Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-02-18
Legs Start q Panic.

hole in the ceiling and kicking frantic
ally, while the man himself yelled lust
lily for help, started panic in Phila
delphia on Thursday morning in the
Jefferson public school, that came neal
proving serious. The man was JOIN
b. Cassell, the board of education's il
spector of heating and ventilation, who
had gone into the loft above the thirC
story to repair defective Rue.
About $50 o'clock he climbed into
the loft, and grouped his way in tho
dark. as he feared to light a match
among so much combustible material
as the loft contained. He had told
none of the teachers about his visit tC
the loft, and, consequently, what fol
lowed was a complete and startling sur
prise. In the darkness he stepped into
an open trap door, and moment later
the girls in the class room below wcrc
startled by a crash, followed by the
falling Of plaster and the mans legs
struggling TO keep him from falling.
When tie imprisoned inspector called
aloud for help the girls became con
WINGED that he was burglar, or some
other equally dangerous intruder The
| teacher was powerless to restrain them,
and they rushed for the tire-escape and
stairway,
Miss Richardson aad the ether teach
ers tried hard to restrain tie girls on
the third floor, for the alarming cry OF
"P::re..o had been raised. They station
cd themselves at the doors, but the
girls, thoroughly alarmed, raised the
sashes and rushed out, Miss Richard,
son was pushed aside and slipped on
the stairway, but she was not injured
Some of the little girls were iostled and
fell, bpt it was reported that none were
seriously hurt,
Janitor Thomas saw the girls hurry
ing down the tire-escapes, and he i'm
mediately proceeded to the third floor,
but the girls needed him not. Next
he turned his attention to the inspector.
There WAS big hole in the cell
ing, and the inspector vas trying to eX-
tricate himself, The janitor rendered
assistance, and when the inspector was
removed it was found that his legs were
injured. lie was subsequently taken
home.
The boys on the second floor also be-
came unmanageablc when they heard
the screaming, frightened girls in their
fight. Principal SickelS did not know
the real cause of the panic; so he did
not detain the boys, but merely caution
ed them to so slow. as there was prob
ably no danger.
On the first floor the same state of af-
fairs occurred. The teachers were
likewise in ignorance Of the trouble,
and while trying to preserve order saw
that they all got out quickly. The
children did not wait for their hats,
overcoats or wraps, but beat q hasty
exit. The spectacle of the children
fleeing from the building attracted a
large crowd on the outside, and several
who sustained bruises were escorted to
their homes.
subsequently, while Principal Sick
els, of the boys department, and Miss
NJ. S. Rcnier, of the girls school, were
examining the scene of the ludicrous
mishap that had caused the panic, both
said that all the pupils had fortunately
escaped practically without injury. One
of the other teachers said:
WASN'T it a fortunate thing that the
girl who sits at the desk directly be-
Meath where the man fell through eX-
changed her seat at the opening of the
session? 1t was a most comical thing
There were his legs dangling above
Really, didn't think the girls would
take it So
Miss Richardson says the girls were
in the midst of the arithmetic lesson
when the inspector met with the acci.
dent. Il never saw school emptied
in so short time,n she declared.
Miss Renier said that soon after the
children left the building they return
ed. and the studies were resumed as
though nothing had happened.