Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-08

Continued From First Page.)
an additional portable on the grounds
of the Benning School, to which school
all seventh and eighth grade pupils OF
the Kenilworth School will be trans
ferred at once
"Portables will be placed on the
grounds of the Kenilworth School to
accommodate two classes for first. sec
ond, third and fourth grade pupils.
The front wall Of the building is
affected. The portables will be placed
in the rear of the building. and suit
able provision made for eliminating all
possible danger to the children from the
unsafe front all"
According to Mr.. Crane, himself a
trained architect, the Kenilworth
School. located on Kenilworth avenue
between Ord and Olive streets north
east. has been under observation for
some time. 1t was not until late yes
terday, however when workmen from
the District repair shop were repairing
the ceiling of one of the rooms that the
real depth of the cracks in the front
wall was revealed.
Inspected Again Today.
The workmen had been instructed to
make the structural survey in the course
OF the repair. and when they discovered
their findings to Lieut.. K. B. Shilling,
Assistant Engineer Commissioner of the
District, in charge of the repair shop.
Lieut.. Schilling telephoned Mr.. Crane
at his home last night. A further sur
vey was made this morning by Mr..
Crane, Lieut. Schilling, s. B. Walsh,
assistant municipal architect; H. H.
Marsh, structural engineer for the re-
pair shop, and repair shop wcrimen
Glasses were turned away from the
building when they reported for school
this morning. and machinery was set
in motion to accommodate them else
where.
Early this afternoon Robert L. Hay
cock assistant superintendent in charge
of elementary schools. announced the
combina ton fifth and sixth grade of
the Kenilworth School and the combi-
nation seventh and eighth grade will
be sent Immediately to the Benning
School. Until an additional portable
school can be erected on the Benning
playground the transferred Kenilworth
children will force two classes of the
Benning School on part-time
schedule
Meanwhile, the combination first and
second grade and the combination third
and fourth grade classes at the Kenil-
worth School will remain out of school
until the early part of next week, by
which time, Mr.. Crane said. the portable
building can be placed on the play
ground
The portable scheduled for The Ben
ming School will be ready at the same
time
The Kenilworth School is one of
washington's most antiquated struc-
lures stiil in service. 1t is a two story
endorsement brick building with only
two class rooms to floor. It was
built in 1901.
Plans Permanent Action.
Mai. H. L. Robb, U. S. A., Assistant
Engineer Commissioner, told The Star
early this afternoon that he had called
on Marsh and Walsh for written re-
port on the condition OF the building.
He said that while he did not want to
get ahead of the story" he intended
to recommend the permanent abandon
ment of the old structure. The cracks
in the brick wall, he said. are settle
ment cracks and probably were due
to an incorrectly designed foundation.
Mai. Robb called attention to the fact
that at the meeting Of the District Pub
lie School Association last night a wofi-
an speaker criticized the District for
spending too much money on elaborate
foundations, which, even after they
were built, had to be equipped with
electric pumps to keep the easements
free from water. Maj. Robb at that
time told the association that unless
foundations were adequately construct
ed-and that. he added frequently
means extensively constructed the
buildings would not stand for mary
years The cracks at the Kenilworth
School. he said. merely prove that. Maj.
Robb said today that because of Wash
ington's comparatively slight elevation
shove sea-level and the accompanying
presence of numerous creeks in this
vicinity. it is common practice to In
etAll automatic electric pumps in build
ings whose foundations 20 TO . depth
q 30 tat.
sSsseeA& -ss