The San Francisco call., 1910-10-10

fore the entire structure came smash
ing down. No time was there to dress
none but to obey implicitly the in
struct,ors of the sisters. And the chill
dren obeyed.
As the last tiny form. nightgowned,
bewildered and frightened, pushed
through the heavy. dense volumes of
smoke and passed out of the front en-
trance. the building quivered, rocked
and fell, the massive timhers crashing
down upon the spot where not five
minutes before more than 400 children
were sleeping. The flames took every
thing-bedding. clothing. furnishings.
Here and there child had hastily
the main the children were as they
arose from their beds at the hurried
alarm of the sisters. Within 90 min
utes after the discovery Of the fire
the institution was a mass of smolder-
ing ruins, and of the old building which
had been standing on the hilltop for
IL years naught remained but ashes
and charred wood Defective electric
wiring is believed to have been respon-
sible for the fire.
That children did not work them
selves into a hysterica1 panic was due
TO the steady drilling and redrilling
of the sisters. Long ago, when the in
situations first started it was realized
that if fire broke out the children
would have to look out for themselves.
The building is on top of hill, and a
fire department would have difficulty
in getting a stream of water up there.
Realizing this, the sisters drilled and
kept on drilling the children, giving
them their fire stations and continu-
ally driving home the fact that orders
must be obeyed The school even had
its own fire fighting apparatus, but IN
this instance there was notime to
bring it into play.
SAVED BY EARLY HOURS
1t was the early hours kept by the
sisters that saved their lives and those
of the children, for 1t was not until
one of the sisters awoke at her regular
time to call the others that the fire
was discovered 1t is the custom of
the sisters to assemble at o'clock
each morning and the duty of one of
their number to awaken them. The
latter. on arising. discovered that the
floor beneath her was cracking and
that thin columns of smoke were pour
ing in from the corridors. Had the
hour of rising been a few minutes later
the flames would have been upon them
as they slept.
The alarm sent every sister to her
fire station. and glance showed that
the only thing to be done was to get
the children out Of the building. Then
began the drilling. With Sister Helena
the superioress, taking complete charge
the 450 girls were called from their
beds and ordered to their places under
the II other sisters. The next moment
the march began for the various exits
and fire escapes according to the drills
which the little ones had gone through
scores of times.
Band after band marched from the
dormitories, but the next instant they
were driven back again. Their exits
were IN flames. the fire escapes de-
stroyed For a horrible moment the
hundreds of tots lost their heads. The
average age was only 10 years, and q
lareg number were and {. They die
not understand and they cried aloud ir
their terror. 1t was but momentary
The sisters broke through the huddled
ranks and forced them once more into
order.
LEADS WAY THROUGH SMOKE
Through the main entrance" said
Sister Helena.
She turned and led the way. She
walked through the smoke laden corri-
dors, passed thes flames whipping the
walls. Underfoot the floors cracked
The heat was terrific. And behind hei
stretched the long row of wide eyed
children, II distinct bands, each In
charge of a sister and eacy obeying i'm
plicitly. Where the sisters led they
followed From the ranks of marching
children there broke murmur OF
prayer. Marching and praying they
| went through the burning building
Band by band they marched. The
building rocked and quivered, and in