The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
SOME FIRE PERIL IN
SCHOOLS ADMITTED
Adamson Submits Results Of In
vestigation to Mayor
Mitchell.
y .
FAULTS IN HOUSEKEEPING

In q report to Mayor Mitchell yes
terday Fire Commissioner Adamecn sub
nitted the results Of an investigation
Of the charge by Charles O. Armstrong;
owl engineer. that the public schools
are fire traps because they contain so
much wood IN their furnishings and con-
struction.
The MAYOR asked for an investigation OF
the charges last March. when articles APP
reared pointing out the alleged dangerous
conditions In summing UP his report
Commissioner Adamson says:
CIT Is not fact that every public school
building in the city IL a fire trap. Inspec-
zion of 2O3 schools showed that bad hre
conditions. due TO careless housekeeplhB'
existed in many schools and that In nu-
merrtus schools considerable wooden con-
tfructlon should be removed and the lines
OF ext, better safeguarded, tut no ground
was found which would Justify the sweep
ing characterization of all the SCHOOLS as
unsafe"
COMMISSIONS Adamson said he person
ally visited several OF the schools mem
toned by MI Armstrong where steam
ripes were covered with wooden planks'
chief Kenlon wss with him on these occa-
,Ions and although they differed with MI
Armstrong ~ to the degree Of the her
danger resulting from the wooden casings,
Mr.. Adamson wrote IN his report:
"it seemed 10 me beyond question that
the use of this CumbustOlc material in
cellars Of schools fll,d with children
where from any one of numerous causes
this wooden material might catch IRE anu
start a panic. was unvlsc ana presenter
an element of danger"
In the interest Of safety. the Commls-
sioner said, he Immediately uouhed nc
Board OF Education that the wooden
plankins must be removed and replaced
with metal covering
The most serious condition was found
in the group OF old wooden buildings at
Erasmus Hail High school Brooklyn.
Here a new school building Of modern
hreproot type has two wings which eN-
tend back from the street and very close
10 some old wooden structures which We're
the home Of the school for many years.
The original school building was built l29
years ago.
The committee aiding Commissioner
Atkinson In tie investigation reported To
him that the proximity Of the wooden
buildings TO the new structure was dan
Rerous to the latter in ease Of ftre. A
special report by the committee recon-
rnended that these buildings be aban'
doned 1T once a. classrooms.
As the report was made shortly after
the opening of the fall term the school
authorities protested that to close the
buildings at that time would greatly IN
terfere with the progress Of the pupils
They asked for second survey OF the
Are hazard. which resulted in modifca'
lions permitting the use of the build
ings with additional watchmcn and a
promise that they will he abandoned In a
short time,
Speaking Of the I1i5 items in Are pre-.
ventlon complaints concerning schoo
huildings. the reports says, "231 have
been complied with. Those not compiled
with are principally the ones calling fol
isolation OF cellars, for lire alarm con
noctions and interior signalling systems
Lne installation OF Are S%ttGSG:5ScT= ~;
the discontinuance Of certain storag'
space"
The report says school drills have beer
developed to high degree OF perfection
No serious fire has occurred In public
school in several years. In four year.
only nnety-fVo fires have occurred II
schools. Twenty resulted from lighting
FIX started in waste baskets and the other
were trivial The fires were all due Z
oareltssness or bad housekeeping.
The Commissioner points out that man!
OF the recommendations OF his special com
mittee were made to correct Housekeeping
faults which should be corrected by thi
time as a new code Of standards whic
provides definitely for remedying all tines
matters has been adopted and copies OF
have been put In the hands of school JAM
tors and other school officials.