The Washington times., 1914-04-25
CObURN PLAYERS IN
SCHOOL FIRE INQUIRY
s toring Costumes and Scenery
at Western High Declared
Violation of Law.

inquiry into the granting permission
L the Coburn Players to store their
snery and costumes in the Western
fSh School building is expected to fol-
] " the frse that caused 500, 200 damage
T. that structure.
Complaints have been made by George
:, Nn residents of this use of the school
h ,ilding. One citizen and taxpayer, ].
Muir, said today, 1T appears that
4 fire started soon after these cos
{ mes were deposited there. Might not
this disaster have been caused by the
csreless dropping of a cigarette, or a
h rning match, by some of the men in
crarge of the storage of the prop
erties?''
While this theory of the origin of the
e is not held by school officials they
viii look into the authority the Coburn
layers had for using the school build
irg for storage purposes.
II was pointed out that the law ex-
essly forbids the use of school build
i"gs for any other than school purposes,
and this prohibition is reiterated in the
Foard of Education rules.
Il know nothing of the storage of
the costumes and scenely in the build
Ing" said Superintendent Thurston.
1 did not give permission for such
storage, nor did / know any had been
asked until I saw in the papers that
the goods had been ruined by the fire."
ire Marshal Nicholson today was in
ned TO the theory that the blaze origi-
ted in the chemical laboratories. The
j nitor and his assistants testified that
gas had been turned off in the
i4sement before the building was
I osed. This discounts the earlier
,aeory that a light had been left burn
a. in the laboratory.
organization of the pupils of Western
\ and Fillmore schools will be made
b tween today and Monday, and classes
J sumed regularly on Tuesday, accord
J. : to the announcement of Superin-
1 ndent E L. Thurston today.
Western High School pupils and
T. culty will be assembled at the Busi-
SIS High School Monday morning at
o'clock, where the programs will be
\ ven out and classes assigned TO
-"oms in buildings available. The
eusiness. and Central. certain classes
p. ing assigned for chemistry. physics.
I'D biology when the laboratories at
csc schools are available.
Snowden Ashford, municipal archi-
- I. is now at work on estimates for a
W school. and the opinion is advanced
hat II an emergency appropriation
rom Congress is Immediately available
rebuilt Western High School can be
coupled by January /. 1915
The schools have been overcrowded
since the beginning of the year, and
the problem of housing more than 900
0Gpils will be met as satisfactorily as
0ss!ble. The assembly hall and several
ass rooms at the Franklin will be oc-
Cupied by the Westerners. and it is
expected the primary school and kinder
garten classes there now will be moved
to the J. Ormond Wilson Normal School
I Offers of help continue to pour into
the Franklin. Private schools have Of
Tered class rooms and teachers for i'm
ediate use.
All difficulties and problems can be
Eafely handled by the Board of Educa-
on, according to the announcement
a statement is looked for from Henry
= Blair. president OF the board. and
Superintendent Thurston today relative
= plans for rebuilt high school,
The Western High School faculty is
eing called together al the Fillmore
~chool this afternoon. All the records
4 the institution are there intact, and
'fncipal Edith c. Westcott expects to
ave everything in working order for a
sumption of work Tuesday morning
IL planned to hold first-year classes
. the Fillmore, and the second, third.
I'd fourth-year pupils either at the
ranklin or at the new normal school.