The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-26
ANACONDA NEWS.
THE CHILDREN ARE SAFE
No Danger for Them in the Public
Schools in Case of Fire.
ALL ARE WELL DRILLED
An Alarm Is Rung In at the Lincoln
School and the $40 Pupils Leave
the Building in One Minute
and Ten Seconds.

Is there any danger of loss of l1fe
by fire in the public schools of Ana
conda? That is a question that is often
asked by the parents of the children
who attend the schools. In answer to
that question, it may be said that there
is very little danger of any loss of life
in case of a fire in any of the local
schools. The children are all very well
drilled and they are cautioned against
becoming excited in the event of a fire
being declared. The exercises which
they are subjected to are Of the very
best and it is very probable that in
case of fire no fatal accident would
result.
The pupils of the Lincoln school,
which is the largest attended. school Of
: the city, are about as perfect in their
fire exercises as it would be possible to
have them. There are more than $50
pupils now attending the Lincoln school
and all of them, including the teachers,
can leave the building in the surpris-
ingly quick time of one minute and ten
seconds. One can hardly believe that
in 20 seconds more than $50 persons,
half of whom are just about able to
walk, could leave a building safely, but
W
yesterday morning.
Chief Mentrum of the fire department
extended an invitation to Standard
reporter to accompany him to the Lin
coin school yesterday morning to wit
ness the drilling of the pupils. The in
vitation was gladly accepted and at
$3.50 o'clock yesterday morning Chief
Mentrum, his men and a Standard re-
porter set out for the school. None of
the teachers nor any of the pupils were
aware that an alarm would be sent in.
All of the teachers and pupils were
hard at work, when suddenly the fire
alarm began ringing. The teachers
gave the signal and the pupils quickly
but unexcitedly left their seats and
formed in rank. They marched out
of their classes into the hall in rows of
four and no regiment of regular SOL
diers could have done better. During
this time Johnnie Green, one of the pu-
pills, had left his class and he took up
the drum and began to rattle off the
double step. All this was done in
quicker time than it takes to tell it.
Principal Cannon was out in the hall
giving his orders, Miss Wisner was at
the head of one stairway and Miss Ell
lott was at the other and both giving
orders to the older pupils to wait I'M
til the little tots, whose classes are in
the basement, had left the building.
I When the little ones had filed out the
pupils from the first floor marched
I down the stairs in rows of four and
I then the older pupils were given orders
to leave the school. An incident oc-
CURED during the drilling which goes
to show that the boys and girls are
warned against getting excited. A new
pupil who had not yet been drilled was
a little over-anxious to get out, and in
his rush he slipped and fell Two little
boys Immediately picked him up and
10 hi z nar, Tn al oar
cool. Well get out safe all right"
Four gentlemen were stationed in the
corridor with stop watches and they
timed the pupils to see how long it
would take them to leave the building.
The time was one minute and ten sec
onds.
Some time ago the number of pupils
was not so large and it took them eight
minutes and Is seconds to march out.
After it was all over, Chief Mentrum,
in conversation with a Standard re-
porter, said: THE principal and the
teachers are entitled to great credit for
this. I do not believe it would be pos
sibel for the pupils to leave that build
ing in quicker time. 1t is a remarkable
feat and / am of the opinion that no.
where in the country could the pupils
leave a school house in such quick
manner. The teachers work hard to
drill the children, but their reward
WOulQ De great IL IRE Saoulu DreaK
out and they would know that they
had been the means of saving a large
number of lives"
Chief Mentrum was then asked if it
had taken him and his men long to get
the children drilled to this. The chief
interrupted the reporter. saying: I'VE
merely gave notice to the effect that
the children would have to be drilled,
so that in case of fire there would be
no loss of life. All the credit is due to
the principal and the teachers.