St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-07-05
a nenslpIe school Drliii.

1t is notorious fact that While COllIl-
ellis have taken decisive steps to compel
the owners of all hotels, mills, factories
and other outbuldin s in which men,
women and children are obliged to re-
main during the day or night, TO take
precautions to pre- ent panicS and iatal
accidents in re c. lire, the city has not
the means t. prs ,lde its. own property
with fire~escapes. OF the public school
buildings wh.eh shelter over 100, 900
children DIR NJ the greater part OF the
day. very few of them have fire. seapes,
and many more are SO constructed
as to be little less than death-traps
in case of fire and panic. In some
of the schools. however, the Directors
and teachers have taken the matter
into their own hands, and by a sys-
tenn of drills have accustomed the
children to system that will enable
them to get out of the building in case
of fire without accompanying danger.
At the Newton Grammar School, Thirty
eight and Spruce streets, the system
is now as near perfection as can be ex-
pected.
The Newton School building at pres
ent accommodates about $50 children.
On the first floor is the boys grammar
school. the second is used by the girls,
and on the third is a primary school OF
about 40 little children. The last
named arrangement had to be made by
the Directors, owing to Il want OF room
elsewhere, as it is not deemed wise to
have the cIass-rooms for the little chill
dren so far from the street. About six
months ago, Miss Louisa d. Elmes,
Principal of the girls school, began
drilling the pupils under her charge in
marching quickly from their places in
the sch00l-building to the yard. Mr..
James T. C. Sickel, Principal of the
bows school, and the Board of Direct
orS. at once saw the Importance of the
experiment, and in short time a thor
ough system was adopted. The neces-
sary arrangements were made so that
the teachers on the different floors
could communicate with each other by
means of speaking tubes, and by which
a fire signal could be given from, either
the first, second or third floors. At first
the pupils were obliged to go through
the fire-drill two or three times week,
but now they have become so thorough
" familiar with what is expected of
them that the drill is less frequent.
once week being all that is now neces-
sary.
This morning a Bulletin representa-
tive visited the Newton School with two
of the Directors for the purpose of see
ing the fire-drill in practical operation.
It was about ten o'clock, all the scholars
being busily engaged at their desks, no
warning having been given of the pro-
posed drill. The first alarm was
sounded from the first floor. Mr..
Sickel went to speaking-tube near his
desk, and blew into it sharply three
times, thus giving the signal to both the
floors above. At the same time he re-
peated the signal on the large gong. In
an instant every scholar in the entire
building was in motion, the teachers
had posted themselves on the stairways,
and the regular lines of children were
passing out the doors and from the
building. When the yard was reached
the pupils remained in line just as they
had left their places, until the signal to
return was given. Ofcourse the primary
children were the last to get out, but
the whole number-650 children-were
out of all possible danger within a min
ute and three-quarters by actual time.
There was not the slightest confusion,
there was no crowding or pushing; and
the three stairways could easily have
accommodated another line of children
at the same time. None of the pupils,
except those in Mr. Sickel's class. who
saw the signal given, knew whether
they were simply drilling or whether
there really was cause for the sudden
dismission. At the ringing of bell
the pupils returned quietly and in order,
and inside of four minutes from the
time the fire signal was first given were
at their desks.
The visitors then went to the girls
school on the second floor and the drill
was repeated, Miss Elmes giving the
alarm. In an instant each pupil, from
the little girls in the lowest grade to
the Young ladies in the senior class, was
on her feet. The one nearest the door
started at once in that direction, fol-
| lowed by the rest in the regular order
in which they had been seated. This
trial was quite as satisfactory as the
first. In case of a real alarm OF fire the
pupils would naturally take their accus-
toned places in the drill, knowing by
experience how quickly they are able to
escape in that way. They seem to en-
Joy the exercise very much, and the
teachers stated that it is beneficial in
more ways than one. when ! find
my girls becoming languid and dull, "
said Miss Elmes to-day, :" / find there is
nothing which freshens them up SO much
as this fire-drill, so that we are glad to
train them in it. y Both drills this morn
ing did not occupy more than ten min
utes altogether at the most.-PhtLadeE