The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-13
PANIC ALL OUTSIDE SCHOOL.
NON or WOMEN BLOCKS PUPILS
GETTING OUT or f92.

so danger; maze in Mat ExtinEulshed,
hut Childfen Dismissed for 6afety's
sake-neEiOn stricken IN sleoum Dis
aster IL Easily scared No Harm Done.
The flaming up Of mat yesterday morn
ing in Public School i72, at Ninth street
and First avenue In the district from which
& majority Of the Slooum victims came,
caused an uproar among the parents Of
the children attending the school The
school was empted In about six minutes
by means Of the fire drill The children
didn't know there was actually a FIRE In
the building until they reached the street
and saw the engines. Only about twenty Of
the 1000 children were in the secret, All
the panic was on the outside
About 1880 O'Clock a child saw smoke
issuing from the teachers dressing room
on tho fourth floor. He Immediately re-
ported the fact TO the principal, Miss Mar
Earet Milton, and her assistant, Miss Moore
Il was found that mat standing up
between the wall and tho side OF a cup
board had in some way caught fire, and the
cupboard also was blazing. With the aid
Of three OF four boys, Miss Milton and Miss
Moore soon extinguished the fire with basins
Of water, and in the mean time one Of the
boys WAS sent TO tell Miss North, the clerk,
10 ring the fire alarm signals and get the
children out. The boy ran out into the
street instead and turned in a fire alarm.
Miss Milton, still pouring water on the
smouldering mat, was waiting for the
school fire bells to ring, but they didn't
She knew there was no danger TO the chill
dren, but for the sake Of form she had the
three bells rung, which mean Get your
coats and hats and GO
By the time the children reached the
street they were confronted at every exit
by mob Of screaming, wailing. disheyelled
gesticulating women who blocked the
doors and wouldn't let the children pass
out The women had followed the fire
engines TO the school.
MY baby My child!- they screamed
In the half dozen languages Of the Tomp-
kins Square region.
As soon a. each one'e child appeared
the mother would make r. dash to snatch
Il out Of the line.
The only policeman in sight was James
F Mooney, from the Fifth street station,
on patrol He saw that the frantic women
would soon have a full fedged psric 20
ing. with possible injury to the children
He asked a number Of the bystanders to
pitch in, drive the women hack and give
the children a chance 10 get out. The
deputized citiznns entered into the wori:
with a will and In a few moments the women
were crowded back into Ninth street and
the children STRAINED out on the pave
ments, the mothers grabbing at them as
hest they could
About 500 children failed 10 appear for
the afternoon session Of the school, because
their parents were too frightened 10 let them
go Many parents kept calling al the school
al afternoon 10 look for thoir hopefuls,
Who were playing hockey IN the meanwhile
Miss Milton and Miss Moore are wholly
satisfied with the discipline Of the school
Under ordinary circumstances il takes four
minutes to get the children out. The mob
of mothers outside yesterday made the
difference Of two minutes.
The origin Of the flames IL thus far I'M
known, but will be Investigated