School Building Condition1908

Waupaca Record

April 16, 1908

REPORT ON CONDITION OF SCHOOL BUILDING

J.R. Bloom of Neenah, Assistant Factory Inspector, Inspects Our School Building

Several weeks ago when the question of the safety of the High School building was under much discussion, Wm. E. Fisher made application to the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics for an inspector to be sent here to determine the situation. J.R. Bloom of Neenah, assistant factory inspector, was sent in response to the application and has submitted the following report to the Bureau of Labor. We publish this in full so as to enable our readers to interpret the report for themselves.

Neenah, Wis., Mar. 21, 1908

J.D. Beck, Commissioner, Madison.

My dear Mr. Beck; - Complying with your order 12^th March, I went to Waupaca Tuesday 17^th. Was too late to find Mr. Fisher in his office, but presented the letter to him the following morning. He received me cordially, and gave the matter immediate attention. We talked over the matter of complaint about the safety of Waupaca High School. Many of the people of Waupaca have believed for a long time that the building is unsafe, that it may collapse at any time, and that in case of fire a large number of children must perish if they are in the building. Because of that belief a quite general demand for the erection of a new high school building has arisen, and the people had petitioned the common council to provide lawfully for it. Prior to the petition, the opinion of a competent local contractor and builder had been filed to the effect that the structure is not as safe as it ought to be, but that it might do a year or two longer if not over-crowded. On behalf of the petitioners Mr. Fisher applied to the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics for an inspection to determine the situation as to the safety of the building. In the meantime, the common council had denied the petition for a new building on the ground that the financial condition of the city would not warrant the undertaking, because the limit of possible bond had been reached.

Waupaca High school is a two-story brick veneer building. The old section was built, as near as I could ascertain, about 1872, and the new in 1878. The foundation is of stone, perfectly sound, and equal to a much heavier structure than the one it now sustains if it has sufficient depth in good soil. It was the assumption of a contractor with whom I talked about the depth and soil that no fault could be found with that. The sills and timbers or beams of the structure which rest on the foundation are of hewed timber, strong enough to support a great manufacturing plant, and in their reach from wall to wall of the foundation they are supported by suitable piers. The joists for the first floor are firmly placed in the sills and timbers, and have not pulled out from shrinkage or other cause, as far as I could ascertain. A fault in the construction was the use of short joist alternately with joists of proper length, making it necessary to splice every other one. The splicing had not been substantially done, and showed weakness. I inspected the building from cellar to garret, thoroughly. There are evidences of shakiness in superstructure, consequent on the use of white pine and the old-fashioned cut-nails and spikes. This defect may well be found in any of the buildings erected forty years ago, and it may be looked on as seriously affecting the safety of such buildings. I learned that the floors had become so shaky that the school officers became concerned a year ago, and had repairs made. The floors are less shaky now. The builder who made the repairs found it necessary to go to the basement and place rests across the joists supported by strong posts. Above those between the first and second floors, he set iron pillars under rests for the joists of the second floor. The work has been well done, and relieves the danger of collapse very much.

Inspecting the roof construction, I found it very heavy and well built. The only serious defect is to be found in the fact that the roof, instead of setting or resting on a plate above the ends of the studding, rests on a narrow ribbon that has been set into the studding. In my opinion, this fault has a tendency to add to the danger attending the loosening of the old cut nails in the white pine. The action of the wind alone would have a tendency to draw the nails from such a place of construction.

As the building appears under this inspection, I do not feel that I can condemn it as likely to collapse unless it is subjected to overcrowding, or to rushing of the student body to one or another quarter of the assembly room. Of course, the process of disintegration begun in the old super-structure will go on in rapidly increasing measure, but I am of the opinion that, under proper care, the building will be useful for two or three years to come.

The greater danger to the lives of the occupants of the school lies in the heating furnace, and some of the ventilating flues.

The furnace referred to is under the exit hall by means of which the children of the second floor and half the children of the first floor must find egress in case of fire. If fire results from the furnace , the hall will be the place first exposed, and conditions surrounding make it reasonable to presume that escape would be cut off before the occupants could get out. The stairways from the top floor have their outlet to the center of that hall directly over the furnace. Above the feed door of the furnace there is an open wall each section of which would make a good draft flue for fire. In case of return draft for any cause, the sparks blown from the feed door of the furnace would have ready lodgment in the open spaces, and the way of escape cut off because of the immediate spread of the fire to the floors of the hall at the very spot the occupants would have to pass in order to make their escapes. I called the attention of the officers, L.F. Shoemaker and Ingolf Ovrom to this feature, and they informed me that the city will build a central heating plant on the school close the coming summer, and do away with the furnaces within the buildings. When building the plant it is their purpose to make ample provision for the new High school when it is built, iron ladders with small balconies have been placed on the sides of the building, but I do not consider them of any particular advantage for the escape of any except those who have been trained as sailors or in a modern fire department. I trust the next session of the Wisconsin legislature will have courage enough to enact measures that will compel placing of iron stairways on the outside of all hotels, school houses, halls, and public buildings of more than one story in height. My conscience rebels every time I see one of those ladder excuses that can be charged up against an order of the Bureau.

There is constant danger in the wooden ventilator flues. A lighted match carelessly thrown would ignite the collection of dust and lint in one of them, and the strong draft would cause a bad fire instantly. Have made an order commanding that the wooden flues shall be replaced by metal flues.

I do not wonder that the thoughtful progressive people of Waupaca are clamoring for a new High school. I do not know of another city in Wisconsin of intelligence, refinement, wealth, enterprise and patriotism equal to that shown by the people of Waupaca, that is tolerating such an unfit high school provision. The situation is most unusual. The city is in a region of nature beauty unsurpassed. A chain of lakes that serve as mirrors in the day to reflect the charm of all possible combinations of color, and in the night to tell back the glory declared in the heavens; streams of crystal water that sing all the year through of beauty and health, and challenge the people to kindred expressions of wholesome joy, would suggest proud response in all the municipal provision.

I am sending a copy of this report to Mr. Fisher and to Mr. Shoemaker of the school board, and with the order for change of flues.

Very truly yours,

J.R. Bloom,

Assistant Factory Inspector.