The New York herald., 1878-10-05
PANIC IN A SCHOOL.

THE CHILDREN IN GRAMMER SCHOOL NO. IL
STARTLED BY cRY OF "FIRE "A STAN
PEDE WHICH HAPPILY WAS CHECKED IN
TIME-NoBoDY HURT.
"A panic among twenty-three hundred boys and
girls and the only damage was torn dress 1" said
Captain Ward OF the Twenty second precinct ycster
day. No wonder he spoke IN tone OF elatlon Tor
panics are as easily created as false Impressions and
quite as hardly overcome This should be all tho
moro true OF crowd OF children, yet experience
demonstrated that big folk are fully reckless
in seeking selfprcservation little Gram
School No. II is on Forty street, about
squidIstant from Eighth ana Ninth avenues, and al
nine O'Clock yesterday morning the children OF the
primary department were gathered as usual IN the
assembly room, on the ground aoor for the opening
exercises. Mrs. McCloskey, the principal, had nn.
ished reading the Scriptures ana engaged in dis.
trbuting the medals oil excellence that are given
on Friday OF each week. All but OF tho cnviable
tokens had been taken by eager little hands when a
member OF the school, named Mamie Tuft, came hur.
rying in IRON the yard dud her accustomed place.
The girl subject to epcpc attacks and just she
entered the aisle oil tue assembly room she tell In
fainting Mt
PANIC AMONG THE CHILDREN.
AS she did SO she cried 'uh, Miss Fay /, the namo
OF her class teacher Her entrance had scarcely been
noticed, but several the scholars who heard the
~
took up It's repetition, and screaming Fire! fire ~!
started Tor The doorways At once the crowd per-
ana scramued Tor their lives There we're tor tunatey
several exits, and toward these tided the mass Of
tender lives amid continued shouts OF cauger. Mrs.
McCloskcy AS well as her assistant teacners acted
with great presence OF mind. Tho iormer frsm The
piatiorm, IN as loud tones as sue could summon,
commanded the children 70 return 10 their classes al
the same lime assuring them that there was aIe
QUIET RESTORED
The other teachers LOOK POSSESSION OF the doors,
though lot before a hundrsc or more had gained tho
yard The others being compelled 10 stay where
they were were influenced by the GOODNESS ana bravery
OF their teachers, ana gradually resumed their
places. Those VINO escaped were joined by others
IRON the waiting room, and rao into the street still
crying "Frcl" ut the Top OF their vocos The entire
neign0oruood became confusion, and nundreds OF
urcnins from adjoining streets the frantic school
cnudren. Happily The grammar school Is but Two
doors away from The Twenty-second precinct station
house, ana Captain Wart with sergeant Brown ana
squad OF men, went quicKy to work. They
ROUNDED us many Of Tue chiidren US possible and
calmly forced thcm back iuto the yard. Many now.
ever eiuded the blue coats una toward their
homes as though the evil one himself were in close
pursuit. But the danger over ana IN less than
nal an nour thanks exertions Of tho teacuors
and police the scholars were Uack IN their Class
us orderly as ii nothing mad happened Not SO al
had pjureu unless the effects ci sudden Irigut
be taken into consideration. The jantor, Jonn
Cokely, when tho curly excitement was passed. car
ried the child VINO nad innocently caused mucn
trouble 10 a room, where she WAS revived with re-
storatives. Singuiariy enough the panic did not
spread to the grammar department in she second
third stories. Oniy momenlary excitement was
created there by The noise Deow, which WAS quickly
THE MOTHERS ON THE SCENE
But. matter course, all these 800 children
have mothers and the little Oues VINO rushed
Ing along tue streets reused every parent IN the
neighborheoc to lever heat oil anxiety. Stopping
ior noLniny the good women hurried toward the
school TO suceor their spring. When the panic
commenced crowd OF perhaps i've thousand people
nad come together, but many Of these hae a'ready
breat nessy along. One frantic mother came down
Nnn .vsnus w''n long sv. srson IRON aAngnag
grasped despairDgly in her right nand The children
by inat time were safely III the yard, and Mrs Nc
Cioskey wisely requested the police TO allow no one
the enclosure lne oficerg we're besiegsd by swim
ming eyes ana pieading voices. One would have sup
posed tnat all the mothers IN New York were thero
assembled, aud their efforts 10 move the policemen
admit lhew were both touching and iudlcrous
her chllnren 10 leave home that morning, and
must them.n Ihey biockaded the street NTH
recess time, wnen, 40 they were allowed see the
children play in the yard tney werc satisfied 20
TO their homes.
THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
Grammar Schooi No. II Is very large building, yet
not large enough to accommodate all the children OF
the district 1t not OF recent constr ruc,'on
spienaIdy equipped ior protection to lie IN event OF
hrc. There are less tnan dvc separate starcases
and seven points oil exit IRON the ground door. 'iet
did not happen ten minutes later, when many
OF Tue children were going TO the sec
who has Deen with the primary department oil inns
school Tor sgheen years, said u was the hrst time
a boy was oace dismissed Tor Calling ..lre" IN the
yard, ''oniy Tor fuu," as ne termed 1t.
ASTI-PANC
Every TWO months the children arc instructed In
what 10 termed an "anti-pauic dr!il.' While the
cnIldren are In their separate class rooms sud-
deu signal Is gwen and each teacher DIS
misses her Class promptly and proceeds with II to
the yard. On the last trial OF TINS plan the entire
primary department Of 400 snIidrcn emptied
IRON the building 10 the space of Two minutes and u
half These drills are more or less pracllscd n all
the city schools The Board OF Education not long
issued u gestion oil the kind. and 1t Is thought
thar an order Tor tns SPECIAL iorm OF instruction Tor
the safety Of pupils ought 10 be made Those whose
q
panic that occurred a school on Greenwich avenue,
wnen lady teacher tainted, and the cry Tor water
IRON created false suppression and raised
pane. Many IldreD were tram pied upon by
the ones, and loss OF several precious lives
tolo the cost OF the disaster.