National Republican., 1876-02-01
PANIC IN TIE STEVENS BUILDING.
A False Alarm the Causs-Ssrious Injury oi
Snnna If tha Childrsn

Not long since the community was startled
with the news Of a panic in the Stevens school
building, occasioned BY sligh: fire abou. the
premises, and which chRnceI miraculously to
have no fatal result. In the same buildngyester-
day afternoon another plnic was created by
slight cause, which happily did not result in
death to any of the hundreds OF children who are
in daily attendance upon the schools in the build.
ing.
About 2:lO o'clock yesterday afternoon an alarm
Of fire was turned in from box IS. The alarm
proved to be false, although the fire department
were early upon the ground and ready for SER
vice. The alarm was given by some men passing
by the Stevens school building, which is situated
on Twenty frst street., between anI L streets
The chi!dIen Of the Primary schools were being
dismissed al the Tine and hearing the cry Of FIRE
Which probably revived the terror and fear OF the
former panic they started, with screams and
shrieks, 10 make their way ont OF the building,
which. TO their minds, was on fire. A stampede
ensued, and the alarm spread through the whole
building in almost an instant. A rush similar to
that Oh the former occasion took place In thar
eagerness to reach place of safety the children
rushed pell;mell from all portions OF the building
and ;herded together on the stairs, where lives
and limbs were in jeopardy.
The teachers employed in the building, with .
wonderful seitFossession and heroism, devoted
themselves at once TO the work OF saving the
children in case there was any necessity for the
alarm and Of Eeeplng the children, SO far as
10 order to prevent injury. The children were
past control; some jumped over the banisters,
others reaching the porticO jumped of, and SONS
were seen 10 Jump from the windows.
1t is wonderful that so few were Injured. Two
only received injuries of a serious character.
Louis Napoleon little boy. about thirteen ye 1rs
oiage, got under the feet of the chiIdrek = III
stairs and before he was rescued, received II
bic bruises about the body, and his forehead was
cut William BaIket, another boy, about
twelve years of age, Jumped from a second story
window and broke an arm and leg. Many
others received slight injuries.
Napoleon and BanEet we're carried to neighbor-
Ing houses where they were properly cared for,
and atterWard they were taken to their homes
Napoleon 10 SHOWS row, Twenty-hfth and X
streets, and Banket to Sampson street between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth.
ltwas soon discovered that the alarm was false
and the teachers succeeded in stopping the tn.
mutt. Order was gain restored, but The warning
OF January II had been repeated. In the buIltInZ
over eight hundred children are accommodated,
and the paLicS Of the last month show how easily
such large number of children can be thrown
into the most lntense excitement by simple
alarm Of ire. The boys who gave the dreaded
alarm under tie windows Of the crowded school
kEould. If they can he found, be punished.
The construction Of the buildingf is 50 imperfect
IN Its 10 nsnner of egress that in case OF panic, a
trap is formed for the s;ampeding children. After
descending The toOnarrOu stAirWays to the main
entrance, Nv hIch is the second floor of the
utleinE.) they crowd out on pO-tico from which,
Oh either side long, narrow, and winding stair.
way leads to the ground. II is from this portIco
that many Of the children leaped but mIracu.
lously escaped serious 10 Jury.