New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-11
WILL PUSH TRUST SUITS SCHOOLS TO Be SAFER
Fire Commissioner Orders
Changes for 814 of Them.
WILL ENFORCE NEW LAW
No Cellar Shall Open Into Build
ing Proper and All Doors
Must Swing Out.

The Fire Department, through Com
missioner Johnson, served notice on the
Board Of Education on Saturday to put
the public schools OF this city In better
condition to guard against Are. A total
OF 5s7 public school buildings in greater
New York are affected by these orders.
| which were issued under the new fire pre-
yention law Important changes In
number OF the buildings will have to be
made in order to conform with the law
| Among the changes to be made by order
| OF the Fire Department are having All
cellar entrances altered, so that no cellar
shall open into the school building proper
but have approaches only from the out
side.
Besides issuing orders affecting pubic
school buildings. the Bureau of Fire IRE
vention has issued violation orders against
2Z5 other schools In the five boroughs. Or
these, 1876 are parochial schools aud 81 are
private schools.
The. ordprs relative to the public school
DullulHE5 were StlNNu "
johnson upon Egerton L. Winthrop, Jrr
president Of the Board OF Education.
Deputy and battalion chiefs OF the FIRE
Department made the inspection OF
schools during the vacation period. OF
total of 647 school buildings examined, It
was found that sixty had either compiled
with the safety regulations or we're unoc-
cupied.
Public School 2. at No. lG Sheriff
street and the Washington Irving High
School annex, at No. l+6 Grand street,
lead in the number OF violations hled
| against them, with ten each These VIOLA
tons refer to the changing of al doors
| to open outwardly, removal OF ruboish'
| removal OF distractions from fire escapes
the providing Of hreprooi doors for all
fire escapes, and others equally important
The Washington Irving High School,,
at 18th and nth streets and Irving Place,
| however. is one OF the schools against
which no recommendation" have been
| filed.
In a letter sent with his report TO Presi-
dent Winthrop, Commissioner Johnson
also incIosed copy OF the fire prevention
law, with an opinion by the Corporation
Counsel constituting the powers Of the Fire
! Commissioner under this law
In speaking about his orders to the
| President of tho Board OF Education.
| Commissioner johnson said that the new
fire laws and the opinion OF the Corpora
ton Counsel placed the responsibility for
fire peril squarely upon his shoulders. and
Il seemed to him there could be nothing
more important than to make a thorough
examination of ali school buildings. hous-
ing as they do more than seven hundred
thousand children.
AN order has been issued for FIRE drill
IN every school, Notwithstanding the de-
partment is aware that such drills are
already conducted with great efficiency.
said tho Commissioner. In these cases,
however, the Fire Department regulations
| for holding @ drill are furnished. In the
matter Of interior alarm system and d.
| rect telesraphic communication With Fire
| Headquarters, they have been ordered
wherever they have been found wanting
These orders have been issued in no
spin, OF criticism against the Board OF
Education or It's building bureau, because
the FYre Department readily comedies
| that ire Board OF Education desires the
| utmost safety for the children. Neverthe-
! less, the responsibility OF the Fire De-
/ partment is plain under the law. At the
same time, Il must be understood that
compliance with these orders will be en-
forced IN the same manner as against
| other vlolators OF the new fire law.
1T goes without saying that the parents
and guardians OF New York City's chill
dren have a right 10 know Of fire and
panic conditions in schools TO which their
! children are sent. This can only be done
by publicity through the public press"