Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-08
SCHOOL
INSPECTION ASKED
Carusi Wants Roofs of Port
abIeS Anchored to Offset
Danger of Storms.

Agitated by the damage suffered BY
one of the portable school buildings al
the jefferson Junior High School yes.
terday resulting In the narrow escape Of
IS children, DR.. Charles r. Carusi, presi.
dent of the Board Of Education, TO-DAY
called on DR. Frank w. Ballow, superin.
tendent of schools, to request the mu-
nlcipal architect to make an immediate
inspection Of the portable schools still
in use with view to evolving a plan by
which the overhanging roofs can be Sc
curely anchored to the framing and wal
structure.
In his letter DR.. Carusi points out
that the Spring season OF frequent high
winds is now upon the city and that
since virtually every storm which strikes
the Capital takes it toll in some sort
of damage from the portable schools the
children attending these one room
frame structures are constantly subject
to that menace.
Emergency Action.
He suggests that the municipal archi-
tect's engineers study the buildings not
only to determine which are not tenable
at present but how those which ap-
parently are in good condition may be
strengthened against destruction or
QdIldkC Uy IIlC WlIluSs Ills dCIlOIl liz Ii
taking, the board president tells DR.
Ballou. because the next meeting of the
board is 10 days away and the character
of the emergency as shown by yester-
days experience is Of such as to war
rant immediate attention.
Invariably when the portable schools
are damaged by storm 1t is shown that
one or more of the assembled sections
of the roof which overhangs the vertical
walls a distance of approximately three
feet have simply been lifted up as the
lid of a box and hurled either backward
on the remaining section of the ROOT
or dashed TO the playground below. AL
though every single storm of any pro-
portions similar to yesterdays wind has
resulted in some damage to the port
ables, no child has yet been hurt.
Can't Depend on Luck.
In most cases in the past the damage
occurred at a time when the classes
were not actually in session, either dur
ing the night or in the late afternoons
after dismissal or. as in one instance
at the luncheon recess, when most of
the children were not only out of the
building, but were away from it either
at their homes or in the main school
building
Commenting on the portable menace
today, DR.. Carusi declared that such
luck as has preserved children from in
jury or death in previous storms as well
as in yesterdays cannot be expected to
continue forever and that every means
available should be taken by the re-
sponsible authorities, from the preSi-
dent of the Board of Education and
the superintendent of schools down. to
assure the children the maximum pro-
lection which they can have while they
are being quartered in the portable
schools
Jere j. Crane. first assistant super.
intendent of schools in charge of bust.
ness affairs. who is an architect. de.
clared following his initial inspection
OF portable schools last Summer that
structurally, the one-room structure.
in use here are better designed anc
built than most houses. He pointed ou
that the roof beams and ceiling SUP.
ports were so trussed as to approximate
bridge construction. which, he contend
ed, would protect children in times of ex-
treme dureSs. In every storm. how.
ever, these buildings have suffered some
sort of damage. either, as in yesterday:
storm, the loss Of a roof section, or E
section Of the wall paneling.