The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-24
scHooL FIRE ESCAPES.

| Yesterday one OF the High school teach-
| ers INDUCED in timely talk to the pupils
| in her room respecting leaving the building
| in case of fire and throughout endeavored
| to emphasize the idea that the children
should leave the room, and building, in as
| ORDERLY a manner as after the usual dis
mission when the lessons of the day are
finished. She carefully pointed out the in
evitable dangers resulting from panic,
whom wild break is made for doors OF
| windows. the result being trampling
under foot of the weaker by the stronger,
the manning of many for life, perhaps, and
the burning to death of many who, had
anything like order been preserved, would
have escaped unharmed.
The ARGUS is glad to record the fact that
at least one of our city teachers has taken
the matter in hand of impressing upon the
minds of her pupils the absolute necessity
of avoiding anything like confusion in a
moment of extreme danger. The time to
do this, with q reasonable certainty of at
tanning good results, is when children are
uncontrolled with danger, the danger of
losing their lives by roasting. This sort
of practical instruction If followed up,
cannot fail to be in the highest degree
beneficial.
In this connection the ARGUS would
suggest that it might be good idea for
every teacher in the city to devote few
minutes daily to what might not inaptly
be termed a 'ff1re drill The children
would not fail to become deeply interested
in it and in the event of a fire in any
school building the chances of escape for
all would thereby be multiplied indefinite
ly. We all know how panic stricken an
audience of adults invariably becomes
when fire alarm (even a comparatively
quiet one) is given in theatre. We also
know that slight smudge, ewing perhaps
to the premature and harmless combustion
of chemicals used in stage fire, will serve.
to kick up as uproarious a time generally
as if the entire building were wrapped in
flames. It, therefore, naturally follows
that if people grown up and evidently old
enough to know better win thus idiotically
behave, no better conduct can be expected
on the part of mere babes. Hence the
ARGUS maintains that the sensible course
pursued by that lady teacher in the High
school of the city, in thus instilling into
the minds of her pupils true and proper
regard for the law Of self preservation. and
leading each steadily onward and upward
4,xro ~ +ha c,raat daS;derotnrn IF seYfY oi1a
in a time of great peril is worthy of adop-
ton by every teacher in Christendom. and
if SO adopted we would hear of fewer fatal
tiles hereafter when churches and public
halls, filed with people, are surrounded by
the fiery demon. These school children
will sooner or later become men and wo-
men, and will carry the lessons learned in
the school room into their after lives.
In connection with this interesting and
subject, we take pleasure in
the following timely para
graph from the Chicago Journal of last
evening. respecting suitable fire escapes for |
public schools: The public should |
1ot be entirely engrcssed with the proven
generally occupied by men who are capable |
IF looking out for themselves, If they have |
half chance; but the public school build |
ngs contain class of persons more help |
ess and more liable to panic in case of real |
" false alarm of fire. All school build |
ngs should be made as near .flre-proof as |
possible, and no stairway should be con-
tructed Of anything except stone and
ron. There 10 usually only one way of exit
rom the upper stories of our public
chool buildings, and il that is cut off or
hould be Get ON fire, the result would be
90 horrible to contemplate. All school
boards, principals, teachers and jsnitors
hould exercise extreme vigilance during
he prevalence of cold weather"
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