Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15
Chief Watson and Architect
Harris Submit Report to
District Heads.
II SUCCESSIVE YEARS
WITHOUT CORRECTION
Recommend Portables Now in
Use Be Replaced by Fire
proof Buildings.


called to the attention of the Board of
Education for IL successive years, have
not yet been corrected, according to q
report submitted to the District Com
missioners yesterday by Fire Chief
George S. Watson and Municipal Archi-
| tect Albert L. Harris.
The report, prepared jointly by Z. L.
Jones, fre department inspector, and
]. E. Lyles Of the municipal repair shop,
| also made a blanket recommendation
that all of the fiimsy one-room portable
schools now in use be replaced by fire.
proof buildings.
The II schools condemned in the re-
port are of the old type three-story
brick buildings, having combustible floors
and lacking proper fire escape equip
ment. These schools were listed as
follows: Curtis, on o street between
Thirty-second and Thirty1third streets;
Cardoza, at First and I streets south
west; Cardoza High School, on M street
near First street; Dennison, on S street
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets; Force, on Massachusetts avenue
between Seventeenth and Eighteenth
streets; Gales, at First and G streets;
M oAAIy O4A " SblSCb pCIWGen 1WenJX-OTSG
ana TWenty-Second streets: Henry. on
P street between Sixth and Seventh
streets; Lincoln, at Second and c streets
southeast; Peabody, at Fifth and c
streets northeast; Seaton, on street
between Second and Third streets;
Stevens, on Twenty-first street between
and L streets; Summer, at Seventeenth
and M streets, and the Webster, at
Tenth and H streets.
Fire Escapes Cited.
Special attention is invited to IA of
the old-type three-story brick school
buildings having combuStdble floors"
said the report. Some of these build
1ngs are not properly equipped with the
necessary number of fire escapes. 9th
ers are equipped with vertical ladder
fire escapes, which are unsafe for chill
dren to use in case of emergency. These
nre escapes are only At for firemen to
use while fighting fire.
Attention has been called to these
schools IN each annual report since
1919, but so far nothing has been done
in this matter. These schools should
be equipped with an outside fire stair
way or an inclosed fireproof stairway
in flreproof tower"
Only single sentence is given to
the recommendation for replacement of
the portable schools with fireproof
buildings, but the report outlines in
considerable detail general steps that
should be taken to reduce potential fire
hazards in all schools. The report
however, said that conditions in the
various schools were found to be much
improved" since the last inspection but
much room" remains for further i'm
provement.
Storing of Paper Unsafe.
I'm some instances" the report de-
clared, 1t was found that waste paper
and trash were burned at the end of
each day. In others 1t was placed in
burlap bags and removed about once a
week by the District Refuse Depart
ment. The storing of waste paper and
trash in burlap bags Is very unsafe,
since 1t is likely to cause fires. Sew
eral fires have occurred in schools in
past years from just this cause.
In several previous reports, and
again in this report, the recommended
ton is made that accumulation of
waste paper and trash be not permitted
without making some provision to keep
1t safely until disposed of. Three
methods are possible. e., dispose of
it at the close of each day after school
hours by burning it in the furnaces, or
keep it in metal containers until dis
posed Of or bale it and place 1t in a
fireproof compartment until hauled
away.
"All schools, with the exception OF
one or two. are wired for use of cleo
tricity. If proper care is not taken in
the use of various electrical appliances,
such as electric irons in domestic
science and sewing rooms, electric stoves
in manual training rooms, etc, cleo
tricity will have tendency to increase
the fire hazard in those schools It is,
| therefore, recommended that wherever
plugs or outlets are placed for the use
of electrical appliances, a red pilot
| lamp be provided on the fixture, or a
| pilot light receptacle be provided to
| which the extension cord can be at
tached. Hence, when the small lamp
| is burning, it will denote that the cur
rent is on the electrical appliance, and
when the appliance is not in use the
| switch should be cut off or the plug
removed from the outlet causing the
pilot light to go out
Recommend Self Closing Doors.
wherever doors are covered with
sheet metal and provided with wired
glass (including transomS) have been
| provided at the head or foot of base
ment stairways, or at the openings
| leading from furnace or boiler rooms
| OF any Quiet pldCe, 1OT the purpose Oh
preventing the spread of fire, all should
be made self closing, and be kept closed
during school hours, Upon inspection
several of these doors were found open.
| This recommendation has been made in
tseveral previous reports. 1t was found
that practically all schools are equip
ped with fire resisting doors.
Conditions in Easements and cell
lars of most schools are good There
are few cases, however, where there is
room for improvement especially in the
janitors' quarters, storerooms and boiler
rooms"
other recommendations made in the
report were that asbestos mats be placed
in all domestic science rooms for use
in beating out flames that might ignite
clothing OF the pupils; that the tops of
laboratory tables be metal instead of
wood, and that school buildings of more
than eight rooms be equipped with cleo
trical fire alarm systems.
copy of the report was forwarded
to the school board by the Commission
ers without comment.
l -----------e--