The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-08
WOMEN FIGHT FIRE.
THAT IS, THEY PRETEND TO PUT
OUT A SHAM COMPLICATION.

Sweet Girl GrauuateS IN IN EnEiisn
School Prove to Ee Firsmcp of the
First Water-A Scene in a Dormitory
When m Alarm Has Been Sounded
1t is well known that there are several
fire brigades in the kingdom G cred and
manned" entirely by women. Aeir serv-
ices, happily, do not seem 20 have been re-
quired on any serious occasion and their
experience has been therefore confined 10
aSsiduous drills and sham alarms Won
en-, as the poets have long since discovered,
are of a retiring nature, and these prac-
tees of theirs are carefully guarded from
the eye OF the stranger. Bat it was the
good luck of the writer to witness such
drill recently. and the proceedings were on
this wise Qt is necessary TO explain, IN u
parentheSis, that this particular drill was
an alarm drill" the theory is that news
of fire has been brought to the chief Off
Ger, and every member OF the brigade
supposed TO act as if the news were true-)
The scene of the fire was one Of the
wouen's colleges-shall we ~ n tNm-
fords The time was late in t..e LII
when a college might be expected 10 b,
and apparently was, sunk in meditation
over the profundest OF themes. In one
apartment at least a peaceful conversation
was going ON, when-b-r-r-rz-z-Zl Ii was
as if a thousand beehives had broken loose
at once just outside the door; the occupants
of the apartment sprang TO their feet with
one accord; the cotfeecups that had been
| in their hands dropped where fortune
would and hostess and guests lied for their
/ lives down the corridor.
| There was banging of doors and cries OF
| Fire. For one moment the hearts OF the
outsiders stood still, TO think Of a fire In
/ that large building and none but girls to
cope with it. Then followed recollections
/ of enthusiastic praises OF the deeds OF lire
| brigade, which, iii default of real fires,
spent its energies upon imaginary ones.
/ The occasion was evidently an alarm
drill" The outsiders pulled themselves
together, and went out also on a square
landing, only to see the last of the students
vanishing down a staircase.
We followed in their wake; a few belated
| people, who seemed to be inhabitants of a
distant part of the building, fled past and
served as guides. The members of the ori-
gade were discovered in a small hall,
ranged in order and in an obtrusively ex-
hausted condition None the less, they
manifested great eagerness; they were evil
IDENTIFY longing to be up and at 'em, like the
Guards at Waterloo. They gazed up and
down the long vistas of corridors, and
presently appeared the reason of this ex-
pectation. An officer came flying down the
line crying, as she ran: Corps No. ., right
turn! Forward DoubleP
The exhaustion of Corps No. vanished
in the twinkling of an eye; away it went,
knocking over coal scuttles and hot waite.
cans as it ran. The other companies had
lust time to scowl at No. > for having the
good luck to be first in the field. In the
midst of their envy the voices OF other Of
ficers dispatched them in the same direc
ton. At a more peaceful time we inquired
why the officers arrived so much later
than the men" 1t was pointed out il
reply that an officer was obliged to gel
hold Of one of those alarmists who went
around and made so dreadful a noise with
the rattles, in order to discover the position
of the fire, and this. with your alarmist II
an excited condition, might take up some
time.
The lockers on followed the brigade at 4
less headlong speed, and came upon II
ranged in two long lines on either side OF q
corridor Canvas buckets were passing, as
the word was given, from hand 10 hand
the stern command of the captain resound
ed down the line; any incipient burst o.
laughter, as when some excited enthusiasts
hurled an empty bucket so wildly that Z
, reached the head instead Of the hand q
the next man" was at once suppressed
Real water, we were told, was not useS
except at outdoor drill. on account Of TIN
damage it would cause, however CAREFUL.
treated.
1--WE 90 to a wet drill in mackintoshes.
said one Of the fremen, and we discove
how much heavier a bucket full Of wate
is than an empty bucket. 1t is practica
experiment in physics"
The drill went on mOnotOnously to I'll
words Take" Change" Take,
"Changcn-as each took the bucket from
her next neighbor and changed hands b
way Of passing it on. The order and d.
cipline were really very fair, considering
how few dyllls such busy people can &c
into an eight weeks term. and that the cor
stitution of the corps officers and women
must change considerably every thir
term, as students come and 20 One c
the members of the brigade was asked nj
terward TO give her honest opinion a. I
how much aid the brigade would he l!kel
4 TO give If there were fire alarm 10 serion
earnest, and how many members would b
E likely to answer To such an alarm.
!. ''AlI Of them" said she. If only fror
force of habit. have once or twice see
an alarm under such circumstances that
e number OF the brigade believed the tire {
be a real one They were, not unDaturaily
somewhat excited aud frightened; bu
X they all came As for the use, our It'll
= hand engines c0uidu't put out "a seriou
fire Of course; but if the FIRE were discov
= cred in time we might keep IL in check az
til outside help came; and brigade II, d
= the whole. "A very pleasant institution an
u helps TO keep together all sorts and cond
tioas Of students and affords them som
healthy exercise Of mind and body. ,
! that. on the whole. consider this fcminin
fire brigade TO be an institution deseryin
of support" And the visitors were u
i, elined 10 agree with her.-St- James Bud
get.
Home the Place 70 Begin a Reform.