The evening world., 1911-04-08

largest pubic ecnOOI IN II WoTiu.
There are e~lphty-seven classroosrs IN
the six-story building that cost over a
million dollars. In each class there are
on an average of forty children. ranging
from between the age of Ave and six
to between hfteen and e!X,een. making
n total of $500 pupils. II Is CLASSIFIED
as an intermediate school' and It's de-
partinents include. n kindergarten, Il
primary department and a grammar de-
department, attended by boys and sifls.
Miss Sylvia Psnkhurst. a daughter ot
the leader Of En- 'and's militant sut-
fragettes, had left the building. after
being thrilled by the brave showing
made by 100 Of the boys and girls q,
morning. assembly In the magnificent
auditorium-one OF the most remarkable
features of this school for the Ghetto's
c%hiidren-as they san their songs In
beautiful harmony and saluted VI
Glory" with passionate ardor.
Nothing Like Il In England.
We have nothing like this In Eng
land" said Miss Pankhurst. That's
why I never went to public school,"
The Evening World reporter and
Principal Roberts were stu discussing
the unexpected visit of Miss P%ankhurst.
when the east side was thrown into an
uproar by the engines responding to the
third alarm. Principal Roberts wen,
right on talking until the olamor had
subsidized. Overhead could be heard the
droning Of children In class recitation:
some were repeating the tables o: long
measure; some were reciting tae mu!.
tiplicstion table.
Principal Roberts left his desk and
walked over to a big keyboard bull;
into the wall OF his room and brough,
his fingers down on two red and four
black keys IN the bottom row. Then
lie threw his door open. Through the
long and wide playground the ~janitor
and his assistants were seen ~hurrying
to the three sets of big doors on the
Essex street side. to the public entrance
in Hester street and to the doors In
Norfolk street. The doors swung open,
all at once. A motley o of stree;
vendors stopped a. II they had been
galvanized. Trafic halted as the police.
man on the corner raised his hand
stopped stark stu.
Again Principal Foberts's hands wen
10 the Keyboard. He punched six doub!.
rows OF red buttons. Gongs rang out IL
every room on each of the six storie:
OF the big schoolhouse. One. two. three
four times. Every sound in the schoo
ceased.
Fire drill" volunteered the principal
These four bells mean TO the children
Sit still-keep still-pay attention.
rpstairs in the classrooms the teach.
ers, Of whom there are 100. both men ant
women. rose from their chairs and toot
I'D positions near the doors.
Gives executive" Signal.
Once again Principal Roberts PLACED
his hands on tho keyboard. lie pushe.
each one OF the red buttons twice. "Th'
executive signal" he remarked over hi
shoulder. Less than a minute elarse,
between the time he had ~signalled IT,.
ianitor to fling the wide door open. out
ward into the street, and the momca
when the heavy gongs doomed for IN,
last time.
Through the big building there re
sounded a roar as OF an army on th'
~auickstep. From every classroom
poured the children, stopping for q sec
ond at the big %wardrobes to catch VI
their hats and coats, each in %allotte'
and fixed position. out into the wide
stone-nagged. stone-lincd halls-eacl
class viii its teacher leading tie wa.
to the nearest stairway. without hurry
without confusion, without a sound o
human voice. At the rear OF each elias
-. ...,., a.. tN -.
most ciear-minded boy or girl, who's
duty it was TO prevent struggling. A
tho last class approached the stairwa,
on each floor one of the teacher
stepped out Of the ranks and. watch
ing his class safely on Its way. race,
through all the rooms on the ioor L
make sure that no child had been LEI
behind.
March Two Abreast.
W abreast, the whole thirty-hv
hundred children poured down tn
stairs. built OF steel and stone, and en-
oased IN glass. almost completely sen
arated from the building proper the
came a steady stream at steady quicI
step gait. down the four sets OF stair
on the Essex street side. and the fou
sets on the Norfolk street side. TIL
SthlfWdys are 30 constructed mat on
set Is Immediately above the other
opening on the same landings, bu
starting at different angles, Throug
the glass casing. It seemed as thong
one set of marching children were walk
ing on the heads OF the other set.
out into the playground went the Nv
ing stream. escaping. for all they knew
rom q death-dealing fire which ha
started somewhere In the building, Th
open door and the street were befor
them. but they did not hasten the
steps. BY this time Principal Robert
md his assistants. secretaries an
'eachers we're in the playground. Nh
teachers in the front rank of the marct
ing children looked at him inquiringi!
In the distance could be heard the shrI
whistle OF a f~re-engine, adding reals
20 the make believe.
Quick Work in Good Order.
Loss than two minutes. by a margi
of hfteen seconds. had elapsed betwee
tho sounding OF the first set Of bel