Evening journal., 1913-05-28
FIRE.TRAP SCHOOLS

VAT HEN the news Of the Colinwood school holocaust
w in Ohio flashed ove- the country FIVE years
ago it caused thrill Of horror particularly
muntes in which schools had been built along
hre-proo lines equipped properly with escapes
II Is apparent however, by statistics compiled by the
United States Bureau Education that the thrill did
not result in widespread and practical movement to
protect children in other schools from the deah-deal
ing possibilities that had existed in the ill-starred
coliinwood school. Official inquiry shows that not
withstanding the great development in schoolhouse
architecture, cities and towns In almost all sections Of
the United States continue to erect what
characterized gingerbread schoolhouses and fire.
traps" that constitute constant 10 the lives
OF school children. Would be we'll in Of the
official declaration that from Washington for
educational officials In Delaware 70 make nvestga-
ton TO ascertain how many schools there in our
own state which properly within such a eharac-
terizauon
It is pointed by the Federal Bureau of Education
that Ohio in which the CoaWood school disaster
cured is the State iB the Union that has really
complete system Of safe sohoolhouse design
and construction according table of state regula-
tions prepared by Frank Irving Cooper, the Boston
architect although several o,her States notably
Massachusetts and Kansas credited with adequate
laws against the fire peril Ohio, where the Collin
holocaust has been forgotten, a large corps
Of inspectors enforces school-buildins code that
assures safety at least as far as buildings are
concerned.
Most Communities appear be still oblivous Of the
fire risk IL schools Insurance Engineering publishes
long list OF localities in which dangerous FIRE cond
ons exist; another appalling list of school fires that
have occurred within the last fifteen months and still
another list Of cities that erecting school buildings
this year together with the significant fact as to
whether hreproof construction is specified not. Out
Of 2Ss school buildings noted for one month in 1873
only % are reported with hreproof specifications
Cities that have just had destructive school fires appear
10 be building in the old way
State regulation is coming more and more to be
considered the only way solving this other press
ing school problems In than half the States
central authority schoolhouse construction
explicitly recognized by law though II may not
be exercised. According Coopers list, 10 States
require that plans for schoohouses be hrst
escapes Seventeen States listed by Cooper
entirely without fire requirements for schools:
Arkansas, Florida Georgia Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky
Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada, New Mexico,
Oklahoma. Oregon Tennessee Texas, Wisconsin and
Wyoming II should be noted however that in many
of these States the population is mainly rural and the
fire problem is not serious
Il is pointed that the rapid spread OF the school
social-cener movement which involves extensive use
Of the school buildings by the general public outside Of
schools hours, makes il important than TO
insist upon adequate hreproof construction in schools