Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-02-01

erected. Inc noW oNANC
six grades will be occupied by
about $50 pupils-3b0 in high
school and 500 in grades.
Architects Statement
w. H. saylor, who has been en-
gagged as architect, made this state
ment today to the board:
AZ have been informed that the
Garfield building was erected some
forty years ago, and while the build
ing is in no way in an unsafe con-
dition. nevertheless it is far from
being in the condition which | am
SIRE the public of Abilene would
wish it to be if they were to ex-
anime the building as carefully as
I have done.
At find that the brick walls OF
the building, while in fair eondl-
tion on the south, on the east,
north and west are quite badly
cracked, some of the cracks ex-
tending down through the founda-
ton. The entire exterior OF the
brick walls are badly in need OF
tuck pointing as the mortar to
large extent is washed out from
between the brick, thereby allowing
dampness to enter the walls, and
the walls would deteriorate very
RAPIDLY from this point on unless
this tuck pointing were done.
"There are a number of old flues
on the building which have become
in rather dangerous condition
and ought to be removed, the brick
being entirely loose and liable to be
blown off by any heavy wind storm
Also the cut stone trimmings on
the exterior of the building have
begun to decay quite badly.
1.-THE interior of the building IS
Of course typical of that type OIL
building built so long ago and could
in no sense be considered modern.
The ventilation is naturally poor
and the lighting is very bad in the
different class rooms. Because OF
the peculiar shape of these class
rooms, long and narrow, It pc
comes necessary in most Of the
rooms to place the seating directly
opposite to that which good school
practice advocates; that is, the
seats are so placed that the light
comes to the pupil from the rear
and the right hand, thereby keep
ing the pupils hands in shadow
when working at their desks. All
students of school design and medi-
cal men strongly advocate, for the
sake of the pupils eyes, that the
light enter the school room from
the left hand side of the pupils, and
from that side only.
81 find also that considerable re
nairs are necessary on the interior
of the building, especially the stair
ways which are practically worn
through, and l have no doubt that
on an examination you will find
that all of the metal work on the
building will soon need to be re-
placed
'The question of whether your
board should select a new site Tor
your high school, or whether you
should erect the building on the
present grounds, is one which OF
course YOU must decide for your
selves. However, there are some
advantages, with your funds which
are now available, in erecting the
building on your present grounds.
The location seems to me ideal, put
cannot advise that you erect the
building upon the present grounds
unless you destroy the present Car
field building. There is no other
appropriate space in WHICH you
! could erect tne HlSH SSho0i
crowding it too close to one OF the
present buildings and ! cannot be-
lieve that you would want to ex-
pend this amount of money for a
modern building without the prop
er setting for same. II, however
YOU decide to raze the Garfield
building, you will have for your
new building the additional funds
which your new site would have
cost you, and the expense which
YOU would be forced to expend on
repairing the present Garfield build
ing. Because of this saving, you
will be able to erect larger build
ing than you would by buying a
new site. The seventh and eighth