OCR Text |
Show buildings specifically authorized by Congress. Where a given amount was appropriated for a building or buildings, it was deemed advisable to utilize the money available so as to give the largest capacity consist-ent therewith. The unprecedented rise in the price of material during the first half of the present calendar year has necessitated the redraw-ing and rearrangement of a number of buildings. As the plans and specifications prepared in this ofice cover strnctures of the plainest description, but substantial and devised to meet the requirement.8 of the service in the simplest method known to structural science, such buildings when readvertised must be reduced in capacity. To cheapen these buildings it is often necessary to make them smaller, so~~~etimes to the detriment and disadvantage of the service. The liberality of Congress in the matter of appropriations for these purposes, however, during the present fiscal year is so great that there will be a material improvement in the size and efficiency of many school plants. A simi. lar liberality upon the part of Congress at its next session will enable this office to co~~t iuninec reasing the capacity and efflciency of the school service by furnishing adequate buildings where new ones are required, and remodeling others where they have bewme dilapidated or unfit thrbugh the lapse of time for the purposes for which they were intended. FIRE PBO'I'EOTION. The enforcement of office circular of last year requiring superintend-ents and agents to have properly prepared buckets of water well dis- !ributed throughout the buildings, has in a number of cases prevented the burning of plauts and separate buildings. As rapidly as possible adequata fire protection is being introduced, as well as fire escapes from dormitories and other rooms. With all these precautions it has been impossible to prevent conHagrations, which occur at odd intervals throughout the year. During the present fiscal year the most disas. trous fire of years occurred at Mount Pleasant, Mich. Early on the morning of June 14,1899, the boys' dormitory was discovered on fire, the flames breaking out of the cupola. In a very short period of time the large brick strnct,ure costing $28,000 was destroyed. The new water system had not beencompleted, but theprogressof the flames was so rapid it would have been impossible under the most favorable G*' 1rcun1- stances to have saved the building. An Indian school girl was the incendiary. She confessed to having made ample preparations by plac-ing oiled rags in one of the upper rooms and setting fire to them an hour or more before it was discovered. She has been sent to a reform-atory institution. The school plant at Nevada Agency school was destroyed by fire on May 17, 1899. No adequate explanation of the origin of this fire could be obtained. Four buildings costing $12,020 were burned. Minor fires have occurred at other places, but none of t,he magnitude of these. It is evident that with the most carefi~ol versight fires, either incendi- |