Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-27

woman went " thelf PvAts, wv" e"N'
oeef was ri his tsoitie IN hssb, While
the chief engineer glanced ~ the IN
dicaiof tosee what ward the alarm vas
turned In from, and gave the signal
which notified the whole building
where the fire was reported from. IN
the short space ~ time covered by ~
seconds two powerful streams rom Two
"a inch bose, st ~ pounds pressure
shown on the pumps, were sending
water 10 the highest parts Of the build
ing. At the same time there could We
seen on every side double rows Of pa
tieuts steadily tramping through the
corridors aud 10 less time than II taxes
10 write this would all have reached q
place Of safety on the outside.
THE ALARM or FIRE
was turned In from box MOI, ward
eleven, by an attendant, Miss Williams,
10 one Of the ladies convslescent wards.
BY the time the streams were playing
over the roof three bose were IN position
10 deluge the ward and all the ladies
were formed up ready to go under the
other attendants lead out Of the build.
ing.
SO we'll are the patients trained that
they fall In line 10 perfectly mecban-
ical and one might say automatic man
ner. There are night alarms twice
week sometimes which further robs
them of all fear Of fire and Of all dan
yer of a stampede or fatality from ex.
citeinent.
A MIDNIGHT ALARM
was next turned in. This is when all
the inmates are locked In their rooms
Perfect stiffness prevails. Every pa
tient Is in bed asleep. The doors arr
bolted on the outside and the attend
ants In fifteen or twenty seconds
throw the bolts OF all the doors. Th'
patients rush out, some In their nigh
dress, and some with wrap throw
around them, form in line and marct
at once out of the building.
IN THE VIOLENT WARD.
1t Is impossible to picture more ex
citing scene than that to be witnessed
In the women's violent ward when al
alarm Of Hre is given. 1t is a prlyileg
rarely accorded press visitor and one
seen not to be wiped out of memory
Here are the maddest of the mad an,
the saddest of the sad-wrecked AMI
wretched representatives of what wa
once fair, pure and noble. Here tn
excitement is the most intense. Th
frenzy and frantic actions of the craze,
women is doubled, all their wild me
tions are quickened, their eyes CLEAN
and their voices, If noisy before, ar
raised to battle pitch. Many hav
their hands muffied and cuffed, AM
strapped down to their benches
These have to be unfastened by the al
tendants and the incorrigibles hustle
into line. These patients had alread
gone through the regular weekly fir
drill which had taken place and wer
quite cross at second alarm. Thi
made them still more difficult to man
age, but in less than two minutes the,
were in line marching, with q hos
carried through the room.
Miss Brandt, who was in charge, &C
quilted herself with the skill of a traine,
attendant.
THE FIRE SYSTEM
taken altogether, including hose sci
vice, alarms and discipline, is tn
simplest aud most perfect that coul
be conceived in so large an institution
Supt. Rowland ever since he has bee
In charge has made special study {
improving the fire service. The d;
tails of the system and vii the mechar
ical and electrical appliances were d,
signed and put 10 and are kept in pei
feet working order by the engineer |
charge. Mr.. J. A. McCarl who seem
to have a talent for filling the position
The state Is to be congratulated on tn
safety from fire which its wards enjo
AT this institution,
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