Raleigh, Sept. 9—Condemnation by Sherwood Brockwell, State Insurance department’s fire prevention expert, of the second and third stories of the building in which Trinity College was conducted until the institution was moved to Durham, has brought to Commissioner Wade a vigorous protest from Mal. Bruce Craven, grandson of the founder of Trinity College.
This was not unexpected. Bruce has too little reverence for the common run of mankind that when he does respect a tradition, he is willing to go into action tooth and toenail for it.
The old college building—and as buildings go, it isn’t so fearfully old, after all—is being used as a school building for the town of Trinity, Randolph County. Some four or five hundred children used the second floors as an auditorium; class rooms are on the first floor. The first floor Mr. Brockwell thinks safe enough, the only danger being that the upper stories might fall down on the children.
But to get to Mayor Craven’s letter. He tells Commissioner Wade that a representative of the insurance department, one Sherwood Brockwell, came to town, “took a squint” at the building and condemned it. He wants to know if Mr. Wade cannot send a competent man.
He has been told, of course, that Commissioner Wade knows of no more competent man than the nationally recognized fire prevention specialist, who condemns a university building as quickly as a rural schoolhouse. Major Craven will receive a copy of the report made by Mr. Brockwell to the head of the department. Thereafter his conscience may guide him.
If that conscience is coupled with judgment, he’ll probably subside; for Brock will tell him things about the building the community has never suspected. The exits in case of fire are at only one end of the auditorium. If the fire started at the other end, there’s be nothing left save to jump from the windows.
And even if the fire risk were not so great, there’s still be so much danger from the cracked walls that nobody in responsibility would be justified in allowing children to be crowded into the upper floors.
Perfect safety isn’t insisted on by the State Insurance Department; comparative safety is. Wooden buildings of more than one story are being condemned everywhere. Brick buildings, of strong enough, may be equipped with fire escapes; but the department’s advice is to build a new building. While marking time, the first floors of the present structures may be used, and one-story temporary structures erected to take care of the children until the school can be rebuilt on a permanent basis.
Mr. Brockwell can point the way to economy and he never forgets that he is working in the interest of the taxpayers, but if he were personally building school houses, he’d make them fireproof and spend something extra in making them attractive. He doesn’t think a school building should be the cheapest, homeliest building in a community, but the prettiest and most comfortable. It is a pity that Major Craven didn’t meet the Insurance Department’s representative and with him take a “squint” at the situation.
Sherwood can outtalk the Major on a large number of questions; on fire prevention in schools Mr. Craven would acknowledge the corn and back out of the controversy quicker than he left the Ku Klux.
It is possible that the old Trinity college building should be retained as a memorial; it will never be used again—above the first floor—for a public school.
From the front page of The Durham Morning Herald, Monday, September 10, 1923
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