Evening star., 1933-12-13
Pupils Mothers Wait While
Imported" Janitors and
Engineers Make Fires.
TEMPERATURE RAISED
UP TO rs DEGREES
Two Glasses Dismissed Yesterday
When Mercury Regis
tered 66.

With two classes dismissed because of
COLI class rooms yesterday, two mothers
OF Grant School pupils went to the
school at 5 am. today and waited for
four hours while corps of imported"
Janitors and engineers struggled with
the heating equipment to bring the
temperatures to habitable heights.
Shortly after 9 o'clock the rooms.
which yesterday showed thermometer
readings Of from 50 to Sc degrees.
boasted mercury levels of 66 to 76 de-
grees. The classes which were ad.
Journed yesterday were in session to-
day, and indications, according to the
Franklin School Building authorities,
were that the old school house would
continue In operation today comfort
ably heated
At School Before Dawn.
Mrs. Ruth w. Hoover. 2423 E street,
and Mrs. Gladys Lowry of the same ad-
dress, were the mothers who went to
the building before daybreak this morn
ing. There they found three engineers
and janitor in addition to the regular
custodian Of the building stoking the
.
o'clock, Mrs. Hoover said, the tempera-
lures in the class rooms had been
raised above 65. Before 10 o'clock the
thermometer readings in the IL class
rooms showed Sc, 70, 68, 72, "A, 72, rs,
u, "a, II, SO and 70.
But the temperatures were taken
from thermometers which were feet
above the floor" Mrs. Hoover pointed
out. Just to find out how much diff
ference there was, we took the same
Thermometers and held them at desk
level-down where the children sit
and We found an average of degrees
difference. We then called the Dis
trict Building and asked that all the
official thermometers be placed below
their present heights so that we'll know
just how warm or how cold it is where
our children are. They told us that
that would be done"
When mothers went to the Grant
School yesterday to see how the often
condemned heating plant was meeting
the burden Of the wintry weather, they
found that all the thermometers had
been removed. The temperature read
ings which were taken, showing read
ings of So to 66 degrees, were registered
by instruments brought by the mothers
themselves.
The school authorities today
planned that it lust happened" t.
the regular instruments had been
moved for testing purposes. Jere
Crane, business manager Of the schC
system, said he had found that ma.
of the regular thermometers supplied
to the schools, which are apparently
broken in service, had been replaced
by "fve-and-ten-cent store thermon1-
eters." All the instruments were re-
moved with the idea Of replacing them
Immediately.
Early Start Needed.
"In severe weather." Mr.. Crane said,
"the janitors frequently have to- start
firing their furnaces for the day at 5
o'clock in the morning. The janitor
wasn't there at that time yesterday.
When work was started on the furnaces
at that time this morning there was
sufficient heat by o'clock"
The two classes dismissed yesterday
were sent home by Henry w. Draper,
supervising principal of the first di-
vision, who visited the building in per-
son to ascertain conditions. Robert L.
Haycock, assistant superintendent in
charge of elementary schools, explained
today that it IS the policy of the school
authorities In such emergencies to close
only those class rooms which are too
cold and not dismiss the whole build
ing, as parents Of Grant School chill
dren late yesterday demanded.