Evening star., 1934-03-12
PUPILS DISMISSED
BECAUSE OF LACK
Of HEAT IN SCHOOL
All But Three Rooms in
Force School Found Too
Cold for Occupancy.
TRAINED ENGINEERS
WILL TEST SYSTEM
Will Determine Whether Fault
Lies With Personnel or
Plant.

All the 439 children of the Force
School, with exception Of those in
three class rooms, were dismissed at
$50 am. today because the building
was too cold for occupancy.
The school is located on Massachu-
settS avenue between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth streets, in the heart
of one of the city's most fashionable
sections
An inspection by Maj. P. A. Hodg-
son, assistant District Commissioner
and L. C. Wormington, engineer ir
charge of the District repair shops
resulted in the decision to place
trained District engineers in charge
of heating the building tomorrow tC
determine whether the plant is capa-
bic OF adequately heating the struc-
ture, or whether the low tempera-
lures which have prevailed for some
weeks were caused by inefficiency of
personnel
When the children reported to the
school, class room temperatures
ranged from So degrees to sc degrees
All but nine of the II rooms were
below so degrees.
Waited in Coats.
At $50 am. Miss S. E. Thomas,
principal, sent the children from nine
of the class rooms home, The rooms
In which the three classes were housed
which continued throughout the day
were found to be adequately heated.
A few of the smaller children in the
dismissed classes were compelled to
wait around the building with their
coats and hats on until noon, when
their parents called for them.
Low temperatures forced Miss
Thomas to send her pupils home once
member the date, but said it was dur
ing the extremely cold weather about
the middle of February. On other
occasions the children have had to
wear overcoats in the class rooms.
The condition of the building was
brought to the attention of District
authorities by Mrs. C. M. john
son. vice president of the Force
Parent Teacher Association, mother
of pupil of the school.
She said repeated requests had been
made for more radiators and for
weather stripping, but nothing had
been done except to remove the
radiators in several rooms for repairs.
The removed radiators had not been
replaced today.
Rooms Are Large.
The building is one of the Districts
older schools, and the rooms are large
with high ceilings. Although there
was no thermometer in the large hall
ways, they appeared much colder even
than the coolest of the class rooms
Mrs johnson pointed out needed
repairs to the inspecting officials. She
showed them the six drinking foun-
tains, only two of which functioned.
She pointed to teachers rest rooms
without any heating facilities. She
showed them windows which fitted so
loosely in the easements that wind
swept into the rooms. Then she con-
Quoted them on tour of the building
to survey the fans which blow hot air
into the class rooms. Two of them
were broken.
Wormington said he thought the
equipment of the building was ade-
quate if properly used.
Mrs. johnson replied that the jani-
tor would have to stay in the building
and attend the furnace at night to
keep the class rooms warm. She said
the janitor there last year did this.
but was dismissed because he did not
shave often enough.
The school has no hot water system
and, consequently. no facilities for
sterilizing equipment used in the
lunch room.