New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-10
COTR18TE IN SCHOOL FIRE.
T5centy-fvc Hundred Pupils March
out IN Too Minutes.

BY usiur their fire drill the 25e pupils in the
grammar and primary departments OF PUBIC ochool
No l. in West Forty-seventh-st. escaped Nestef-
dsy from the burning schoolhouse in safety There
wa. little fright among the children. except the
smallest ones the work OF the teachers ana the
police in getting the little ones out In safety was
much hampered by excited parents, who tried TO get
into the building. blocking the exits and communi-
eating their fright to the children who had up to
that time filed out quietly and quickly The police
reserves took stern action at once and drove inc
parents away from the door.
The schoolhouse is one Of the Oldest in the city
having built in 1876 1t is of brick four stories
in height and. according 10 the teachers Is a
finder box For these reasons the pupils have had
a fire drill several times week. About eight hun
dred pupils are from twelve TO sixteen years CID
and the rest are from six 70 twelve years
The fire started IN a cloCkrnom the second
floor at the east end or the building 1t was dis
covered by Miss O'ConnelI. teacher. and at the
same time it was seen from the street by Captain
Hayes of the Thirty seventh-st station. ana
Patrolma1 AeTigan, of the Forty seVenth-st- sta
ton. Captain Hayes turned IN the alarm, while
Kerrigau ran to the station where Sergeant Fit1-
patrick ordered out TIE reserves. Captain hayes
also calls3 out tie reserves from the west FORTY
seventh aIrg Wes; Sixty zlth St stations In the
mean time Martha BgTg,e the foUrteen-y eal-oid
daughter o. Sergeant Byrae sent in a still alarm
and a ndpii of the school had sent in the special
alarm from the burning building
Kerrigan returned from the station house on the
run and told Mrs Mary L. Gordon. the acting
principal Of the fire. She gave the order for the
usual FIRE drill from her office the third floor.
The signal ordered ali pupils 10 leave the building
without waiting for coats hats The third bell
which generally follows as signal for the chill
dren to get their wraps did not follow, and the
teachers at realized that the drt1l was more
than 8 practice The classroom occupied by
Miss O'Connell full OF smoke by this time. but
the children did not try TO go out until she had
given the word TO march. The pupils were all out
OF the building in a little more than two minutes.
A Of the smaller cried and had 10 bs
helped by the teachers and the police. but
there was nothing like a panic inside the building.
Police, fire and school officials ell complimented
the principal and her staff for the work they had
done in getting every child out Of the building
Superintendent Maxwell. Associate Superintendent
Davis and District Superintendent Stewart, after
visiting the school after the fire had been put out
with less than 5000 damage made the following
entry the school books:
/ visited the school on this day because of the
fire. I found that the children to the number OF
but hurt, and that ALL acting principal
teachers and pupils, had acted with the most
praseworthy courage, GOODNESS and steadness I
congrat uiate the school the fact and thank
God for the delverance OF so many children from
deadly peril W. II. NJ.
George s. Davis. Associate Superintendent.
Seth Stewart. District Superintendent