The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-27
StratfOrd Inspectors Find Centre School
 Public Menace
School Board Orders Change to Comply With the Law Fire Marshal Limits Attendance in Assembly Hall to 125-School Au- thorities Will Obey.
Special to The Farmer.)

Special to The Farmer.) Stratford, Jan. 27-The town school
 committee has capitulated and will ! submit to the regu ations imposed by i no repetition of the crowd in the as-
 sembly hall of the High School, and electric lights will be installed Be sides this, additional fire esca pes will be constructed and other changes 1 made which will reduce the danger to
 the pupils from fire.
 On Monday, Fire Marshal Alan
 Judson and State Policeman Rowe Wheeler inspected the building, and
 this is their report:
 ''On the night of Jan. 18th, at an
 the assembly hail. $50 people were crowded into the hall, leaving hardly standing room. The inspectors found ! seats for only 100 in the room. They found that on the night in question that only small lamp placed on a table on a landing of the stairs lead ing to the third floor gave light for l those passing in and out of'the assem- ing rooms were lighted by two lanterns and that three dangerous kerosene l lamps gave light in the assembly room. To reach the hall on the third floor it is necessary to ascend 10 steps, turn on a landing, then eight steps with a turn and landing, then five steps and turn
 "On the second floor they found the school rooms provided with only one door. The windows are so high above the floor in these rooms that the chill dren in the grades which occupy them could not escape from them in case
 'In the cellar the floors and joist directly over the furnaces are unp-o- tected. a condition which is certainly inexcusable.
 ''There are not enough fire escapes on the building to answer the law or to provide an adequate means of es- cape from the building in case of fire.''
 The deductions drawn from this in spection and the events which preced- ed it are that the children who have at- tended this school have been subject ed to unnecessary peril and that only good fortune has prevented holo- caust.
 The matter has been brought before shal, and super: r:ntendent of the State police. In obedience to his order the inspection was made. Alan Judson, fire marshal and chief of the fire de- partment of this town, is the repre- sentative of the State fire marshal in this town and is next to him in au- thority here. His orders are as bind ing as those of his superior in this town. He has limited the attend ance at any gathering in this hall to 125, and any violation of this rule will make the violators amenable to the law.
 Section 2e, Acts of 1909, Bill No 85s, gives specific instructions concerning the conduct of theatres, halls, and given in the assembly room violated this law. Section 239, Acts Of 1911, provides that ins buildings of two stor- ies there must be more than one way of egreSs.
 The school authorities have com pletely changed their position since they have had time to look the mat ter up, and they no longer assert that 1 nT1ln fV1 kh0 sembly hal if they wish and defy the fire marshal
 The school committee has ordered electric. lights all over the. Center one source of peril. They have an appropriation of $1,4OO for repairs which will be used for an additional fire escape, to protect the floors over the furnace by a sheathing of metal and to make the building as safe as possible.
 essary to say that he had no intent on of Jeopardizing the lives of anyone at the entertainment given for the piano fund. Although freely advertised no to attend any entertainment given in the assembly room. He expected no more on the evening in question, and was surprised at the large attendance. established by the fire marshal and limiting the attendance at the coming entertainments to the number fixed by the marshal.
 The matter is still before State Fire Marshal Eagan, and what action he will take is not yet known. He has expressed himself as astounded at the defiance offered his department, and the conditions reported existing in a school house in this town.
 The report of the inspection really means that something like 400 chill dren have been shut up in a fire trap for six hours every day for years and that peop'e who have attended enter ing have risked their lives in doing SO.
 The inspectors assert that the Gen. ter school has always been in d dan gerous condition The unprotected floors over the furnace upon which many days and which could easily have caught fire, the crooked stairs which would have potted victims rushing down the stairs in a panic, the inadequacy of the fire escapes, the kerosene lamns in the assembly hall and on fIimsy tables easily broken in a rush, were all menaces to the lives of people in the build ing.
 In his report to the town school the schools here in October, Prof. Kelsey took note of all these things and suggested remedies. In addition he found conditions in the cloak rooms he remedied them himself. The cloak rooms were dark ard 1t was neces- sary to use g kerosene lamp to light the. pupils while they were obtaining their clothing He installed e,ec'ric danger was eliminated.
 STAMFORD WOMEN TO