Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-07
MATTERS or MOMENT.
How Public-schooI Children VIII Escape
When Fire-AIarm Is Given.


When a Fire-AIarm Is Given.
To Ge Editor Of ne Dispatch:
Richmond is the greatest place in the
world, but there are few things that need
reforming. Hence those of us who I'LL the
Belf-elected Office OF kickers must not ne
elect our duties. Our newspaper editors
make it sufficiently warm for the authori--
ties whenever they neglect their duties OF
paving, STRENGTHENING, &C., and our
schools and other public institutions are
SO admirably managed under Democratic
rule that they need no warming up.
And vet, as the world moves on, we are in
danger of tagging behind unless some one
watches the improvement OF the age and
by kicking starts agitation for improve
ment. Tho number of important hres
which have occurred lately and the crowd
ed condition of our public schools has sug-
gested to most parents the grave but large
" unnecessary danger to which their
children are daily exposed. In New York
and other much smaller cities school
children receive three times week and at
uncertain times what are called !" fire
drills.n At the tap of a bell all
rise, and each steps into his or or
aisle, and az another signal all march regu-
larry FROM the building. This 10 so regu-
larly and perfectly carried out that the
children soon learn that the quickest and
safest way is by regular order, thereby
teaching them valuable lesson for
crowded assemblies for the rest OF their
lives. OF course, In case OF real fre they
would never know the difference till tree
of all danger Of panic and crowding, and
most people know that this is by far the
greatest danger. In New York q year or
two ago q real FIRE occurred and not
child and very few of the teachers knew
of it till all were safely in the street, having
marched out eighteen hundred souls IN
less than three minutes from tlvo-story
building. Suppose there had been panic
among them, as there would undoubtedly
have been had they not been well drilled:
can any sane man doubt that there would
have been terrible and inexcusable loss
of life AS an illustration of what will
almost certainly occur here In Richmond
sooner or later unless fre-drllls are insti-
tuted and faithfully carried out, there was
trifing FIRE few days ago In one OF our
public schools and very nearly serious
panic. have taken pains TO ask many OF
our school-children what they would do IN
case of fire, and almost If not quite all
replied that they would Jump from the
windows. One Intelligent boy OF sixteen
said he would over the heads OF the crowd.
Emphatically we need regular and per-
feet system OF fre-drill.
Aud now one kick at the never-failing
subject of the weather. We have at Wash
iprton an elaborate and costly Weather
Bureau filed with loafers. some holding
their places as rewards for not finding the
North Pole and some for whooping up
Ben. Harrison. They give US what ought to
be. and few years ago was q reliable daily
weather forecast. and yet by careful obser-
vation am convinced that not only nine
out of ten sensible, old-plantation negroes
can oftener correctly prognosticate
the weather, but that AS mere
wild-guessiag institution the said bu.
reau. under Harrison the less (and
il is to be hoped the last). is, as a
failure, a great success. To illustrate by q
few OF the most striking instances: One
day early last fall the cold-waye flag was
hoisted and the telegraphis forecast was
that the thermometer would fall 80 degrees.
instead Of which II rose 2s degrees and re-
NAMED warm for week. while we poor
fools lugged our oyercoats to and from
business. During our long spring rains
the bureau constantly predicted fair and
clearing weather. except occasionally, per-
hans. whan II rained too hard.for ths boAs