Evening star., 1952-04-16
Citizens Name 5
TO Probe School
Wall Cave-in
GIenmont (Md.) Group
Would Help Finance
Engineer Inspection

41lC MOI1CSOI1lCly NOullOy OCIlOOA
Board hasn't heard the last of the
cave-in that crumbled one side of
a 100000 addition being con-
structed at Glenmont Elementary
School, the Glenmont CMdD Citi-
zens' Association decided last
night.
After an emotion-charged dis
cussion. the group voted to ap-
point five-man committee to in
vestigate the accident, confer with
the school board and report back.
The committee also was author
lied to dip into the associations
treasury to join with the Glen
mont PTA in hiring a consulting
engineer to determine. chiefly,
whether the new addition is struc-
Iturally sound and safe for chill
dren.
Meanwhile, county building in
spectors blamed heavy rains for
the collapse late Monday of 20
foot section of outside wall, a 15-
foot section of interior wall and
about 200 square feet of concrete
flooring on the nine classroom
annex.
Fill Dirt Saturated.
Anthony j. Scullen, jr.. chief Of
the county Division of Building
Inspection, and w. j. Sullivan.
senior building inspector, said the
rain saturated loose fill dirt along
side the exterior wall. forcing it
to collapse. They said the rain
poured off the roof in torrents
because cutters and doWnspouts
had not yet been put up. The
ground also had not been graded
to carry off the water, they added.
The cave-in was not the result
of faulty construction or material,
the inspectors emphasized.
Several of the rs persons who
attended the citizens meeting in
the school disagreed. One man
put it this way:
IF a little wind can blow the
top of a wall off and if a little
rain can wash a wall out, what
will happen when we put 200 or
300 kids in that building?"
Brought Injury.
His reference to wind blowing
the top of wall off concerned
another accident at the construc-
ton project about three weeks ago.
High winds tore loose some four
inch cinderblock being put on
an interior wall. Some of
them hit workmen on a scaffold.
knocking one to the ground and
breaking his ankle.
II Mrs. j. Marlin Smith, president
of the PTA. and Mrs. Jean
O'Brien, vice president of the
citizens association. reported on
!, conferences with Richard E. Car
penter, assistant superintendent
of county schools.
Mr.. Carpenter told them, they
said, that the school board in
tends to hire an outside consult
ing engineer to make certain that
the building is safe. They said
he added that he believes the
annex can be patched up and
open, as scheduled, next Septem-
ber.
Mrs. Smith said further that
she had a promise from DR.. Ed
win Broome, school superin-
tendent, that every possible pre-
caution would be taken to see that
the addition is safe before any
pupils are put in it. He pledged
a full report on the project to
both the citizens association and
the PTA, she said.
Previous Delay.
Actual construction of the an
mex began last summer. Victor N.
JudSon, Inc, 1913 K street NV,
is the builder. He also is build
ing four other school projects in
the county.
Mr.. Carpenter said yesterday
that this is not the first delay to
be encountered in completing the
Glenmont project. He said an in
spection late last year uncovered
a faulty basement wall, which had
to be torn out and redone.
The present 13-classroom Glen
mont school has a capacity of $50.
but is now accommodating about
750 pupils, parents said. The first
and second grades are on half
day shifts, the cafeteria has been
closed and converted into two
classrooms, and one class meets
in the auditorium.
Horace Porter of 2721 Lindell
street was named chairman of the
associations investigating COM
mittee. Other members appointed
: were Sydney Mendelsohn, Robert
Curtis, William Curtis and Les
myers.