The evening world., 1908-03-07

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have time and time again appealed to
the Board OF Education to replace No
lo7. Promises have been made. but
thus far there has been no realization.
1t lisa sre-trap and should be torn
down.
A visit to Public School No. II. at No.
3li West Seventeenth street. would
amaze the average New Yorker. II was
built in 1854 The first hoor mas the
appearance OF a dungeon. and through
out the building lacks the wholesome
air of an up-to-date New York school
house.
Principal John H Grotecloss believes
the school could be emptied before hie
reached the children. 1t is house OF
many doors. And all the doors are OF
wood. The floors are worn and soft,
and the main assembly room is sub
divided into six class rooms. These
rooms are formed by sliding doors eight
feet in width, which run in grooves. ana
these partitions are like 50 much .urn-
Der stored in a room.
There is a rear ire-cscape. and one
on the east side OF The school. Five
doors lead 70 the street. The main
centre staircase Is wood An elaborate
fire signal arrangement is displayed in
each classroom and II is the nearest
approach to u Chinese puzzle that one
might expect to meet IN weeks
travel.
elilt When Munroe Was President.
school No. 4 should come in for
nm immediate investigation by the
authorities. II was built in the
year 1919. when James Monroe
was President of the United states.
II Is at RiyInGton, Ridge and Pitt
streets, and that section was "A
suburb of old Manhattan when
No. was In its infancy.
Old No. 3, nt Hudson and Grove
streets. ia another landmarks. The
date of its opening Is given In the
official report Of the Board OF
Education nv the year 1921. Tint
additions and improvements have
still unsafe.
Every schoolhouse door In New York
is expected 10 open outwardly toward
the street In case Of FIRE, when every
one Is excited and confused (. would
add 10 the danger If doors opened in
wardly, for the reason that jam
against the door might prevent its be.
ing opened at all.
Doors Open lnWardIy, the Wrong
Way.
At Grammar School No Is, at No l2l
East Fifty-first street, some Of the class
room doors open inwardiy. This should
be remed!ed at once II the rules 0! de-
partInent are observed
~ admit that the floors of my
school would go up like Gunpow-
der in case of fire. wns the
startling statement of Principal
Bur1is c. Magic, "Dut we have the
fire drill down TO perfection. Nov
ing pictures of the fire drill nt
No. rs are exhibited at exposi-
tions. The main stntrcase Is wood,
so are the class partitions. hut !
believe we could escape II blaze
was discovered in reasonable
Simc."
No. is is another fire trap. 1t was
erected in lS,5, and to-day has an aver
age daily attendance of more than a
thousand The hanways are dark the
exits badiy arranged, and the fixtures
are not fireproof. The annex Of No lS
thorties once condemned the annex
Although there are fifty school build
ings in New York worse off for wear.
poorer ventilated and with less means
Of escape from fire than there are at No.
=. In No, 2uN East Forty second street
this latter building has been vacated
for school purposes. The new school
adjoining is model Of the splendil
fireproof modern buildings which are
now erected by the school authorities
No. Y was built forty-five years ago
and has been rebuilt once since Yet
II S now vacated. and right in the
neighborhood there are worse struc-
lures IN use.
These Schools Need Immediate At
tention.
Two schopls on the west side which
should have the immediate attention OF
the fire authorities are No. 81 at No.
81 West Thirty-flfth street and No
u, at No. 335 West Forty seventh street.
Each has a big attendance OF children
ranging from six TO twelve years in
age.
There Is frame mansion fltty-five
years old in use as public elementary
school in Harlem. 1t Is No. 1863 and
Miss Anna v Mccarthy is the pT,n-
cipal. The school is No. JO9 East one
Hundred and Twentieth street one
look at the ramshackle structure would
serve to show that II would make
lovely election day bonfire.
The building II VI wood through
out. There Is no pretense M max
ing IL near tireproofi there are no
steel exit- or emergency or safety