Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-30
SCHOOL FURNACE
IS SMENACE TO 500
Smoke and Gas in Abbott In.
jure ChiIdren's Health;
Playground Is Bad.

Unhygienic conditions. due to a
disordered heating plant and an ash
covered playground. are menacing
the health of more than 300 chill
dren and teachers at the Abbott
School. one of Washington's oldest
educational institutions Cinders
blown into the schoolrooms from
the play space. and coal gas in the
building already have caused many
sore throats among the school popu-
lation. and more serious results are
feared unless prevailing conditions
are corrected
Although only in~the school for a
half an hour yesterday. A. ]. Dris-
coll. president of the Mid-City Citi-
zens' Association. was affected by the
escaping coal gas. How the chill
dren and teachers can remain in the
building under such conditions Mr..
Driscoll said ne was unable to un-
derstand.
Miss S. R. Craighill, principal of
is in the furnace the rooms are filled
with gas and smoke virtually the en-
tire day. She also pointed out that
the children and teachers are forced
to breathe all day the bits of cinders
and gravel blown in the building from
IL.
No Playground Equipment.
The playground adjoining the
school Is covered with mixture of
clay and ashes Teachers at the
building declare the cinders not only
cut the children's lungs. but wear out
their shoes and make their clothing
untidy. When a child falls on the
clndered playground. it is said. the
cuts are so deep that the teachers
are unable to dress the wound prop
erly.
This playground, in addition to being
insanitary, has virtually no equipment
| There are no swings, seesaws, sand.
boxes or other play equipment, With
which other schools are provided. How.
ever, there is chinning bar in tn.
school building. which has been placed
between two class rooms When q chil(
wants to exercise it is compelled to us,
the Ginning bar in the school Teach
ers have asked that the playground b
| surfaced to remedy prevailing condi
tons. and that it be properly equipped
Other conditions at the Abbot Schoo
which tend to make it one of the wors
of the public schools in the District art
the lack of playrooms in the basement
and restroom. When a child or teach.
er is i'll, it was pointed out by Mis-:
Craighill. they have to be placed on the
floor. Recently, two children were
stricken with epileptic fits. and the
teachers were forced to stretch then
out on the classroom floor before the
rest of the pupils.
Building Is As Years Old.
The lack of playrooms in the base.
ment of the building compels children
to remain indoors during recess periods
in inclement weather Consequently
they are deprived of the much needed
fresh air.
Another unusual condition at this
school is that children going to the
lavatorieS have to pass through the
principals room. This is due to the
construction of the building, and the
constant trespassing of children
through her room often interrupts hel
class.
The Abbott School. which is located
at 9Th street and New York avenue. is a
nine-room building and was built in
1875. The site on which this school is
built was formerly the old Norther m
Liberty fire engine headquarters.
Unlike many other schools, it is not
oyercrowded. The lower grades have
a maximum enrolment. but upper
classes have few vacant seats. The
enrolment is more than 800.
The school furniture at the Abbott
is almost as old as the building itself
The eighth-grade classroom is equip
ned with seventh-srade furniture.
Recommendations have been made
nv the Mid-City Citizens Association
that the Abbott School be wrecked
and the Webster School. at 10th and
II streets, be abandoned. and a new
school erected in place Of those two
institutions.