Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-11
FIRE DRILLS MAKE
UNSAFE SCHOOL
HOUSES SECURE
Education Board President Says
Buildings Are Emptied in
Five Minutes.

TT is true that there will always be
the element of danger from fire IN the
school houses of Newark until they are
all fre-proof-and it is true, that many
of them are not fire-proof now. But
where the Board of Education has not
yet had time nor money to tear dUwn
the dangerous buildings and put up
1re-ptoof buildings in their stead, they
have inaugurated a system offfire drills
that makes the danger of loss of life
by fire actually less in any Newark
school than in any of the private homes
of the various residents who are always
finding something to criticise."
This retort came today from Presi-
dent Frederick Guild, of the Board of
Education, in. answer to the West Side
and Clinton Hill associations, which
last night declared that the Waverly
Avenue. the South Tenth Street, the
Camden Street, were overcrowded, had
inadequate protection against fire and
not even the proper appliances to fight
a fire when 1t should start.
IT don't know about these three
schools particularly" said Mr.. Guild.
al know they are of the older sort,
they should be fireproof, but when they
say that the overcrowding by 800 chill
dren in the Camden Street School
places it in extra danger of fire they
don't realize what they're talking
about, for the children come to school
on part time, and at no time is there
dangerous overcoming. Part time for
pupils Is really a worse menace than
the fire danger there, and If the people
of Newark understood how the Board
of Education has made safe its un-
fireproof schools through the fire drill
there would be less irresponsible criti-
cism.
III I had my way-if the Board OF
Education had its way-it would have
new schools in place of the Market,
Chestnut, Camden and Clinton
before the year is III And those
new schools would be fireproof.
Handicapped in Many Ways.
But we've had to work within our
means in,the first place and in the sec
ond place we've had to contend with
a great number of old, ~antiquated
school buildings that weren't fire-proof
when they We're built because fire.
proofing wasn't used then. So, while
we are putting up new buildings as
fast as we a we have prodded prin-
cipals, superintendent, teachers and
even janitors to the point where we
think there is less danger from fire
in even the Newark school houses that
they are complaining about than in
the ordinary private home. We car
get the children out of any school
ho,eo In Nnu-a rlr IN f1xya f11in1foc-oF
seven under the greatest stress. Is
there n private citizen of Newark
who can be sure that his entire family
will escape so soon, If his house starts
to burn?"
President Guild said that the Board
of Education would, as always, be glad
to take UP the criticisms of the two
associations hat met last night and
adopted resolutions criticising the fire
protection facilities of their particular
schools.
In the Clinton Hill Association the
action took the form of In investiga-
tion which will be conducted by the as
sociation's school committee. The
question was raised as to Just how
much protection the schools have
against fire and the complaint was
maze tnat none OF the Old ScnOUiS are
equipped with fire eXtinguishers.
The board was also censured by the
Clinton Hill Association for the delay
in the South Side High School work.
The West Side Association also COM
planned against the alleged lack of
police protection in West Side Park
and will communicate with the Essex
County Park Commission at once.
Speaking of the report submitted to
the West Side Improvement Associa-
ton John B. Brasser said:
Found Giarins Faults.
MIR. Abr and I went through three
schools, Waverly Avenue, Camden
Street and South Tenth Street. The
Waverly Avenue School we found in
good condition. but In the others we
found glaring faults.
1.-THE exit facing Holland street in the
South Tenth Street School we found to
be entirely too narrow. If there was a
fire there we could expect nothing short
of a panic, in that exit at least,
I'm the Camden Street School we
found about 300 pupils too many. The
place is badly overcrowded and we
ought to ave a new school there or else
have extensions built to make room for