The Washington times., 1908-04-29
UNSAFE SCHOOLS
MAY Be ABANDONED
Board Will Hold Meeting to
Consider Fire Chiefs
Report
Captain Oyster Says Toilet
Facilities at Ketcham
Are Criminal.

IN accordance with Fire Chief Belt s
report condemning the old High street
and the Minor school buildings. SUBJ
mitted the Commissioners yesterday and
transmitted the Board Of Education
today, President Oyster, of the board,
will Immediately call a meeting OF the
building committee to order either the
abandonment of the two buildings in
entirety or Of their upper stories.
If possible we Will arrange so the
school may be continued in safety for
the remainder Of the term by ordering
-hat all fires be extinguished and that
all classes be heard on the first floor,
as has been arranged at the Potomac
and Mccormick schools. Otherwise
we will order the buildings abandoned
as 1t is the purpose OF the board to adj
here to the recommendation Of the
Fire Chief" said President oyster.
Board Is Upheld.
The board feels indicated in its
position. now that the reports Of the
Fire Chief. the Health officer. and the
Senitary Officer are one by one uphold
ing the contentious we have made all
along. These conditions are not new to
us and We have regularly asked for
i
gives US the S262, 600 recommended by
the committee and we use the
additional $4,000 from the building fund,
the schools can be put in reasonably
safe condition by fall, if the Commits
sioners accede 10 our requests and go
to work Immediately on them We
have informed them that we would ex-
pect this and expect a reply within
a short time.
That portion of Chief Belts report
IN which he refers TO the upper por-
ton Of heating plant having fallen in.
bears out our contention that the serv-
ices Of a school architect are needed.
Ihls condition exists at the HYDE
School, a new building turned over
70 us a short time ago. The fault
lies with the new as we'll as the old
buildings, and in this connection the
board Will probably decline TO receive
the new Ketcham School building in
AnacOstia, just completed This new
building. as rendered Us by the Com
mtssloners, has wooden stairs and in
adequate toilet facilities"
Toilet Arrangements Criminal.
Captain Oyster explained that at a
recent conference with Senator Bur
kett, who asked the president OF the
beard TO outline school conditions here
AbA MS BElltllls he INFORMED the senator
OF the toilet conditions at the KetchaIn
School and Senator Burkett denounced
such arrangements as criminal
President Oyster submitted to Sena-
tor Burkett, at his request, a detailed
statement of what was needed to put
the school building in proper condition,
following the conference and to Sena-
tors statement that he wanted to be
OF assistance in remedying them.
Senator Burkett is right when he
says that only a kind providence has
prevented a holocaust similar to that
az Collinwood here in the District"
said Captain Oyster. The school au-
thOrities are on record in regard TO
these matters as far back as 1904, and
II the Senate viii place this appropria-
ton at our disposal the present admin
1stration intends TO insist that every
building be put in proper shape by fall.
The Commissioners have already
been asked II they will see that there
IS no further delay in the repairs. and
/ have had several conferences with
Engineer Commissioner Morrow on tho
subject"