The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-09-03

When the Board of Education last
night let the contract for the lighting
fixtures for the new High School
building, the finishing touches were
added to the finest educational plant
in Missouri for towns the size of the
Cape.
Standing on Pacific street with the
front door virtually opening on Merri-
wether street, the new High School
represents the last word in school ar
chitecture, compactness, convenience,
everything to meet the demands upon
an educational institution in a place
of $1,000 to 10000.
The arrangement of the rooms, the
departments, and the mechanical con-
trivances that will be installed all are
calculated to aid in running the build
ing with a minimum of instructors.
The broad open corridors, the wide
staircases, the roomy offices and re-
ception rooms, the pretty little audi
forum, the gymnasium-all bespeak
that air of welcome which marks the
school as the social center of its COM
munity.
If Cape Girardeau's new school
house is not used, it won't be because
it won't be there for use, nor easily
adapted to use by the older folks.
Some of those interested in the
schools welfare can scarcely wait till
it is finished.
The building will be completed by
November /. That's the word of Aug.
Vogelsang, contractor who is finishing
the job. 1t may require little adj
ditional time to adjust school equip
ment inside, but it is altogether prob
able that the building will be opened
for a "house warming" and occupancy
by that date.
Last night the board spent its last
money on the High School. When the
building is done its total price will be
about 100000.
The contract for the lighting fix
lures for the building was awarded to
the Gross Chandelier Co., of st. Louis,
at a p1ice of 1920. With the excep-
ton of the class rooms, gymnasium
and toilets, the lighting will be what
is know. as the semi-indirect lighting
scheme.
The fixtures were especially design
end for the high school here and will
be made especially for this building.
They will be made of bronze. The
class rooms and gymnasium will be
lighted by direct pendant drops.
The building is nearing completion
now sa that on the inside an excellent
idea of the various features it will en-
body may be obtained by visit there.
The front steps leading from the out
side take one into a long corridor run
mig north and south, having doors
opening into the balcony of the gym
nasium which occupies part of the first
floor and basement on the western
side of the building.
Naturally the gymnasium is the
first thing that a person wishes to in
vestigate. The gymnasium will be
thoroughly up-to-date in every fea-
ture. The boys locker room is on the
north side and the girls on the south
side on the basement floor.
All modern apparatus will be in
stalled. On the first floor level is the
balcony which will be fitted out with
opera chairs to seat about 100 and
as many more will be seated on fold
ing chairs provided when there is a
large crowd.
Spectators to any athletic contest
will be kept on this floor and there is
no way in which they may get down
upon the main floor to interfere with
the work there.
Outside, in the corridor, one will
find numerous sets of cloak lockers.
These have individual locks and will
be ventilated, all foul air being taken
out of the building through vents in
the roof.
There will be about 300 such lockers
for the students wraps, each one made
of steel.
On each of the three upper floors
there are three general class rooms,
where lecture and recitation sessions
will be held. These will be fitted out
with pedestal chairs, having a broad
arm for note book work and such writ
ing as the students wish to do instead
of large desk in front of each chair.
These rooms will accommodate about |
35 students each. In addition to the
regular blackboard for school work, |
there will be superimposed above this,
q cork board to be used in pinning ex-
hibits about the walls.
On the north side of the first floor
will be the manuel training depart
ment, where there will be room full
of work benches for all kinds of wood