The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-04-12
HIGH SCHOOL Is
NOT A HAZARD
Schwartz Refuses to Cali it
Safe - Says Children
Not in Danger.
URGES new BUILDING
Chief Admits He Would Con-
denim Building If Other Fa-
cilities Were Provided.

"You can't make the old high school
building safe" if you take into consid-
Grafton the real meaning of the word
but it is not menace or habard
to the lives of the students. If Ke-
nosha had a new building ready we
would condemn it tomorrow but we do
not feel that we should take that step
under the existing circumstances"
This was the declaration of Chief
Of the Fire Department John Schwartz
today after he had made a complete
inspection of the High School building
on Thursday. With him at the inspec-
ton was Building head Maurice AL
hers of the city force, the superintend-
'ent of schools and members of the
Parent Teachers association and the
board of education.
CHIEF Schwartz told the members
of the school board that every pos
sible effort should be made to speed
building for Kenosha and that the
students should not be asked to use
the present building one day longer
than it is absolutely necessary.
Inspection Is Complete One.
ave inspected the old building from
every angle" continued the chief of the
fire department "and I want it I'M
derstood that we do not consider the
building in any way a menace. Of
course it is entirely inadequate for
bo oh ic
1t is a nuisance and a disgrace to a
city like Kenosha but we do not be-
lieve that it is dangerous to the chill
dren any more than it has been for
the past ten years You could spend
twenty thousand dollars in repairs on
the building and then not make it
safe according to accepted codes. If
this building were to be made abso-
lutely safe it would be necessary to
rebuild it from the ground up and Ger
tainly no one would like to advocate
such an action on the part Of the
school board. The third floor Of the
building against which the special
complaint has been made is just as
safe as the second floor and il any
thing it is safer"
Fire Escapes Pass Inspection.
"The fire escapes leading from the
third floor of the building are entire
ly adequate and they are in perfect
condition for use. am of the opinion
that with students of the age of high
school students it would be just as
easy for them to get out of the third
floor rooms as out of the second
floor apartments. The stairways in
the building are not what they should
be but there is no danger Of their
co1lapsing. OF course if a fire got
under them it would probably render
them unfit for use but then there
would be the adequate fire escapes
on the third floor to protect the stu
dents. The stirwavs are safe, so far
as insuring the exit Of the students
in case of fire.
eff the school officials had a place
to go we would condemn, the whole
building but they hav'nt place to
go. The thing to do is for the mem
bers of the Board of Education to
take immediate action to secure the
erection Of the new building. 7 have
told the members of the board this
and I am hopeful that they will be
able to take just that action"
Two Years Won't Matter Much.
1t was admitted the it might take
two full years to complete the build
ing of new high school but Chief
Schwartz said that he did not believe
that the old building would be much
worse at the end of a year than It
is now. The members of the Parent
Teachers, association urged the in
spection they holding that they fear7
ed that the conditions on the third
floor of the building were such as
to make it hazardous for the use
the children.
The complete inspection and tie ,e-
port Of the Chief is counted IN to
g. long way in relieving the ears
Of .>ome of the parents of the stu
dents.