Evening star., 1933-10-20
FALLING PLASTER
INJURIES TWO AT
COLORED SCHOOL
Boys Suffer Scalp Wounds
as Panic Is Averted at
Logan Building.
COLLAPSE CAME DURING
DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES
Repair Shop Inspectors Announce
Decision to Replace All Second
Floor Ceilings.

Two children were injured seriously
ened when a 5-foot sector of the Plas-
tered ceiling of the 42-year-old Log Il
School for colored children, Third and
G streets northeast, crashed without
warning on the heads of third-grade
class as it sat sing ng in regular morn
ing devotional exercises shortly after 8
o'clock this morning.
The injured children are Joseph
Brown, II years old, of 22l E street
northeast, who received scalp lacera-
tions and the near severance of the left
ear, and Paul Starkes, 13, of 223 First
street northeast, who received severe
scalp decorations. Both boys were rushed
to Casualty Hospital, where they were
treated by Dr. j. E. Edgington and DR..
T Passalacqua, and kept for further
observation.
Fell Directly on Boys.
According to Mrs. NJ. H. Rhoden, the
teacher, the class had assembled for the
day and the devotional exercises were
under way. Prayers had been said and
the singing started. Without warning
of any kind, the heavy plaster of the
15-foot-high ceiling gave way and fell
hdirectly upon the heads of the two in
5ured boys. Injury to other children
in the room, which is crowded with 43
pupils was narrowly averted by luck.
The large slap of plaster fell partly on
the seat area and largely in the aisle.
The crash caused a terrific noise,
1ikened by the principal in the room
below to an explosion. There was a
momentary break for the corridors by
some of the children in the four classes
occupying the second floor, but the
teachers Mrs. G. J. Swancy, Mrs. A. F.
Coleman, Miss Alice Bell and Mrs.
Rhoden, quickly calmed them. Mrs.
Swancy started a phonograph and order
was restored.
An hour after the crash inspectors
from the D. c. repair shop, the agency
which repairs all school buildings, visit
ed the Logan School. They advised
Garnet C. Wilkinson, first assistant
superintendent, in charge of colored
schools, that work would be started i'm
mediately on replacement of all the
second-floor ceilings in the building.
They pointed out, however, that they
were convinced that no more plaster
crashes would occur, but that the new
ceilings would be installed as a precau-
ton.
Evidence of Patching.
The ceiling in the hird-grade room
where the crash occurred today shows
evidence of frequent patching. No
cracks appeared through the thick
paint coatings, but there are many
ridges which outline clearly where
plaster patches in areas about as large
as that which fell today had been
laid in.
The Star was advised that a leak in
the roof OF the building directly over
the section of ceiling which gave way
today was repaired last Spring. No
water had leaked through the plaster
however, and no fears were entertained
for the security of the plaster.
The Logan School, built in 1891, is
one of the older school structures in
the city. 1t is heavily congested now
with part-time and oversize classes
taxing its facilities. An appropriation
for an eight-room annex to be con-
structed across the street adjoining the
buildings detached playground was
made last year by Congress and it is
expected that bids will be taken on the
structure as soon as the purchase of
the necessary ground can be completed.
Pending repairs and new construction,
the third grade class which was routed
today has been merged with other
classes in the building.