The Stark County Democrat

ARE CANTON'S SCHOOL BUILDINGS DANGEROUS?

Inspection Develops Fact That Doorways Are Narrow and Inadequate in Many Instances.

No Fire Escapes on Grammar School

A tiny flash of flame, a thread of smoke, just a suspicion of fire, a panic—and Canton might easily, because of the construction of many of its school buildings, experience just such a horror as that which paralyzed Collinwood but a few weeks ago and made desolate nearly every home in the pretty suburb.

The school officials and the city authorities who were interested made an examination of some of the buildings in the city shortly after the Collinwood horror and pronounced them in good condition. A word was said for the fire drill as it is practiced here and of its probable efficiency in time of danger. There was something said about a lack of fire escapes on the high school building, though some are in position, but nothing was said of the fact that on the other buildings of the city there were none and that in more than one instance the little tots were assigned to the rooms on the upper floor.

This article is not written for the purpose of simply finding fault, but for the purpose of calling attention (Continued on Page Two.)

Dueber, FOURTH STREET BUILDING WHICH HAS DANGEROUS REAR ENTRANCE.

WASHINGTON AVENUE SCHOOL-OLD FRAME BUILDING WITH NARROW STAIRWAY AND DOOR.

ARE CANTON'S SCHOOL BUILDINGS DANGEROUS?
(Continued from Page One.)

to a few facts and conditions which might cause a catastrophe as great if not greater than that of the Cleveland suburb a few weeks ago. In many instances the interior construction of the buildings is not worse than the majority of those which are erected for the purpose of housing the children during their school time. The halls are not more narrow nor tortuous, the stairs more steep and winding than those that are found in other places. It is not with these that the fault is found at present, though there is no question but that improvements could be made that would make the buildings more safe in time of possible danger. It is to the exits from the buildings that attention is asked in this article. In seven buildings visited with the object in view of inspecting the exits all were found inadequate when the number of pupils housed in the various buildings was taken into consideration and one of the buildings, frame one, was found with a second story that might well be considered a veritable fire trap. In almost every case the exits were found to be narrower than the halls of which they were the outlet. More than that, they were found in most instances to be protected by narrow doors which opened outward, it is true, but which closed against a post or partition which stood between the two and which might easily, in time of haste and panic be the prop which would hold up a heap of bodies as high as that which was consumed within reach of mothers' and fathers' hands at Collinwood. In most cases there is not only this post or door jam in the center, but there is a slight partition at the rear of the fastened edge of the doors which would act to catch, trip and hold hurrying and fearful youngsters as effectually as might be done had it been built with that purpose in view. The East Fourth street building was visited and two exits were found, one in the front and one at the rear. The front entrance consists of two doors which swing to a post or partition about six inches wide. The doors and the front entrance are 2 feet 8 inches wide. At the rear a regular trap was found. A single door about three feet in width opened into a storm vestibule which had its outlet at right angles with the direction in which the hall door swung. A number of steps made this exit more dangerous than it would otherwise be. In its construction it is well calculated to catch and hold adults let alone the youngsters who tenant the East Fourth building. It is said that 250 children are accommodated at this building which has but two exits and one of them so inadequate and dangerous. The North Cherry street building is one of the largest in the city, sheltering 572 children, and having but two exits. The building is honey-combed with rooms and the halls are so built that the outlet from the rooms can be made simultaneously. The stairs are wide enough to care for the pupils in case they do not become disorderly, but good judges do not consider that the exits are adequate. As stated before there are but two, one on the north and one on the south side of the building. At each place of exit there are two doorways each five feet in width. It is contended that additional doorways should be provided since the building houses so many pupils. At the East Eighth street building the doorways are no better than at the other buildings, and the corridors are not so wide. The building is of older construction and the halls are narrow and might easily become congested with frightened and struggling children. Once this condition obtained and the doorways would prove totally inadequate. At the Liberty street building two three-foot doors were found at the front exit. They swung and locked against a partition about twenty inches wide which separated them, a partition just wide enough to nicely trap and hold and let jam up the bodies of frightened children. It would not be necessary for the partition to catch many. Hurrying feet are easily tripped and a few little bodies thrown in the path of a frightened mob of children would be all needed to pile them up in a struggling, writhing and helpless mass. The Washington avenue building is a frame shack that has been in service for perhaps a quarter of a century. It was moved from the site of the North Cherry street building to its present location and shelters a few more than 100 pupils. It has two rooms, one upstairs that is reached by a stairway that is narrow and steep and at the foot of which is a doorway but 2 feet 6 inches wide. The escape of the second floor pupils from this building in time of danger without injury would mean almost that the day of miracles had come again. The Garfield avenue school was also visited. The doorways there were found no better adapted to letting a crowd escape quickly than at other buildings. The doors, 2 feet 6 inches wide, swing on wooden partitions which back to the wall in such manner as makes a trap in the corner that would catch any youngster thrown back from a jam at the narrow doorways. At Dueber avenue the same kind of entrances was found, the doors being but 2 feet 6 inches wide, and they swing to a partition or post which is about 6 inches wide. School was dismissed during the time the writer was there, and it was noticed that more than half the children struck the post as they came running out and were thrown this way and that jostling each other. In time of panic or fright, when the children would be in more haste and less controlled than usual it could be easily imagined that the presence of this post or partition between the narrow doorways might cause serious results. In this building pupils in No. 1 grade are on the second floor. In concluding it is worthy of note that though each of the buildings spoken of in this article is two stories in height and shelters from 100 to nearly 600 children, not one of them is equipped with a fire escape. If all the buildings in question had been constructed with wide straight stairways, roomy corridors and ample exits the absence of fire escapes would not be so noticeable. In the present instance it seems like the saving of a few dollars at the possible expense of many lives. As stated early in this article the buildings were not found to be worse than the average building erected for the purpose of housing children, but it is very apparent that many improvements could be made which would render the buildings less likely to be compared to fire traps; which would make them much safer for the children—our children, brothers, and sisters that spend so many hours there each day.