Evening star., 1937-08-08
Weightman and Magruder
Called Unsuitable After
Fire Inspection.
EARLY ACTION URGED
By BOARDS CHAIRMAN
Improvements in Other Buildings
Asked as Safety Move
to Protect Pupils.
Pictures on Page B-f.)

A Fire Department inspection report
condemning use of the Weightman
and Magruder school buildings for
crippled children and urging 'emer-
gency" Improvements to raise safety
standards at several other old school
buildings spurred District school off,
cials to action yesterday.
Mrs. Marion Wade Doyle, chairman
of the Board of Education, asked ad-
ministrative officers OF the school sys~
tenn to work out plans to meet the
situation in a manner satisfactory to
the fire marshal before the next meet
ing Of the board early in September.
The major problem concerned the
Weightman and Magruder Schools.
where special classes and treatments
are provided for crippled children.
The Fire Department report declared
each building ''is unsuited for this
class of occupancy (crippled childreH)
and its use as such should be inn
mediately discontinued. 1t recon-
mended new buildings, entirely of fire.
proof construction. especially designed
to accommodate crippled children.
Additional Fire Escapes.
Other emergency" recommends
tions in the report included provision
Of additional fire escapes or fireproof
stairways at the Grant, Jefferson Junior
High, Eastern High. Dennison, WAL
ZACH, Force, Gales and Lincoln Schools
ito comply with the District of CO.
lumbia fire escape Law" and additional
exits at the E. v. Brown School and
Teachers College.
These recommendations and sug.
gestions," it said, ARE deemed es-
sential, primarily from a safety-to-
life standpoint Of the occupants, and
secondarily, for the physical protec-
ton of the property against fire"
Several of the recommendations, In
Of the Weightman and Magrdder
buildings for crippled children, called
for the same action as urged in
similar report last year without re-
suits, it was learned.
The current report was submitted
to the Commissioners on June / by
E. L. Jones, an inspector in the Office
of the fire marshal. and w. r. Car
ter, statistician OF the District repair
shop, after thorough inspection Of
each school building during the Win
ter and Spring 1t was forwarded to
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintendent
of schools, who Is out Of the city on
vacation.
Conference Is Held.
Learning through The stars IN
quiries of the existence of the re-
port, which will not be considered
formally by the board until its Sep
tember meeting, Mrs. Doyle imme-
diately conferred with First Assistant
Supts. Robert L. Haycock and Jere j.
Crane.
They assured me-" she said, that
during the Summer they will work
out plans satisfactory to the fire mar
shall
Mrs. Doyle, Haycock, Crane and
Mrs. B. ]. Drake, teacher in charge
of the classes for crippled pupils, met
at the Weightman School yesterday
to consider means of obtaining pro-
lection against fire to the crippled
children there.
The School Boards projected five
year building program calls for con-
struction of fireproof building near
Childrens Hospital. especially designed
to care for all types of handicapped
children, and similar structure near
Freedmen's Hospital for handicapped
colored children. Glasses for 35 Grip
pied colored children now are provided
in the Magruder School, 1919 M street.
1t was indicated efforts may be
made to find space for the crippled
children in more modern buildings
until the special new structures can
be built.
The School Board budget for 1885,
80 asks s105,0o0 for purchasing a site
for the proposed new school near
Children's Hospital The same re-
quest was eliminated from the current
(See SCHOOLS. Page A-h