The Washington herald., 1911-11-17

moro syseematic nre drills. Maj. Judson
said that the students at the Mckinley
school are at present in such q fright
ened condition that he would not be
surprised to hear that me bursting Of
an automobile tire near the building had
caused a panic there.
Following the ghastly Collingwood fire
on March 4, 1908, great alarm was
caused In most OF the large cities Of the
country as to conditions in school build
ings. In Washington a schoolhouse COM
mission was appointed to investigate
conditions and to report as to whether
there was any fire risk In the District
structures. The commission consisted of
two Of the best builders and three Of the
most ef1cient architects in the city. The
commission submitted a report on De-
cember IA, 1908, recommending that GER
tain changes be made to minimize the
fire risk
Iron StaIrways Built.
Since the report OF the commission
there have been annual appropriations
for conducting the line Of work suggested.
These appropriations, as stated in The
Washington Herald yesterday morning,
now aggregate SIS, 200. BY means Of the
appropriations iron stairways have been
constructed in forty buildings. Forty
one ash and fuel vaults have been pro-
vided. In fifty-four cases new exits have
been furnished or old ones have been i'm
proved. In twenty-nine cases ceilings
over heating apparatus have been fire.
proofed. One hundred and forty-five fire
gongs have been installed and 45o fire ex-
tinguishers have been purchased.
In the District estimates for the next
fiscal year, which were recently COM
Apleted, the Commissioners have included
an item Of $4,000 for continuing the work
suggested by the commission.
To-day" said Commissioner Judson,
our buildings are in a safe condition II
properly used and cared for.
"As regards the fire risk, they are
safer than the buildings Of other cities
and safer than they have been here at
any time in the past. All buildings re-
Gently constructed or now building are
freproofed to the roof.
st. Louis Experience.
The leading schoolhouse architect in
America is Mr.. William B. Ittner, Of st.
Louis. He never places fire escapes upon
school buildings, lest they suggest to the
children the dangers incident to fire, and
induce panic. In st. Louis, under Mr..
timers leadership the children are
taught that there is no danger to them
whatever in case of fire, and that they
can proceed in an orderly manner out OF
the building by the exits provided. Thus
the danger from panic-which is the real
danger in such cases-is minimized."
In Boston, for many years the work has
been conducted systematically and upon
somewhat the same lines as those we
have adopted here in Washington, and
because a great deal Of time and atten-
ton has been devoted to schoolhouse
work. Furthermore, schoolhouse require
ments in Boston and in the District Of
Columbia are very similar.
Against Fire Escapes.
snowden Ashford, municipal architect,
believes that no money should be expend-
ed for providing the school buildings with
fire escapes. He thinks that instead the
money should be used for improving the
customary exits.
AS inspector of buildings" said Mr..
Ashford In his annual report for the fis-
cal year ended June 30, 1910, 'I recon-
mend that no money be expended in the
erection OF fire escapes at the schools,
but that the funds be expended in i'm
provement of the interior arrangement
Of buildings"
THE Mckinley Manual Training
School," declared Commissioner Judson,
''is one Of our most perfect buildings as
regards fireproof construction There is
no danger whatever in case Of fire in
that building except from panic. Panics
may occur everywhere. even in the open
air, as one did occur in recent years in
Russia on the occasion Of the coronation
of a Gar. when some thousands Of peo-
pie were crushed to death.
THE boilers in the Mckinley Manual
Training School are of safety water-tube
construction, and the worst thing that
could happen there would be the blowing
out of tube. which would injure no
one. The fire escape upon that building
is for the use of the fire department in
saving property.
II hope that neither the parents nor the
children will permit themselves to be
alarmed. They should remember that II
panics occur in perfectly safe buildings
they most often are due to states of mind
that result from unfortunate publications,
or from the recollection of what has oc-
CURED elsewhere under absolutely diff
ferent conditions.
To Improve Drills.
THE one way in which the school au-
thorities can mitigate the harm done
by the recently published panic-inducing
reports is to increase the number and
improve the character Of their fire drills,
while assuring the children that they
are never in any danger whatever from
fire.
TT would be a great pity IL a need
less scare at this time should be the cause
of unnecessary school expenditures in
certain directions, thus making more diff
cult the provision of funds for such
laudable purposes as school-teacher's
retirement fund and higher salaries for
certain school officials
Capt. James F. Oyster, president Of
the board Of education. yesterday visited
three OF the high schools to witness fire
drills, and to ascertain II there were any |
danger from panic.
school Not a Firetrap.
Capt. Oyster was delighted with the
fire drills. He said that in his opinion |
there was absolutely no danger Of panic |
among the students Fire drills are held |
frequently and the pupils know exactly |
what to do at the sound Of the sonorous |
gong. Yesterday there was not the |
slightest confusion. The pupils filed out |
Of the building in perfect order.
Mr.. Daniel yesterday ridiculed the as
sertion embraced in the report to the
effect that the Mckinley School was a |
aretrap. The principal said that there |
Is not enough inf1ammable material in |
the construction OF the building to make |
q decent bonfire.