The college may get the house for $50 or less and the promise to clear it away after the fire demonstration next May.  The school board is happy to have someone purchase the house, since its disposal could become a problem.  Original plans were to sell the house at auction.

Mark Brosier of the Iowa State college, head of the college's fire school, appeared before the Ames school board at its regular monthly meeting Monday evening and presented his plan to have the college purchase the building.  No definite price was agreed upon, however, since Brosier said he would need clearance through various college officials.  A purchase price of $50 was mentioned at the meeting.  Brosier told the board that if the building were purchased, it would be used for demonstration purposes for the 500 firemen who will attend the college's annual fire school May 18, 19, and 20 of next year.

He said that the fire in the building would be used to demonstrate fog nozzles in fire fighting.  Both he and Fire Chief Sam Long, who also attended, emphasized that the building would not be burned to the ground.  A flash fire would be started in one of the rooms and immediately extinguished by use of fog nozzles, he said.  A water curtain consisting of a number of sprays would be set up between the old and new buildings to protect the new school, they said.

The Ames fire department would also have its equipment standing by in preparation for an emergency, the Chief added.

The old Franklin school, one of Ames' oldest homes, is more than 65 years old and has been used as a school building for 25 years.  School officials said that should the negotiations with the college fail to materialize, the building would be sold at auction.  A stoker in the building and other valuable objects would be removed from the building if it is sold to Iowa State college.

The new Franklin school is nearly ready for occupancy.  The school board expressed the hope that the Franklin school children may be able to move into the new building by the second semester.  Only major item yet to be completed are ceilings in two rooms and a closet.

Although the building will be ready to move into early next year, there will still be unfinished work which will be completed within the next two years.  Because the school was started while the board had insufficient funds to cover the entire cost, parts of the school will be unfinished until such time that funds are available.  Only one of the school's two classrooms will be completely finished when the school children move in.