Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-28
VISITS FIVE SCHOOLS
Commission Examines Closely
Into Fire Conditions.
OIL is FOUND IN CELLARS
Paint Cans and varnish ip Closet at
Wilson Building!
THE ESCAPES HARD TO REACH
High Windows Between Classrooms
and Platform at the Miner
School. al
OIL is FOUND IN CELLARS
THE ESCAPES HARD TO REACH

Exits. Are escapes and the places %
storage OF oil, ashes, wood and coal were
particularly noted by the members of the
school commission on their tour OF in
spec.ion of the public schools today.
Four buildings now in use and one
building nearing completion were inspect
ed by the commission today. The old
buildings visited were the Miner, 18th and
Church streets: Adams. r street near
New Hampshire avenue: Wilson. 18th
street near Euclid street. and the Denni-
son. street between 18th and 14th
streets. The new building visited was tho
sixteen-room Henry d. Cook School on
nth street near Euclid street
Starting from the District building at
1890 o'clock. the commission members
were driven to the Franklin School.
There they requested private interview
with Hugh McQueeney. the superintend-
ent OF janitors. They were closeted with
him for half an hour.
The first building visited was the Miner
School. This is three-story. ten-room
building. equipped throughout with
wooden stairways, which have wooden
balustrades on one side and wooden
wainscoting on the other.
Fire Escapes Hard to Reach.
Prior to the past summer there were
no fire escapes on the structure and the
wooden steps were the only means OF
exit from the second and third floors
Now there are two fire escapes on the
structure-one in front and one In the
rear. Not single window OF a class
room leads onto the platform OF the fire
escape, and in case Of fire the pupils
must rush into small cloakrooms and
then climb through the high windows to
reach the fire escape.
Rest aC tine be
was learned here, a galvanized partition
was put in during the summer to replace
wooden one that ran near the fur
naces and separated the girls and boys
lars which hold up the first floor and
which are close to the furnace doors are
still unprotected.
Doors Open Heavily.
Under the wooden stairs leading to the
side exits from the first floor. II was
found. Is closet with wooden benches,
shelves and some furniture supplies and
tools. At the side doors OF the school
are double doors. but examination by
members of the commission this morning
showed that one-half Of these two side
doors worked SO hard that a child could
not open them. The floor around the main
hallway was apparently soaked with oil
floor dressing
AT the ADAMS ScnOOl the commission
made only brief stop. 1t spent some
time in one Of the basement rooms. where
were stored coal, wood. old benches and
other furniture. and a workbench and
tools for making repairs. Here 1t was
also found that the ash bin was under
the stairs leading to the side exit from
the first floor. and this ash bin had a
wooden partition to keep the ashes inside.
was a high wooden wainscoting on both
Sides There are no fire escapes on the
structure.
The new Henry d. Cook building was
visited next There are sixteen classrooms
in the structure. and 1t is designed to ac-
commodate $40 pupils, and three exits are
provided, and not one OF them leading to
the outside without abrupt turns AT the
front exit, 1t was explained by a workman
In charge. a wide stairway will lead down
from in front Of the entrance door to the
basement.
On each side of this, with a passageway
Of not more than three feet, Will be
the flight of stairs down from the
first floor. Directly in front OF the land
ing at the bottom Is the easement OF the
door. 1t being In front of the basement
stairway in the middle.
Angle at Foot Of Steps.
The other exits are at the side OF the
edifice. and pupils must make right
angle turn after going down the stairs
before they can get to the outside door.
These side exits, which are at the end OF
corridors running parallel to the street
the entire width of the building, afford
the other means Of exit from the second
floor, where II Is expected 10 accomino-
date 800 pupils.
At the Wilson school 1t was found that
the two side exits from the first floor
were made only about half the size they
could be made because of q large and
supposedly ornamental door casing. A
wooden bin, 1t was found. has been built
partially around the furnace to make
convenient place to put small supply
of coal A lot Of cans Of oil. paint and
varnish was found in a closet under one
of the stairways.
At the Dennison School. where the last
stop was made, the commission members
looked long at perpendicular ladder that
was intended as fire escape on the front
Of the structure.