New-York tribune., 1918-01-04
Misery Here Grows
In Unbroken Cold
Thirty-one Schools Are Closed and Bursting
Water Pipes Menace Health-Saloons May Be
Closed and Fuel Seized to Heat Classrooms

Thirtyone elementary and high
schools remained closed yesterday as
the result of the cold-most of them
through failure to repair broken water
pipes, but some because coal could not
be procured for heating. An equal
number will remain closed to-day,
school authorities predicted last night.
In one school on East Eighteenth
Street the janitor found yesterday
three inches of ice coating the win-
dows and walls of a room in which o,
young woman teacher had left the
radiator cocks open before the Christ
mas holidays. Ice covered the floors
of scores Of basement dwellings in
which water pipes had burst. and Of
fcials Of the Department Of Health
said yesterday that the broakage Of
sanitary plumbing in saloons, public
buildings, and schools had created a
condition which might soon be reflected
in an increased death rate.
The death rate, curiously enough,
has remained so far fraction under
that recorded during the month which
included January 7, 1915, the last pc
riod of comparably intense cold. Then
the death rate was l4.O5 n thousand.
During the last four weeks the average
death rate has been 1855, in spite OF
the mortality due to pneumonia, which
killed 628 during the fourteen days
prior to last Sunday and has killed 229
since then.
City to Sort Out Waste Wood
Mayor Hylan yesterday ordered that
the Street Cleaning and Garbage Dis
posal departments employ their men in
asserting waste wood to exc out the
short supply Of coal. At City Hall and
tion it was said that the suggestion of
John II. Finley, State Superintendent,
of Education, that saloons should be
closed, if necessary, to provide fuel for
schools, would be taken seriously. The
coal supply saloons may have on hano
may yet be reQuisitioned to supply the
heat necessary to keep the public
schools open.
Soon after the Mayor reached his
office he was confronted by a delega-
ton of women representing Brooklyn,
Manhattan and The Bronx, who de-
mandcd relief not only from the hard
ships entailed by the fuel shortage but
from the profteerng in foodstuffs,
which they declared was being prac-
tiscd in spite of the Federal regula-
tions.
1t was the Mayors first public hear
ing. Mrs. Flora Spielberg. of River
side Drive, and Mrs. Rebecca Perl, of
10 Manhattan Avenue. told him that
babies were freezing to death in their
homes.
1--WE have no heat and we have no
water; the pipes have burst" said Mrs
/ Perl.
Buildings Without Water
The same report relative to bursting
pipes was given to the Mayor by the
I employees of the Department of Health
who reported that the restaurant in
4 the building on Centre Street was
without water yesterday.
Mayor Hylan, after listening an houl
to the stories of distress, ordered Act
ing Commissioner McStay of the Street
| Cleaning Department, to put his labor
crs at work sorting waste wood fol
fuel
Mrs. Teresa Malkiel, who said she
represented the Working Women:
Fuel and Food Committee, declared
that unless the situation was speedily
remedied there would be riots.
Don't let US talk of riots" inter
lupted the Mayor
Commissioner McStay set his wagon: