The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
GIRLS FIRE BRIGADEs.
A Feature of Practical Education mt Eng
lish Female SchoOls and Colleges.

The girls schools of England can give points
TO American schools, in at least one department
Of practical education. They have the finest
women's fire brigades in the world. Westield
College. at Hampstead, was the first English
college for women 10 make fire practice q promi-
nent feature Of school training; and, in the old
days. the practice was Of a very thorough sort.
Professional fremen were hired to inspect and
train the brigales: and the girls learned all the
tricks Of the profession. from ticing flreman's
chair knots in ropes. and lowering themselves
from top windows, 10 carrying insensible per
sons out OF burning buildings, The training is
not quite SO severe now. and chute practice is CON
sidered much moro important than rope prac-
tice. The chutos. which are long canvas tubes,
with iron trimmed mouths, lie cooled in the central
hall ways of the school buildings, At an alarm
Of fire, certain members Of the brigade uncoil the
chute from a convenient window or balcony,
where iron supports have been placed to hold the
open mouth Of the tube. Other brigade officers run
down TO the lawn, and hold the lower end Of tho
chute. II is their duty to see that each girl who
shoots the chute is spilled safely on the ground.
before the signal is given for another to start. In
rene OF the colleges, sliding the chute
head foremost is advocated, not, at Westfeld.
VlDt' Nt' kiil - h'N'h hk Nv NV w "tbi WV
Az the smaller schools, the object OF fire prac-
ticcis chiefly to train the girls to escape as quickly
as possible from the buildings in case Of fire.
Al St Katherine's, ST. Andrews, where many
Of the pupils are small children, the chutes are
used, and the strongest members OF the fire brig
ade are posted at the top and bottom Of the chutes.
10 put the little girls into the tubes. and catch
them, at the end of the slide. Alarms are given,
at unexpected tines. and the girls are trained %
throw thick woullen coverings about their bodies
and heads, and assemble quickly, al given points.
There, tho brig AIDE officers take command Of them,
and direct their escape, each officer being re-
sponSlble for u limited number OF pupils.
The larger. colleges require not only escape
practice but also vigorous lire fighting. In cases
OF fires confined 10 one or two rooms, the girls
brigades have often done ~elIectual work. Methods
are approximately the same in all the colleges,
though brigade Organization may differ slightly.
When a fire II really or alphabetically discovered,
the head captain Of the fire brigade is informed
al once, She sounds a general alarm and sends
tho brigade messengers through all the halls,
sounding rattle alarms, knocking on the doors,
lighting the gas in case Of darkness, shutting
windows. doors and transoms 10 avoid draughts
which would feed the fre, and calling out the
when she hears the alarm knows exactly what
is expected Of her; and. not knowing whether
the alarm IS for genuine fire OF practice, she pre-
sents herself as quickly as possible at the APP
pointed place. The pump and.bucket corps
form in double line between the seat Of the fire
and the nearest water supply. Al Bedford. last
year, tn6 Du'k'' NorlS mhut u rttbTu VI blB anu
one half minutes from the time Of alarm. That
il, the lines were AT the scene Of the fire and in
working order in that time. while within three
minutes the pumps were at work.
II the fire proves serious, the captain sends a
detachment Of girls tn the rooms above those
which are on fir, where they tear up the CARPETS,
remove all draperies. and food the floors. The
strongest girls Of the school belong N the outdoor
hose corps, aud their duty is 10 get on, the large
hose. attach il 70 the hydrants and turn on streams
Of water. Naturally, all college members
do not belong 10 the fire ~brigades: Girion mas
the largest brigade. eighty girls being enrolled
in H. On tho sounding Of a fire alarm all girls
not members 81 the fire brigade are obliged TO
leave the buildings, and, as quickly As possible.
60 20 one Of the lodges and register Their names.
In this way all the students are accounted for
Where the women's college buildings are
within reach Of professional fire departments,
an alarm Is, Of course. turned in in case ofhny
serious FIRE. The women's halls at Oxford
are so well protected by the professional department
that the fire drill in the school is Of the
simplest sort: but Girton, Newnham. Cheltan-
ham, Hollaway and other schools are dependent
for quick work, almost altogether upon their own
brigades. and take pride In their proficiency.
The Holloway girls made, perhaps. the ~pluckiest
fight against fire recorded among the girls brig.
AIDES" and conquered a very threatening fire
In a fashion 10 win elimination from any regular
fire depa rtment