Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-12
CAMP CURTIN IS
NOT FRETRAP.
SAYS COMMITTEE
Recommendations for Change
in Building Are Made
by Investigators
NOT OF THE BEST TYPE
Defects Pointed Out by Build
crS in Remodeled Continu-
alton High School

The Camp Curtin Junior High
S.'rool building, now in the course
of being remodeled, cannot be term
ed a fire trap" in any sense of the
word. This announcement was made
to-day following the receipts by the
school board of the report of the
board of three engineers who re-
Gently investigated the building as
to its safety conditions. Certain i'm
portant recommendations are mace,
however, to provide greater safety
for the children.
The committee says I'VE are def
nitely of the opinion that while the
school in no sense of the word is fire
resistive, while numerous improve
nents could be made in the SGuc-
ture to make it better one of it's
type, and while there are certain
improvements which we deem neces-
sary to make the school safe to
very considerable degree, the build
ing does not constitute, as it now
stands a fire trap in any sense or
the word"
AS to Safety
Included on this committee are
G. Heller, Charles A. HeXamer and
IL. w. Forster. engineers of Phila-
delphia, who have given particular
attention to the proper construction
cation was made several weeks ago.
Following q resolution of the board
passed when charges were made that
the school presented conditions dam
gerous to the lives of the occupants
in case of fire.
While the consideration of the
subject was principally from the
standpoint of safety to the occu-
pants and not that of structure, eX-
rilI- I'D
I'VE cannot, however, refrain from
saying that it is most unfortunate
that any community in the con-
Struction Of school buildings should
deviate from the best general prac-
tice which the country has estab-
lished for such buildings. While we
believe that the Camp Curtin school,
If improved as recommended here
in, will give very considerable de-
gree of safety to its occupants, it is
evident that this degree of safety
would be materially increased if the
structure were a superior one"
Defects Pointed Out
Defects in the present division
wall which stand in the way of its
being first class fire wall and con-
sequcntly safe means for horizon
tai exit between the two buildings
are emphasized in the report.
NpSClllC LOT IUl-
provementS are made as follows:
That the fire wall be carried un-
broken through the attic space and
parapetted above the roof approx
mately three feet that the arched
spaces above the first floor and sec
ond floor hall doors be filled in with
concrete or brickwork; that the floor
section in the fire wall be made of
cement and preferably that this
incombustible sill be carried some
thing like six inches beyond the face
of the wall on each side; arrange
all door ioists and other woodwork
so that it is not. in any sense of the
word, in danger of spreading fire
from one side of the wall to the
other; install a section of reinforced
concrete flooring in the first floor
and over certain sections of the base
ment.
Stairway Cnprotcctiyc
The unprotective stairway was
said by the committee to be a great
source of danger from a life safety
standpoint. Relative to the stair
way Improvements, the committee
recommended among other things
that the two south and central stairs
on the second floor be enclosed in
partitions extending from the floor
TO the ceiling and that the central
basement stairs have an enclosure
built extending preferably from the
floor to the second story floor.
Relative to the north stairs on the
first floor, it was recommended that
the pockets created on either side
of the vestibules leading into these
stair towers be eliminated by the
filling in with partitions of a sub
Stantial character from corridor
wall and flush with the line of the
doors. Technical details as to the
forms of enclosure are outlined.
II is recommended that additional
entrances to the auditorium be plac-
ed at the center of each side and that
a rearrangement of aisles be made
in the balcony. Handrails on both
sides Of the stairs should be INSTALL
ed. the committee says.
One of the doors in the south
east corner of the old building lead
ing from the general shop to the in
cline apparently swings against
travel the committee reports. init
mating that it should be changed
The installation of auxiliary fire
boxes would be good plan the com
mittee suggests. Fire prevention is
an important matter to be consider
ed, the investigators say, recon-
mending that in connection with
the school extension there be pro-
Fided definite place for the storage
'f all necessary material.