Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-02-21
Washlnetun STANDARD
EFFECT OF DISCIPLINE
TERRIBLE CALAMITY AVERTEO
BY 1T.
An Omaha school BOY through
Presence of nind Enables 900
children to Leave Burning
Building in safety.

children TO Leave Burning
building in Safety.
Ollie Downs, the drummer-boy in
the Do.ge-strcet school GAINED panic
and prevented a terrible calamity
among 800 children. He is less than
II wears old but the moment he heard
the gong sound the alarm of fire, he
did not forget he had important bust
ness. 1t was the crisis for which his
little head had been trained and his
courage in the presence OF ratified
principal and excited teachers saved a
dead and injured list.
This young chap has been the mill
tary band Of the school. 1t was his
duty twice a day to stand at the bot
tom 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 that they must never
hesitate when the drum should sound.
Each tot knew his place in the line,
and so accurately and thoroughly
were the pupils trained that Principal
Allen boosted the building could be
emptied in two minutes.
On that day he had a 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 excited from fright,
dashed in with the cry that the build.
ing was on fire. She fastened back
to her charges and Professor Allen ran
to the gong. They heard the rush OF
children upstairs and the alarms from
the other teachers. There was a
stampede and in the excitement no
one remembered the fire rules or the
drummer-boy.
Offie Downs kept his head. He saw
the smoke coming through the regis.
ter. He did not think it was necessary
to ask permission to leave the ROOM
He rapidly passed the instructors with
out word and went down the two
flights of stairs on the ruu. He
wanted the drum, and he got it,
Principle Allen was not in his room
but the young hero did not hesitate to
enter. He pulled the instrument
from the hook and slung the strap over
bis 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
shouting to the children to remain in
order. There were fire engines rafting
outside, but like a soldier in battle
Offie Downs took his post. He picked
his way to the bottom OF the stairs
just as the 500 pupils appeared in q
herd at the top OF the stairs. He
pounded the drum for dear life.
The very sound from it acted like
magic. Mr.. Allen pulled three little
girls and one boy from under the feet
of the rushing children and COM
manded them to keep step to the
music. The little ones then remem-
bered their lessons, and to the music
calmly came down the long flight, as
they had done thousand times be-
fore. Smoke filled the entire building.
but in q minute from the time the
band began to play there was not a
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 and last night 500
families sang the praises OF his young
courage.