Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-17
LEADS OTHER CITIES
School Plumbing Here Better
Than in Other Places.
INSPECTOR DAVIS REPORT
Visited Buildings in Chicago, Omaha,
Pittsburg and Cleveland.
DRINKING WATER
Prefers Tile or Asphalt Floors to
Concrete-Expects Good Results
From Municipal Architect.

In comparing the plumbing | saw in
Omaha and Chicago and including Pitts
burg and Cleveland. the fixtures used IN
the schools of this city are far IN ad-
vance," says Inspector of Plumbing Da-
Wis in a report regarding his recent IN
spection trip, which he had submitted to
the District Commissioners and which VIII
also be sent to the board of education.
Other cities are experimenting with
different types of fixtures which L dis
carded some years back he says. land
am written to constantly for descrip-
ton of our school fixtures and they are
being used in number of cities.
Drinking Fountains.
Il believe the policy of providing drink
ing fountains on each floor and in the
basement for boys and girls is better than
to provide them only in the basement IS
in the schools L visited, or not to pro-
vide them at ALL as will be seen from the
accompanying letter, relating to school
plumbing at Oak Park, III. The continu-
Gus flowing bubble fountain for drinking
used here is far ahead of the intermittent
flowing drinking fountain or the one with
cup Other cities seem to be expert
menting with the last named type while
we experimental with them and discard
| ed them for the continuous flowing fOun-
| tain some time ago Ice water being sup
| piled to drinking fountains is an innova-
| ton and is possible in new buildings
/! Il submit some other features of plumb
| ing and construction gained by my visit
which may be of use and could be con-
| Sidered in our new buildings.
Tile or Asphalt Floors.
| 1.-The use of tile or asphalt floors fol
| toilet rooms and asphalt floors for halls
and basement floors instead of concrete
/! is also to be commended, first, because
asphalt is less noisy and easy to the
| feet; second, because it is not necessary
| to cut into squares and have grooves filled
with dirt and filth, and it is not SO liable
| to crack like concrete and cement OF
powder: third it is waterproof and offers
| less opportunity for using poor materia
and workmanship than cement work and
| is more satisfactory in every way. The
| asphalt stair tread for stairs is superior
| to the slate or iron treads used here on
| stairs as they are less noisy and do not
wear away like slate and are less slip
| perry.
Much more attention is given to floors
and wall surfaces in other cities to make
| them impervious than has in the pas
been given in our schools except in
| few cases, unglazed hexagon tile and as
phalt being used on the floors, vitrifleo
| brick and marble wainscot, with smooth
| finish plastered walls and ceilings paint
| ed with enamel paint.
THE only suggestion / can offer which
would improve the condition would be tC
| form a cove in asphalt at the junction
| of the floor and wainscot. to get ric
| Of the joint of wainscot at the floor
| line which harbors dirt and is almost
| impossible to keep clean. Vitrified brown
| brick wainscot 6 feet high in corridors
| and stair halls in place of plaster OIL
wood is a distinct advance n construc-
| ton.
Novel Feature in Ventilation.
"Another feature in ventilation noticed
at the new Tilton School, Chicago, is the
making of the cloakroom a part of the
classroom it being three feet deep an6
provided with three upward-sliding doors
which do not come closer to the floor thar
one foot. The vent register for classrooms
| is located in the cloakroom in f1ue, ano
all the vitiated and heated air is drawn
out of the classroom under the doors OF
| the cloakroom. This heated air assists in
drying wraps and removing doors from
| clothing of the children. but it necessarily
| causes the dust and germs and vitiated
air in the schoolroom to pass by and set
| tie on the chldren's clothing before being
drawn out of the room. and. while it has
some good features, it seems to me a
questionable practice and may interfere
with the proper ventilation of the class.
! room.
No Damp Easements.
"One exceedingly good feature of the
| Chicago schools is that the buildings are
almost entirely out of the ground. which
practice does away with the many damp
basement rooms so noticeable in our
older schools.
Another feature is the ample room
provided in the boiler and engine rooms
and the rooms set aside for storing coal
| ashes and wood, something which is lack
ing. particularly in our old schools.
The municipal architect provided in
this years appropriation bill will do for
this city what similar professional man
has done and is doing in Chicago. Any
man who devotes all his time to study
and work out problems. particularly on
school construction. is better adapted to
do his work in more scientific manner.
less liable to make mistakes. than man
who only occasionally designs a school
or other municipal building, but such a
man TO do his work right must have able
assistants and craftsmen"