The Washington times., 1908-03-12
(ContInued from = -

elements of danger to the pupils in at
tendance upon the buildings named
These conditions should be reuledled at
the earliest possible moment
Unable TO Improve.
In justice To the Boards OF Education
anG present, who have been responsible
Tor the material conditions OF the
schools, il is only fair that the public
First mat the buildings insuffciently
protected from fire are few compared
with the whole number OF school build
iags, and have been continued IN use
only because of sheer inability 20 secure
better quarters
second An the buildings in which
arc assembled large numbers Of pupils
including the nigh schools, are provided
with nreproOf sLalrWays ana ample
exits
This is true Of all OF the eight-roOm
buildings. except those noted and al OF
The larger ones. The high schools, IN
which are housed the greater numberS
Of pupils are each provided with several
iron or slate stalrways and numerous
exits.
Third. Few of our buildings are Of
greater height than two stories.
Fourth All buildings are directly con-
necteG with fire alarm headquarters Dy
Firth. All exterior doors commonly
used as exits by pupils open outward
with two exceptions.
I'm force for number of years require
that all outside doors shall be unioched
and unbolted during school sessions
that fire drills shall be had every Two
weeks without warning; that interior
doors. those of cloak rooms and schooi
rooms shall not only be unlocked, Dut
OPEN during. school hours, and mat JAM
tors shall not permit the accumulation
OF waste paper or other intiamTnable
materials. especially in Easements.
have no doubt that the rigid N
IL d Y
made by the Board or EQucallcil
a committee Of Congress, VIII reveal
any unsupported condition OF Danger
90 the inmates Of school buildings which
should result I'm an early appropriation
by Congress Of money suHlclent 10
speedily correct the worst conditions
Estimates already in the hands or the
Appropriations Committees call Tor the
erection OF buildings to supeTsede the
Thomson, Garfield, Johnson Annex, and
Potomac schools. and buildings are now
either appropriated for or begun Wnlch
VIII make It possible TO vacate the MotE
and Mccormick.
Rented Buildings Poor.
have made no detailed reference to
the dehciences Of rented buildings, Tor
It may be said without qualification that
no building rented by the District for
school purposes is adapted TO such uses,
either from the standpoint OF eouven-
fence or safety. Few OF the proper les,
however, are more than two stores and
none OF them contain am great num-
Der of pupils at any one time. being used
for manual training and cooking, etc.
None Of these rented properties IS
sufficiently provided with safe stai-ways
in the event OF an alarm of any kind.
An unusual demand for rented rooms
for school uses has been caused within
the last two years by the operation
of the compulsory attendance law and
the legal requirement that no 7chOol
above the second grade shall be a half
day school This has made Il necessary
10 rent many outside buildings Tor tenn
porary use, none OF which, as l have
stated are fully adapted 10 the puT-
poses Of the school
j call your special attention 10 reports:
OF Supervising Principal Black in re-
gard to the conditions at the PetWOrth
Annex and the rented room occupied
by q kindergarten at BrlghtWOOd Park.
OF Supervising Principal Patterson Of
conditions in Frankling and Thomson
Schools and inadequate IRE escapes.
OF Supervising Principal Clark Of con-
ditions at Johnson Annex and Berret
and the need Of ireprOOfiug OF ceiling
over boilers in the Force and Grant
Schools and in the Johnson. over the
pipes conveying hot air from furnaces.
OF Supervising Principal Kramer Of
conditions IN the Beuning School.
OF Supervising Principal kimbaN as
10 the stairway OF Jhe Dent School.
OF Supervising Principal Johnson as
20 a stairway IN the Crdnch School.
or Principal WestcOtt as to arrange
meuts for boiling outside doors.
Of Principal Wilson as to JnpTOteCt-
ed floor over a furnace in the Central
High School.
or Principal Davis as 10 a suitable fire
signal in the Business High School, and
certain changes in basement door.
Most of these I have mentioned in the
former part Of this report.
C,ro-.-4s~-- g. V---,~,,-.v,o,A
make the following suggestions:
First.-In many buildings the outside
doors are not exactly opposite the
stairways leading thereto. In Place Of
door directly opposite the lowest
landing, there is usually a window in
tended TO furnish light to the stair
way.
This. although apparently necessary
Tor purposes of light, is an element Of
danger in case of a panic. and could
possibly be corrected by Ringing this
window as an emergency doorway, thus
giving the pupils straight course out
3 OF the building.
Second.-Storm doors should not be
built except where absolutely necessary,
aud care should be exercised in pro-
VidinE safe outlets therefrOm.
Third.-Air checks should he placed
on all outside doors 10 close them
2 when unlocked and unbOlted.
BOurth--There are instances where
an outside basement door let's directly
into a girls water closet, which, for
D. obvious reasons, ought not to be left
unlocked. such doors should be fur
nished with spring latches to be opened
from within in case of emergency.
So far as it is within their power,
] believe you viii find, on the part of
3 officers and teachers, a willing spirit
. of cooperation with the board in all
Efforts looking to the safeguarding OF