The Washington times., 1908-10-29
CONDITION IS BAD
AT BRIGGS SCHOOL
Committee Finds No Fire
Escapes, Narrow Doors,
and Uttered Rooms.

Conditions at the Briggs School, at
Twenty-secoud and L streets northwest,
were found TO be bad by the school
house investigating committee today,
but the Toner school, at Twenty
and + streets northwest, was one OF the
best visited The Grant School, on @
street, near Twenty second, was also
visited today, and some minor faults
were noted by the committee.
The committee spent considerable time
at the Briggs School They found the
coal stored in a wooden structure, with
boxes, barrels. mops, brOOms. and kim
ding wood. The coal had oyerrun the
bin, and partly covers the floor of the
boys toilet room.
The areaways at this building. lead
ing from the boys and girls play
grounds, are declared TO be altogether
toe narrow by the committee The
basement doors are TOO morrow ana
the storm structures in front Of the
entrances have narrow doors. The worst
feature about this building. the commit
tee decided, is the entire lack OF hre-
escapes. The boys plGyroom was found
TO be Uttered up with stove wood ana
benches.
Toner School Pleases.
Except Tor narrow subways into the
basement. the Toner School was de
clared TO be i'm good shape, although
the committee did express disapproval
OF the habit OF piIing ashes in q small
room on the Twenty-fourth street side,
until two large wagon loads have ac-
cumulated. Barrels. buckets. and boxes
were found piled in this room. The coal
in this building is stored under the
stairway on the 7 street side. There
are no fire-escapes 20 the Toner School.
The Grant School has horoscopes on
the front and back hut the escape 10
the front is delEslU1 and a snare, the
committee believes
1t consists in straight ladders. leading
70 small landings al the different floors.
It is believed that more children would
get hurt coming down this escape,
spUrred on by the excitement &" ire
than by jumping from The WINDOWS.
The committee took special notice NJ
the entrance on the boys side The
door is a dOuble-fOldiug affair that
opens out in such a manner as TO block
the passage leading from other rooms.
Montgomery Is Bad.
The main fault found with these
schools, the Briggs School and the
Toner School. was the necessity II pass
through from three 10 four swinging
doorways TO reach the main entrance
The conditions at the Montgomery, at
Twenty-seveuth street, between K and
/
bad. Two passageWays lead TO two
small which open outward into a very
narrow air way. In one passage, wood,
kindhng, ladders, etc, are stored, which
block the exit. In the other, now used
as carpenter SHOP. are ShaVlnES,
kndling wood, and debris. The COM
mission passed very unfavOrabIy on
this, and had pictures taken, TO show
the condition OF these passages.
Personal spite Is declared by Build
ing Inspector Ashford TO be the cause
Of the criticism OF him made BY Cap
tain oyster.
reliable sources that Captain oyster
has sent the word around To get Ash
ford, said Mr., Ashford today. The
president of the Board of Education
evidently has personal grudge
against me.
lie apparently is unwilling to await
the report Of the school commission re-
gardinE the conditions OF the buildings
but INDUCES now in criticisms regard
ing the officials Of the building depart
ment"
Denial Is given by the building inspec-
tor TO the statement that the Inspector s
of his department have in any way at
tempted 10 inumidate the teachers or
janitors OF 70 obtain from them favor
able reports regarding the conditions
Of the schools.
ION October D." said Mr.. Ashford.
81 directed my inspectors TO make an
inspection of the schools, in order that
the school commission might have a
report OF the true conditions. An eff
fort is being made to clean up the
schools before the commission reaches
them. I wished to have a report show
ing the condition of the buildings before
they were inspected by the commits
sion"
The inspectors were directed to note
carefully, ne said, the condition of the
buildings with regard to the storage Of
inhamable materials in the Easements,
closets and under the staiTways, 10 re-
port how the ashes are disposed of, and
20 state approximately the amount in
each building; to see whether all doors
are unlocked and unbOlted and to note
whether furniture. old desks. or rubbish
are stored in the way of the exits
Reports on the conditions found iu
some of the buildings are already in the
hands of the building inspector and will
be submitted TO the school commission
through Engineer Commissioner Nor
rev.