Wind Damages Farmington School

SCHOOL INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE

northward_school.jpg (23629 bytes)

WIND DAMAGES FARMINGTON SCHOOL BUILDING
--Large Heavy Window Blows In at North School--

A serious accident occurred in Mrs. Lloyd's room at the north side school at a few minutes past two o'clock on Monday afternoon. The wind was blowing a perfect gale at this time when one of the large windows, about 8X10 feet in size with heavy wooden frame and weighing several hundred pounds, was suddenly and without a moment's warning blown loose from the wall and fell crashing across a dozen or more seats just opposite it, each of which was occupied by a child at the time. That several of these children were not killed outright seems almost a miracle.

Leon Haile had a gash cut in his head which required four stitches to close up, and Grace Davis has one of her arms badly bruised.

Immediately after the accident occurred the children rushed from the room and were dismissed for the day by the teacher.

Our readers will remember that we had considerable to say at the time of the erection of this building about its poor arrangement and construction. All those who viewed it Monday afternoon were astonished that it had held together as long as it had. The south wall appears to be in a very dangerous condition and not a little plastering had fallen down from the upper room through the space between the wall and floor to the lower room, showing that the wall had given away considerable. This was no doubt due largely to the great pressure from the high wind coming in through the opening across the room where the windows were not securely placed, being merely nailed to the brick with a few eight-penny nails, and it is a wonder that all of them have not blown out before this.

The school board engaged D. J. Doughty to replace the large window and go over the entire building, and correct as many of the defects as possible, so that the building would at least be safe.

The window was temporarily repaired the next day and school resumed again on Wednesday in this room. Mr. Doughty will push the repairing of the building as rapidly as possible. ---Farmington News.

Published in THE BONNE TERRE REGISTER, Bonne Terre, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. Jan. 26, 1906.

SCHOOL INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE