The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-16
SCHOOL EMPTIED BY AFIRE
ITS SIX HUNDRED GIRLS MARCH OUT
IN GOOD ORDER

The fire. which WA 10 a. AsJoiplnE Ruiid-
Ing, Followed an Explosion OF Chemicals
In which Two Naen were Baaiy Burned
rho schoei'a Fire Drill Proved Perfect.
Six hundred schoolgirls, some OF them only 4
or 8 years old, and none Of them over 10,
marched In good order out Of Public School AZ.
in Twelfth street, near University place, yester-
day afternoon, after an alarm OF fro had been
sounded and engines were changing and men
shouting around them. Even the explosion.
which started the fire, brokea hundred windows,
ripped out a ceiling, und made every body for n
block around Jump in the air, could not send a
panic among the youngsters. Pale and from
bling, but side by side, with the even step taught
them ut the regular iro drills, they marched out
and took up their positions on the sidewalk OPP
posite tho schoolhouse. There wasn't q single
cutlery nor an attempt to break from the lines,
and men and women in the street who saw tho
march choerod the girls loudly and long.
Miss Felicia Griffin is the principal OF tho
school. Some time ago the Board of Education
decided to change tho school from n grammar
to a high school for girls, and they employ ed a
man principal from PHILADELPHIA to talk charge
OF 1t. The change will not occur until after the
summer vacation, but tho school as II is now
will break up In q few days, and to-day the COM
mencement exercises take place.
Directly In tho rear OF the school building 10
the factory Of Walcutt 4 Leeds, dealers in phono-
graph cylinders. The factory Is o rear building,
Walcutt & Leeds occupying the front building
at % East Eleventh street. For some time the
firm has been conducting experiments In a room
on the third floor OF the factory. The windows
Of this room are only q few feet from the rear
windows Of the school, and 1t Is easy to see from
one building into the other.
Shortly after l o'clock yesterday Cleveland
Walcutt and DR.. J. w. Metcalf OF Brooklyn, q
chemist, began some experiments In q third
floor room Of the factory. They had a great
n~inefoot oauldron OF boiling wax. and into this
hey poured various chemicals. They were ex-
graph record cylinder than the one now In gem
oral use. la some way not explained the chem
force that literally ripped the room 10 pieces.
Windows were broken. sashes torn out, and
crash. Mr.. Walo1tt and pr. Metcaif were Gov.
cred With tho boiling wax and badly burned.
,h Al .t the time %sS o bs the ,s ef;BBl n o sic rIot the children re- in
ly i've minutes. The basement floor is used by
tho children OF the kindergarten, the first floor
floors by tho grammar department. On account
Of the approaching vacation not much TIM, Was
together and to their teachers, and some were
packing up their belongings preparatory TO
The 3aniior Of tdSe school. Oscar Poole, and a
number OF the older girls were decorating the
large classroom on the top floor with hags and
plosion took place. Poole was standing beside
the open window, and the force Of the explosion
Poole ran into Miss Griffin g room and told her
In q low tone that there was n fire next door
s she!d ' bsl,er T ssrn pS OUT + ~ ant eRi ide room 6r snd thrt
the children do the nre drill in response TO a
principals room. With the children wandering
from room to room this method was not prac.
ticable. SO word was passed to all the floors to
After Miss Jessie Coibnrn. Who had charge Of
the second floor, had got all OF her children out,
mary %S' s che siaas I'll iitsle xi .Hsn ranging t1 ES; fr r@s + RT,:
e s,sht seS SGS were giving their teache5' Miss
cream and cake when the alarm came and
marched steadily out. One little girl couldn't
plate out with her and finished Il on tho side
Up on the top floor. on account Of the absence
Poggi, q girl Of IS. had charge of a class OF thirty
girla. Theresa is the girl who made q speech te
behaIf OF, her Fellow pupils moi 10 transfer Mis-,
Grinin. the principal. TO another school. Their
the alarm. but without any aid she formed tn,
class in line and marched them out. She mad,
excited. and every one obeyed her injunctions u
the letter.
ra ni,Sfs up pa and !pS sh ehiP Visiting E s G %nd TIN Hns'p r.,
shouts OF the tiremen and the smoke all failed u
children were lined up opposite the school, one
GIRL of IA, u member OF the graduating class
distributes to-day had been, left in the building
o Miss Griffin. the diplomas!" she cried.
Mrs. Elinor Dunn, a teacher. heard her, and
running. upstairs. got the basket OF ribbon
bound diplomas and brought them down, bold
Ing them nigh up above her head SO that all III,
as the youngsters saw them they shouted anl
clapped heir hands. and they could DO heard al
the way over to Broadway.
When the fire in the factory had been put GU
tho children were marched back into the schuo
and the school duties resumed as though nothing
had happened.
Surgeons from the New York Hospital dressec
Mr.. Walcutt's and DIR. Motcalfs burns, and the,
were sent home in IA carriage, The damage q
the factory was about 81 900.