The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-02-12
FIRE PROTECTION FOR
LAKELAND'S SCHOOL


shows that in this country we aver
a2e three theaters. three public halls.
twelve churches, ten schools, two
hospitals, two asylums, two colleges,
two jails and twenty-six hotels
burned every week in the year.
"People,are not compelled to go
to theaters and public halls, or even
to churches and hotels; so we may
perhaps leave them to the large risk
of incineration that these statistics
reveal. But we make children go
to school; consequently we might
reasonably take some pains and ex-
pense to see that they are not burned
up.
"Only a little pains and slight ex-
pense are needed. All school build
ings can be made panic-proof by
proper exits; electric wires can be
insulated; construction that makes a
building like a stove with an ever
ready draft to fan any flame can be
corrected; waste and unprotected
woodwork can be kept away from
the furnace; hot ashes need not be
put into wooden barrels-in fact,
the school fires investigated by the
Sage Foundation were attributable
in practically every case to the gross
est neglect.
''The trouble is, we think of a
school fire hazard as probably exist
ing over in the next county, or away
off in New York or San Francisco,
rather than in the very building
which our children attend.
Here is a job for the woman's
club-which no community, we
trust, is now without: Go over to
the school house and look round. If
there is an obvious fire risk make a
commotion until it is corrected.
Along the same line is the follow
ing timely petition presented by Mrs.
e. G.. Angel, several weeks ago be-
fore the Woman's Club and unani-
mously adopted, copy of which was
sent to the local school board.
While no visible steps have as yet
been taken to carry out the request
OF the club, yet the board have
promised that something will be
done at once as precaution and the
law fulfilled before it is too late.
The petition follows:
To the Honorable School Board of
the City of Lakeland:
Gentlemen-We, the undersigned,
the Woman's Club of the city of
Lakeland, having the best interests
of our city at heart, and endeavoring
to engage in every good work which
will improve our city and helping in
every worthy cause which tends to
protect and promote the welfare Of
our men, women and children, de-
sire to cali attention to matter
which we consider of vital import
ance especially at this season of the
year and in view of the crowded
condition Of our public schools.
Allow US as patrons and friends of
the public schools to call your at
tention to the violation of section 6,
chapter 1897, laws of Florida, rela-
tive to fire equipment for public
school buildings.
This law provides for gongs, fire
alarm boxes, fire escapes on all
buildings two stories and over, 9TH
er equipment and also fire drills.
Unless we are under the wrong
impression, none of these are provid-
ed for our schools and we humbly
petition your honorable body that
you meet the requirements of the
law or see that the parties response
BILE do meet them and thereby posi-
bly, avert some terrible calamity and
satisfy Lakeland citizens that all has
been done to avoid repetition of
the horrible Collingswood disaster.
While we realize that there is not
much danger from fire alone, yet You
are all aware that stampede from
an explosion in the laboratory, or
from a fire on the first floor while
the pupils were assembled in the Au
'litcrium on the second, or any part
of the building any part of the day,
might cause horrible calamity in
our midst and sorrow in many a
home.
Trusting that you will realize that
we are only solicitious for the safe
ty of the children, and, looking to
you as being in charge of the school
interests of our city, we trust that
you will at once do all that can be
done to protect our children.
We can assure you that this slight
expenditure for the protection of the