
ings have been put in with great care
considering always safety from fire
Four of the buildings are heated by
steam and but one fire is used in each.
In two of the buildings the boiler is
placed in a separate building and in
two it is placed in the basement The
six other buildings are heated by fur
naces placed in the easements. Three
of the six. buildings. heated by f,irnac-
es. are equipped with blowers for ven
tilation and three are ventilated by
the Smead gravity system. | believe