The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-01-31
The CHILD WAS A HERO.
ofie Downs Beat His Drum and the
Children Fell in Line.

ofie Downs Beat His Drum and the
Children Fell in Line.
OMAHA, Jan. 24-Oflie Downs,
the drummer boy in the Dodge
street school, calmed a panic and
prevented terrible calamity
among 500 children. He is less
than IA years old, but the moment
he heard the gong sound the alarm
Of fire, he did not forget that he
had important business. 1t was
the crisis for which his little
head had been trained and his
courage in the presence of a rat
teled principal and excited teachers
save dead an injured list,
This young chap had been the
military band of the school. 1t
was his duty twice day to stand
at the bottom Of the stairs and
march out the scholars TO the step
of an army rattle. This exercise
was called the fire drill, and the
pupils from the infant class up
were told they must never hesitate
when the drum should sound. Each
tot knew his place in the line, and
SO accurately and thoroughly were
the rooms trained that Principal
Allen boasted the building could
be emptied in two minutes.
Yesterday he had chance to
practically test his boast, He had
hoped, despite the good discipline,
that the expected catastrophe would
never happen. He was quietly
seated in his room about 2 o'clock
when Miss Hughes, pale and ex-
cited from fright, dashed in with
the cry that the building was on
fire. She hastened back to her
charges and Professor Allen ran to
the gong. They heard the rush of
childred up stairs and the alarm
from the other teachers. There
was a stampede and in the excite
ment no one remembered the fire
rules or the drummer boy.
0ffie Downs kept his head. He
saw the smoke coming through the
register. He did not think it was
necessary to ask permission to leave
the room. He rapidly passed the
instructor without word and went
down the two flights of stairs on
the run. He wanted TIE drum,
and he got it. Principal Allen was
not in the room, but the young hero
did not hesitate to enter, He pull
the instrument from the hook and
slung the strap over his shoulder
and plunged into the hall. The
smoke was now so dense he could
barely see his way, and on the floor
above he heard the teachers shout.
ing to the children TO remain in
order. There was five engines rat
tling outside, but like a soldier in
battle Ollie Downs took his post.
He picked his way to the bottom
of the stairs just as the 5OO pupils
appeared in herd at the top of
the stairs. He pounded the drum
for dear life,
The very first sound from it act
ed like magic. Mr., Allen pulled
three little girls and one boy from
under the feet of the rushing child
rem and commanded them to keep
step to the music. The little ones
then remembered their lessons, and
to the music calmly came down the
long flight, as they had done a
thousand times before. Smoke fill
ed the entire building, but in
minute from the time the band be-
gan TO play there was not child in
it.
The boy waited until Mr.. Allen
told him everybody was safe, and,
then he came down the front steps.
The crowd cheered aud last night
500 families sang the praises ofhis
young courage.
The Populist Convention.
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