New-York tribune., 1901-02-05
HEROIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
GET TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED PUPILS
SAFELY oUT OF BURNING BUILDING.
ONE WOMAN PLAYS CooLLY on PrANo-AH-
OTHER RUsHEs BACK THROUGH SMOKE
FOR OVERCOME BOY.

ere IN Public School No. 81 Yesterday demon
strsted two facts-the usefulness Of the FIRE drill
for pupils and the bravery. amounting In the case
of a. lesst woman 20 heroism. OF IN" TEACHERS.
when the flames were discovered about twenty-five
hundred boys in she school. u stands In One
hundred-nnd -tenth-st., between Second and Third
aues and IL surrounded by tenement houses. In
which many ~ the pupils live When II became
known IN the neighborhood thai The school was on
ere the panic. tho screaming and the groaninS
upon the outside far exceeded that wlch going
on within IN the street fearcrazed mothers by the
score were calling for their and trying 20 force
their way into the smoke filled halls In the school
cool headed teachers. seemingly thouehtless or sell
were marching their charges orderly procession
70 the sound of piano playing out Of the rooms and
down the stairs 20 safety
Not q child was Lost one might have heen but
for the fortitude ~ teacher. Miss TART Her
cisss was composed ~ little boys. BY the time
she got them Al out in the hau her classroom was
ful ~ smoke just as she about 10 follow
rho last youucstcr in the line down tho stairs. she
heard a sob behind her Back into The binding
cloud she croped , er way. and. guided by the
sound ~ the sobs soon struck her foot against
tirv lad who vas living on tho floor. half choked
and altogether TOO frightened 10 walk Miss TART
picked him up in her arms and bore him after The
others.
The FIRE started in storage room on the ground
floor Miss Tariffs string Of boys had 10 pass the
door % THIS room. When thoy came to il flames
we're dartiug out ~ creyices between the door and
the dooriarhs The little fellows dared not rro-
cesd. Miss TART at olcc ordered them 20 get down
on their hands and knees and crawl past. This they
did and reached the street safely. Miss TART
could not crawl hecause she had the tiny lad stiil
IN her arms. So she and jumped past the door,
The greedy flames licked al her. but only scorched
her dress
Another womar who displayed great coolness IN
the face ~ imminent danger was Miss Bessie His-
gins the music teacher As as J ]. Casey
me principal learned that tn" school was on hre'
Ne quietly told Miss Hisgins and asked her 10
50 Tho piano and strike mp auickstep Not
knowing whether she would eyer set ont oi ne
sat down 70 ths piano and without false note
played tho lively muslc nnceasl,slF t nnn ~, ar SiS
right
begin PLAYING he rang the fire gong THIS was
familiar sound % TIE boys TOT me! h5d - S
lv beer exercised in the fire driA. and Knew luSt
vhat 10 do Instantly they sprang 10 their feet
IN sll the "assroons. ana stoou Al atl'io.1 ss
drill or a real 1re soon they found il was i1e
real thing for they smeiled smoke. and saw
creeping along tho ceiling. Signs Of ieaf We're
!'stesSy bovs steady.' ordered the teachers
and the march began ip perfect oroer ms oroer r
maintained nrtl iho rhl'drNn gol 70 'ii' p9l-
street tho noise Of the hrc engines ana INC a9d'l
sompanies ond the general Confusion r3pse' -. n
% break racks and make rush for the exits The
,,,e, ma suaiijspt however 10 nrcvcIt the hoys
from becoming TANNED I'm Tho donrVays. and al
were got ont with nothing worse than bruises ana
There Mas 10, OF paper and rubbish. in the
storeroom where tho fire started about lI.i' a. m.
. isnitor Is Thomas Wiherl-. The BOARD Of EAu>a-
d tion paws its jauitors handsome salaries More
j than score Of them Ct S4eo a year. All Of them
set moro thsn Is paid 70 meny teachers An in-
yestigation IS promised by The Fire Marshal The
Ere burned out the storage room shot Ip dumb.
waiter shaft and was reaching out 70 the adjacent
rooms when the hremen threw deuEe OF water
into the shaft and drowned It out The loss i
about 5000