Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-25
THE FIRE DRILL.
HOW SCHOOL CHILDREN ACT AT a
FIRE ALARM.
The Observations of the Herald's School
Reporter Quick Work in vacating the
Buildings.

Have you ever thought of what would
happen if, by any accident, one of the
large public schools in this city should
take fire? The HERALD school reporter
has thought about the matter, and on a
recent visit to the Spring street school,
Miss Gibson, the principal, asked If he
would like to see fire drill; he eagerly
assented.
ssYou must know" said the lady,
ssthat the board of education requires us
TO have fire drill at least once month,
the time to be chosen by ourselves.
The fire alarm can be given with two
strokes of the gong, or with three. The
former means that the children are to go
without waiting to take wraps or books /;
the latter, that they have time to gather
MP their belongings. Now watch the
effect. OF course. the rooms have a
regular order Of going out, the smallest
children going first"
Taking his place at the gong the re-
porter waited. Two quick strokes
sounded out, and in an instant there
was q sound of hasty movement all over
the building doors flew open, and the
little ones of the first and second grades
marched rapidly down the halls and out
into the yard, followed by the eolder
scholars, until all had left the building,
the teachers following their classes out.
The most perfect order prevailed. Spring
street school has $50 scholars, and the
time from the first stroke of the gong
until the last child had taken his place
in the lines in the yard was one minute
and forty-fve seconds.
ssNow," said Miss Gibson, "there are
three things / can do: One signal will
mean that the children can go home ;
which would only be given in case of a
fire or, if had struck three bells in
stead of two, and it was nearly time to
close session, another signal would
mean that the children were to go and
play third signal will recall the chill
dren to their studies"
The latter signal was given, and in a
short time all the children were back in
their places in the class rooms.
EIGHTH STREET.
ga fire drill? Why, yes, we can have
one if you wish," said Miss Scott, the
principal of the Eighth street school.
The reporter accordingly took his place
as a visitor in the class room
of Miss Nellie Shine, who teaches
the fifth grade scholars, and
awaited the signal. The scholars
were all deep in an arithmetic lesson
when the gong struck. They looked ex-
cited, but fell into line in good order
and passed out in their turn. Time at
this school one minute, fifteen seconds,
for 450 pupils to pass out OF the school.
SIXTEENTH STREET.
Miss Gordon readily agreed to have
fire alarm, given at the Sixteenth street
school, and when the reporter had
taken his place where both stairways
could be seen the gong sounded and the
building was vacated in seventy seconds.
This school has 400 pupils.
THIRTIETH STREET.
The reporter himself was taken by
surprise at this school, where fire
drill was given to practice the kinder
garten, which has not formerly been in
cluded in the fire drill. The school con-
tains $50 scholars, exclusive of the kim
dergarten, yet they were all out, little
tots and all, in one minute and fifteen
seconds.
The order at all these drills was most
excellent, and since it is always a sur
prise, the drill would doubtless be as
effective in case of real fire.