The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-07-04


ticn Of the principals, and as matter
of fact in a great majority OF cases
these drills are surprise tests.
When the schools reopen in the fail,
after the long vacation, each school has
many new pupils, to whom the school
building is entirely new, and many Of
the older pupils, as they advance in
their studies, are shifted from one
room to another, where they are among
more or less unfamiliar surroundings.
Then, at the beginning Of the term, the
purpose of the drill is explained to the
children, and the drills are made with
celebration until the children have be-
come accustomed to them and aceus-
toned to making their exit from any
of The several rooms in which they
might be at the time the signal was
given. After that the surprise tests
may be made at any time.
The signal for the fire drill is given
by the principal, who can touch a but
ton on his desk and strike a gong in
every room in the school; and he may
give the signal at seven minutes past
ten in the morning, or at three min
utes Tast two, or at any hour and min
ute he may see fit, without any previ-
cut warning. At the sound of the gong
in every room, the teacher commands
Attention." and forms the pupils in
line; end then to the sound of lively
march music played on the plano the
asses, headed by their respective
teachers, march out.
Aid they do not simply march Il t..
but, still preserving its formation, each
class marches to a spot designated for
| it and there halts; and then, If this was
a fire drill only, the classes, when that
order is given, are about faced and,
headed by their teachers, marched back
to their respective rooms, and the
school duties resumed.
All the children like the fire drill and
take to it most kindly and observe its
discipline faithfully, the refractory or
uhruly ones included. 1t is pointed out
time to some distant part of the build
ing, discovered and promptly reported
the fire in the Brooklyn school from
which, the other day, in a real fire
drill, the pupils marched out in such
splendid order.
The children all work together with
interest, attention and order when it
comes to the fire drill; and when some
day they have the fire drill signal
sounded with the one added stroke that
means business they are ready for it.
They have marched out in perfect order
and quickly, time and time again. and
they know they can do 1t now.
| And now they do not stop to put
away their books or to get their wraps
las they do when a surprise drill is made
in winter or in stormy weather, but in
lall the rooms the lines are formed in
lstantly, and at the word, with music
playing, the marching out begins. Ev-
| erything has been provided for, the or
der in which the rooms shall be emp
tied, and what shall be done in case one
or more exit doors are for any reason
temporarily closed, and It is provided
that no lines shall intersect.
In every case in which FIRE alarm
has been sounded under the present
system of fire drill the teachers have
behaved with GOODNESS and courage, and
in no instance has there been a panic
among the children. There may be
some excitement among the children
| and some Of the little ones may cry,
but there is no confusion, nor any COM
motion. They all obey orders and
march with steadiness.
What the confidence inspired by the
fire drill and the surprise tests will do
| for the children In one way Is shown by
a school principle who told of case in
| which the children in a school kept on
with their studies without excitement.
though smoke was coming into the
building from a fire in the neighbour
hood, from which fire, however, there
was really, no danger to the school.
What this confidence, coupled with the
stress Of discipline, will do in case Of
actual fire in a school building was
shown in a case, told of by another
principal, in which classes going out
narached in perfect order past the door
of room from which flames were issu-
ing.
The greatest danger Of panic comes
from the outside, from parents who
| may storm the building in their anxiety
to preserve their children. To avert
this danger the school authorities rely
on the police.
All the great department stores have
/ fire brigades organized among their
Iemployes-in at least two OF these es-
adjustments the head Of the fire fight
ling force was formerly OF the New
York fire department. The coriposi-
ton of the fire brigades in the several
| stores varies.
| In one, for example, it is made up
from among the statesmen on the vari~
GUS floors; in another it is made up
from among the floormen and porters
and other employees, but not including
statesmen; and in still another 1t is COM
posed Of the porters on the several
floors. But, however the fire brigade
may be composed, every man in 1t has
his specified duty to perform and is
drilled in the performance of it, and in
every one of the stores where inquiry
was made they have surprise tests.
In one great establishment, in which
the head Of the store fire fighting force
is called, the captain Of the fire depart
ment, they have surprise tests two or
three times month, these tests being
| made after the closing of the store, SO
as not to create alarm among the GUS