Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-23

Newest Ideas in Sanitation,
Lighting and Ventilation
Are Provided,


public schools this afteroon the first week
teachers alike have settled down for a
good. hard years work
Reports are not yet in from the schools
to show the number Of pupils who have
been enrolled since Wednesday. 1t is ex-
pected that the number will be large.
Any overflow Of pupils the school board
expects to accommodate as soon as sew
eral new buildings and additions now I'M
der construction are completed.
Asst. Supt. P. NJ. Hughes today an
nounced tentative dates for opening new
schools as follows: Cleveland Park School,
October 1; Chevy Chase, November l.;
New Potomac, October Is. Additions will
be completed as follows: Benning School,
November 3; Brookland, November g.:
Lovejoy, October 1, and Western High
School, October /.
New Construction Up-to-Date.
New schools and additions are being
built after the most modern models. First.
last and all lifetime the chief item of i'm
portance is the health of the child. for it
is now realized. that only when the child
is in the best physical condition can it do
the best work.
For the last few years the elementary
principles OF hygiene have been taught to
the child. At the same time the school
officials have tried to give the child prac-
teal as well as theoretical demonstrations
of how it should live.
With this end in view each school which
has been erected has been studied by ex-
perienced men to determine how more
hygienic buildings could be constructed
At last the authorities believe they have
come near what they have been seeking.
Model School Building.
The new Thompson School, 18th and
l. streets northwest. is regarded as one
of the model schools Of the District. Every
attention has been given in its construc-
ton to light, ventilation and heating ia
cilities.
The halls are broad and airy. Pipes,
manipulated from the basement, insure a
constant supply Of fresh air.
These pipes are connected with large
fan which draws air from the outside
into the building. Other pipes carry off
the bad air. Besides being in the halls,
there are pipes in every room of the
building for the same purpose.
Next in Importance to air Is light This
is insured by numerous extra large win
doWs in all rooms and in the corridors.
On the north side Of the building sew
eral rooms have windows which are near
ly as long as the room is high. The ap-
pearance presented Is that Of sun par
lor. During warm weather the windows
may be thrown open. thus giving the
children the advantages of an open air
school during good weather.
To prevent the children from having
their eyes injured by too much light
same side as the windows. This idea
seems simple, yet is distinctly new, and
of the greatet Importance to the studying
children.
Concrete Floors Provided.
The floors are Of concrete, making
washing easy, while at the same time
there are no unclean cracks where deadly
disease germs may Turk. Walls and
ceilings are also of sanitary material
which can readily be cleaned.
In the basement the sides Of the walls
for about eight feet from the floor are
made of hard glazed brick. which cam
not be scratched by the children in their
play, and which can be cleaned quickly
by turning a hose on.
Emergency toilets are placed on each
floor, the plumbing being in all cases
the most up-to-date known. In the toilet
bowls are smaller than those in the other
parts of the building, so that the little
ones can reach them
1t is believed that these new features
will aid greatly in stopping the spread
of the disease, and will at the same
time teach the children to take pride in
the matter of personal cleanliness.
In the Central. Eastern and Technical
High Schools. this year, pupils who
wish to take up metal work will be al
lowed to do SO under the direction of
the drawing departments. This work
is not new in the schools but will be
taken up on a more extensive scale
than ever before.
The work will be limited, however,
to lighter metals, such as brass and
silver. and will be Of nature that will
aid students in learning the arts of de-
signing. Many students who are in
terested in designing and metal-craft
will now be given the chance to learn
something useful and at the same time
make ornaments for their homes.