The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-20
Franklin Building Is inspected
BY the Fire Chiefs.
SUGGESTED SOME CHANGES
Gong Was Sou ndsd Without Warning
and the Children Were Gotten
Out In Two Minutes.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Chief Kleinschimdt of the fire de-
partment and Captain Funk OF the
Central station yesterday afternoon
started OH their tour of inspection of
the different school buildings in the
city with view to seeing what facili
ties they have for escape of the chill
dren in case of fire. They visited the
Franklin building yesterday afternoon,
and gave it thorough inspection, and
found it TO be in splendid condition,
except for two or three alterations
which they suggested. The fire gong
was sounded and the children We're all
out in two minutes.
Shown Over Building.
Janitor Fenske showed the firemen
through the basement and the inspec
tors found it in Very good and clean
condition, free from all inhamable rub
bish, etc. They found a twenty one
foot partition in the basement leading
close to the main exit, and feared that
it might serve to imprison some of the
pupils If they were crowded into it,
and thus be dangerous and therefor
condemned it. 1t was also the only
thing in the basement that would be
likely to catch on fire, the other walls
all being of solid masonry. This par
tition can be rebuilt of brick further
back, if needed to screen the entrance
to the girls closet.
Sounded the Fire Gong.
The ffremen then sounded the fire
gong to see how quickly the building
could be cleared, and whether the eX-
its are sufficient. This was at 1920
p. m, and when the teachers and pu-
pills saw the blue coated firemen in the
hall some of them thought that there
was really a fire, and the pupils were
hurried out as quickly as possible. The
pupils in the Franklin building num-
Der $50, and the firemen were pleased
to see how soon they were gotten out,
and wish to commend the teachers for
the efficient way in which they have
taught the fire drill and handle the |
children.
AhoShSh IAiS ANSSSS~J'
The different parts of the building !
were then visited, with view to OBJ
serving the means of exit. They
found all partition walls sixteen inches
thick and running from the basement |
to the attic, so that n fire could be |
quickly gotten under control. 1t was
found that another exit is necessary |
besides the main entrance in front OF
the basement and will recommend the
cutting of large door at the rear
of the first floor hall, and that a
platform and stairway be built out
side
Drop of Nine Feet.
There is a single door there at pres
ent, but no platform or steps, and a
sheer drop of nine or ten feet. If the
front entrance should be blocked, and
the pupils were forced to 60 out of the
rear entrance, some broken limbs if
not fatalities might result from the
small children piling up under the
exit and older ones falling or jumping
on them. Few grown people care to
make nine or ten foot leap. The
school board at its last meeting very
wisely ordered that an iron stairway
be placed outside of this exit. The
recommendation of the firemen that
the doorway be enlarged and that a
platform be built will meet with gen.
eral favor. The firemen desire that the
first and third grade rooms, those of
Misses Cain and Parker, make their
exit down this stairway, which would
prevent so much crowding at the front
exit and in the halls.
Put Building in Condition.
The two recommendations of the
firemen would render the building in
the best possible condition in case of
fire, and render fatalities on the part
of pupils practically impossible. These
recommendations are to be forwarded
to st. Paul, as well as to the school
board, and there is no doubt but that
the recommendations made viii be en-
forced.
When the children filed ont of the
building, the little ones in the lead,
four of the small ones tripped and
fell over the curled edge of wire
mat Just outside of the main entrance.
The teachers and firemen hastily pick
ed them up before they were trampled
upon, and the fremen recommended
that the mat be placed at least ten
feet from the building, to avoid ac-.
cidents of this nature in case of fire.
More Realistic Fire Drill.
The firemen will inspect the other
buildings later, coming in unexpect-
edly, and will probably later revisit
the buildings already inspected. Fire
drill under more realistic circumstances