The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-25
EARF|E[D SCHOOL GIVEN
: BLACK EYE IN REPORT

so by childre en-.
The stairways leading to the second
and third floors are very poorly ar
! ranged and are dangerous to an ex-
IRENE in the event Of fire or panic.
The stairway leading from the first
to the second floor has a landing a
short distance below the level of the
sscond floor upon which landing is
discharged all of the pupils Of the
second and third floors, forming a
very dangerous point of congestion.
The stairway leading from the second
to the third floor is entirely too ste sp
for the use of children, but that de-
feet is completely overshadowed by
the dangerous condition caus I'd by
the winding steps extending the
greater part of the length of the stair
ways and making the passing UP and
down these stairs under normal con-
ditions, hazardous, to say nothing Of
the result in event of panic or fire.
Fire Escape is Faulty.
The fire escape on the building,
while perhaps meeting with the re-
quirements of the state law, would be
OF small service in a fire. The means
Of access to the fire escape are
through windows three feet above the
floor and reached by two, steps hay
ing rises OF eighteen Inches each.
The windows are difficult to open,
making access to the fire escapes ex-
tremely difficult. TIL en- the construc-
ton of the fire escape itself is dan
platforms and treads being spaced so
far apart that the heel of shoe can
pass between them thus creating
great danger Of falling in descending
in a hurry But the worst defect in
connection with thu fire escape is
that it crosses window openings,
which would render it entirely useless
in the event of fire on that side Of
this building.
Window Area Too Small.
The window area in each Of the
class rooms, and more especially the
large room on the third floor. is en-
IlISly wv LII pAopSiSioA W tAS
floor area of the room, making the
rooms dark, and we understand that
on dark days it is necessary to use
artificial light in some of the rooms.
This defect in the building is very
serious one in its effsct upon the
class work and personal health OF
the pupils, to say nothing OF the cost
io1 1iohfinO
The heating boiler is located under
the front part of the building with
doorway adjoining the boiler and lead
ing into the space directly under the
front entrance. The fuel room is sur
rounded by a light franz partition,
and the. ceiling of the fuel room Is
not fire proof in any manner.
The toilet rooms in the basement
are poorly lighted and ventilated. The
boys toilet being more defective IN
this respect than the girls toilet; but
the stairway leading to the girls toilet
is extremely steep, making it danger
Gus to use.
Insanitary Conditions.
The WOODEN "alHSCOtlusS III IHo
halls and class rooms are insanitary,
and would be difficult to properly
fumigats in the event Of contagious
disease in the school.
The height of the stories Of the
building being so great, they require
an excessive amount Of fuel In heat
ing the building, constant expense.
In our Judgment there is no man
ner by which the dangerous stairway
leading to the third story can be
rem sdied within the present confines
Of the building, and it is also our
Judgment that to build an addition to
the building sufficient % allow for
the proper arrangement of the stair
ways or to provide additional class
rooms to take the place of the class
rooms in the third story would be
such a large proportion of the cost OF
a new building that in consideration
OF the age of the pres snt building and
+,,o ooSt nj lSeeDinp it in repair, 1t