The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-28
Columbia Heights Asks
Monroe Building Be
Closed.
FINAL INSPECTION
TO BE MADE TODAY
Students Being Poisoned
Slowly by Furnace,
Says Committee.

Gas escaping from the furnace is
endangering the lives Of more than
500 students of the Monroe School.
Columbia road and Georgia avenue,
the executive committee OF the Col
lumbia Heights Citizens AssocIa-
tion, decided last night
The committee adopted a resoIu-
tion asking the superintendent Of
schools TO close the building i'm
mediately pending installation OF a
new heating system.
students are being slowly pois-
oned by gas from the furnace which
not only impairs their health Sc
riously but constitutes a menace Il
the lives Of every student in the
twelve-room building. Dr. Seneca
b. Balm, chairman OF the fnyesti-
eating committee OF the Citizens
Association. declared before the ex-
ecutive committee last night.
school Twice Inspected.
Action Of the executive committee
last night was based on evidence
obtained by the special investigat-
ing committee OF the association
headed by DR.. Balm. The commit
tee Inspected the school last Thurs
day. 4 report was sent at that time
TO stephen f. Kramer. acting SUI
perintendent Of schools. IN the alb
sence of DIR. F. W. BaIIou.
Mr.. Kramer last night received a
preliminary report on conditions in
the schools from DR. Joseph Murphy.
school physician, and DIR. 7. N.
Price. of tho District health depart
ment, dispatched by him TO inspect
the school.
Teachers Make Complaints.
While DIR. Murphy SAID he believed
there was no immediate danger in
the building from gas. a further in
spection will be made today and
tests of the air concentration in the
various rooms of the building made.
Mr.. Kramer said last night in
light OF the report OF DIR. Murphy
no action would be taken pending
the tests. e.
The Monroe School is heated bv
a hot-air furnace which has several
cracks in the firebox through which
air is drawn from the outside and
circulated through the building the
committee reported
Repairs were made in the furnace
day upon the instigation OF Mr..
Kramer.
Teachers have complained 20 u-.
and l know OF several instances
where children are now home sick
from symptoms which might br a.
tributed to breathing Of gaseous
air" DR.. Rain reported last night.
Traces Gas Odor.
Il examined several Of thu COM
Flaming children in the school YES
terday and found two or three cases
in some Of the rooms which might
be attributed to breathing OF ga.
cannot say that any werc def
nitely caused by this There was a
slight trace Of gas odor ia IN, hUIld-
ing" Dr. Murphy said last night
Roth physicians said that phys
ical symptoms. headaches and nau-
sea. were not necessarily evident in
cases where gas is hreathed IN
smaller quantities. They admitted
that il would dull the senses OF the
students.
Teachers of the building saw the
rooms were filled with gas during
the recent cold spell. A second cold
spell at this time would make con
ditions worse man those under
which the building was examined
Yesterday. DR.. Murphy said.
Cement Gives Way.
It is also reported that cement
placed in the cracks of tho hrehpv
recently is not able to withstand
the heat of the furnaces when hcav-
lily fired. Several pieces OF tho re-
ment filling have already dropp1i
from the cracks, physicians ,wcrc
told yesterday.
Tae final inspection of tic build
ing will be made today by school
physicians.
The committee OF the COLUMBIA
Heights Citizens Association. which
examined the building last Thurs
day and recommended closing or
the school last night. included. be-
side DR.. Rain. chairman: Fred ".
Hayn. J. Clinton Hiatt. Charles T.
Clayton and Mrs. Lucy T. SwRnton.
The executive committee was pre-
sided over last night by Harley Y.
Spcelman, president of the associa-
tion.
A new heating plant is at the
building now and will be installed
when weather permits dispensing
with the furnace fires.