The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-10
ALL CHILDREN OUT
I OF BUILDING IN
98 SECONDS
Efficiency of Fire Drill Tested at
Graded School
HAND HOLE OF BOILER OUT
Accident Monday Started Rumors tina.
Conditions at Building Were
Unsafe.
HAND-Holt OF BOILER OUT

e---~ fr.
Over 500 children removed from a
three story building IN one minute
and forty-eight seconds was the rec
ord made in an iinpromptu, unan-
nounced fire-lriL in the village school
this morning to demonstrate to the
Banner that the rumors about the in
adequacy OF the village school fire
drills and fire escapes were absolute
ly without foundation
For the last two days, stories have
been rife in the village that the
School street building was unsafe in
case Of a serious conflagration. This
idea was strengthened when it was
alleged yesterday that one of the boil
ers in the norwest corner OF 1.-THE
building had developed a flaw, that
the building had been in danger, and
that after a fire alarm was rung no
attention had been paid to the sum
mons and 1t required two ringings to
arouse the teachers TO empty their
rooms
A conference with Principal Var
ney this morning demonstrated the
absurdity OF this grumor. The truth
of the matter is as follows Monday
morning the hand7hole of the boiler
blew out. The water Immediately
flooded the boiler room, emptying the
boiler and allowing its sides to be-
come overheated, This is an acct
dent that is liable to happen to any
steam-heating boiler but such an oc-
.currence does not create any danger
of explosion. Had the accident not
been discovered by the janitor the
boiler would have been ruined. The
boilers are inspected twice year by
an expert and the trustees have TAX
EN- every possible precaution for the
safety of the steam heating plant.
Janitor Scott immediately stopped
the flow and sounded the alarm to
empty the front OF the building.
The School street building is divid-
ed into three parts, each of which
are separated by Prevails. With the
fire-doors once closed between these
divisions it is impossible for con
hagration to get from one section to
another The doors were therefore
closed and the alarm sounded only in
that section which housed the boil
ers. The children in that division
were promptly transferred to the
street in about a minute and a half.
The criticism arose because some of
the children in the back part of the
building were not called out and the
conclusion was Immediately reached
that the alarm system was faulty 1t
was not Mr. SCOTS intention, at the
time to call these children from their
studies eil4
the statement that ii was. necessary
to sound second alarm before the
teachers and children responded d
Mr.. Varney was asked about the
criticism which had been rife over
announcing fire-drills 80 that teachers
and children are in expectancy and
prepared for the drill whereas in an
actual conf1agration there is no such
warning and therefore possibility of
confusion. He was very indignant
over this idea being held by par
ents, declaring that no such state of
things exists.
The only time when teachers
and children know there is to be
It'll Ia
are contemplating some change in
the system of emptying the building.
Then the teachers are notified and
the children stopped in the halls to
be shown changes in the system. At
all other times alarms are totally
without warning of any kind. In
proof of this we will ring the alarm
now and let the parents through the
Banner have first-hand observa-
tion of the conduct of the children"
Mr.. Varney then went to the wire
the hall and sounded three short
gongs twice in succession. He had
not finished ringing the alarm before
all the doors on the upper floor were
open ana Ill many places cnllureH al
ready emerging in perfect order and
discipline. In trfe over 80 seconds
not a child was left in the building
1t would be an extraordinary fire
which would shut off the lower exits
in so short time as two minutes
lacking twelve seconds.
But supposing one of these prac-
tise exists we're blocked by flames?"
said the Banner man while the chill
dren were hurrying down the stairs.