Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1913-07-24
SCHOOLS SHOULD
Be F|REPROOFED
Estimated That a School Fire
Occurs Each Day.
FACTS SHOULD Be NEEDED.


TO Burn and That 100000 Pupils
Arc In Peril Daily-PubIie Schools
the Safest.
Perilous conditions prevail in school
buildings of fully 400 cities of this
country. according to survey just
made by fire insurance authority. In
the published list, in which practically
every state in the Union Il represented.
II is pointed out that even In the
largest and most progressive cities
the public authorities have much work
to do to protect school children from
the dangers Of fire and panic. And
this Notwithstanding the fact that fire.
ouent inspections have been made or
are being made and improvements
continually ordered by those In au-
thority.
An analysis Of conditions surround
ing schoolhouse construction in the
United States and Canada. combined
with scrutiny Of a list of school fires
published in Insurance Engineering,
covering the years 1911 and 1912 and
two months and half Of the present
year, is the basis Of that Journals as
sertion that more than 25O.OOO school
houses in this country have been built
to burn"
Every suite in the Union and many
Canadian provinces are included in
the investigation. which comprises
nearly 400 cities. The conclusion
reached is that most of the 10000. 600
school children and students in the
roll Of cities enumerated are in con-
slant peril from fire and panic because
Of the fact that they are housed in
buildings that are fire traps.
Within the period and area covered
the estimated average Gre loss per
school fire IL placed at $4,000 In
1911 the value Of school and college
buildings destroyed BY fire was ap-
proximately $3.O0O.OO0. A considera BILE
increase over this figure was recorded
in 1912. and the prediction is made
that II something Is not done to alter
the style Of construction the fire losses
In school buildings for 1913 will be
nearer the $4.OOO.OOO mark.
Estimates Of the prevailing frequen.
cy Of fires In schools are as high as ten
q week. although the incompleteness of
the reports makes 1t impossible to place
the figures exactly. It is considered
safe to say. however, that school, col,
lege or some other sort of educational
building burns partially or completely
each day In a school year
Conditions typical OF those which OBJ
tain generally have been disclosed by
Investigations Of the state factory in.
spector In Iowa. His report showed
that one-half Of the school buildings in
that state were totally unfit for use in
one way or another. And the investi-
gators Of the education department of
the Sage foundation found the same
conditions to the schools Of the second
richest community In the United States.
The dangers are not confined by any
means to the public schools. On the
contrary. out of 265 fires counted in
PERIOD OF twenty:-seven months nearly
10 per cent were In private schools and
colleges
OvercrOWd1ng. insufficient ventilation,
unsafe heating apparatus. combustible
construction. wooden stairways and
doors swinging inward are given as the
principal sources Of danger to school
children. The most recent menace is
said to be the Introduction of motion
pictures In the schools.
Another indication that conditions
are to become rapidly worse instead of
better IL pointed out in the character
OF the specifications for school build
lngs to be erected within the present
year. 1t II asserted that only 10 per
cent OF these call for freproof construc.
uon Between Jan. !. 1913. and the
middle Of March school construction
was particularly active. In all 3SS cit
les have been named in the building
periodicals. as being engaged in erect.
ing schoolhouses. But In only a small
proportion Of cases have the authorities
shown any appreciation OF the fact
mat school buildings contribute heav-
ny to fire losses and more than any 9th
ef class Of public buildings need to be
hreprOOfed