THE MORNING OREG0XIA FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1903.
DENY EXISTENCE
EMPTY BUILDING
IN 51 SECONDS
OF
IN
MERCHANTS
TRUST
BUILDING
Sixth and WasHingtoi
Leading Furniture Dealers
Testify Before Council
Committee.
Fire Drill at Ladd School
Shows Perfect Discipline
Among 807 Pupils.
BEHARRELL TAKES STAND
ALL INSTITUTIONS SAFE
10
,tv V - J :r.-Ssi- -t-i
COMBINATION
1 1
K
Only Exception Revealed by Inves
tigation In W est Side High School,
l"here Exit to the Fire
Kscape Is Blocked.
A an example of what can be done In
the way of emptying a large school build
ing1 of children by means of a fire drill,
Charles M. Kljtgins, principal of the I-add
School, and the 24 teachers of his staff,
marched the 807 pupils of that Institution
Into the street in 54 seconds yesterday
..afternoon. While it Is said that this Is
perhaps better than the ordinary show
j in- in discipline, it is asserted by those
, In authority that excellent conditions as
to drills, exits and all safety appliances
' obtain In all of the grammar school
' buildings and In the East Side High
School. The only exception to the rule
seems to be the West Side High School
building, where Investigation revealed a
blackboard nailed up over two windows
leading to the fire-escape on the Alder
street side.
The fire drill at the Ladd School yes
terday afternoon was a remarkable dem
onstration of discipline. Both teachers
and pupils were wholly unaware of what
was coming, particularly so. because of
the fact that the regular drill had oc
curred but a few days before. Neverthe
less, within 54 seconds from the time
Principal Klggins touched the button that
rings the electric gong, every person in
the building had marched out and was in
the street. The conduct of the children
was admirable, although some of the lit
tle ones at first seemed ' to be somewhat
frightened. Their teachers, after march
ing them out of. the building, assured
them they were out of danger and that
all was well.
No Warning Is Given.
No warning- Is given teachers or pu
pils when a Are drill ts to be held, and
the rules on this point are said to bo
strictly enforced. A squad, composed
of the larger boys, is In charge of the
opening of doors to the exits, and at
the first sound of the gong they spring
t6 their posts. Teachers instantly drop
their work, pupils fall into line and.
without hesitation, all march out. The
squads have their standing orders as
to exits, each teacher being respon
sible for those under her supervision.
There is neither drum nor piano by
which to msreh. as it is explained that
either would cause a slight delay, all
, of which, in an emergency, might mean
the loss of lives. Books . and wraps
are left behind, the purpose being to
empty the buildings in the least pos-
slhle time.
The School Board holds the princi
pals responsible for their respective
school buildings, and the principals
are required to give a fire drill once in
every two weeks. They are obliged
to report on each drill to the' board,
and these reports are on file, showing
that in every school building- in the
city drills are of common occurrence.
All of the doors in all public school
buildings In Portland are ordered to
be left unlocked during the study
hours, and none of the doors opens in
ward, ss was the case in the Collln
wood disaster, where many children
were Incinerated or trampled to death.
Have Many Exits.
It is the aim of the School Board
to march the children away from the
fire, should there be any, and because
of this, no exits in basements are used
for Are drills. In most of the larger
school buildings, there are entrances
on every side, and at the Ladd school,
where the drill was held yesterday
afternoon, thero are five exits, two
being on the West Park street side.
The children marched out four abreast,
but. in an emergency, they could easily
march six abreast.
Fire escapes are not in general use.
and are not considered by the school
authorities to be desirable, as the ma
jority of the pupils are too small to
use them, and that method of empty
ing a building is slow, it is said. Fire
drills, numerous exits, unlocked doors,
all opening outward, are regarded as
the best means for the prevention of
panics.
While the public school buildings
are nesrly all frame structures, the
School Board regards them as safe.
The members of the board, as well as
t'lty Superintendent Rlgler and Fire
Thief Campbell, declared yesterday
that atl of the buildings are in g-ood
condition. The one exception, so far
disclosed by Investigation. Is the West
Side High School, with respect to the
Alder street fire escape.
Superintendent Rlgler Talks.
"I think everything is all right in
all of our school buildings with regard
to fires." said Superintendent Rigler.
"f think there Is no cause whatever
for apprehension. All of the rules and
regulations pertaining to drills, un
locked doors and exits are strictly en
forced. Prills are held every fortnight,
and we have a record of reports filed
by the various principals. All exits
are used in drills."
"I make an annual Inspection of
school buildings." said Chief Campbell,
of the Fire Department. "The 1908 In
spection is about due, hut as feel that
an inspection at this time would create
unrest and fear amonsr the pupils and
parents. I will not Investigate Just
now. I have reason to believe every
thing Is sll right. When the last In
spection was made, we found things
in good condition. We made some rec
ommendations, all of which are now In
force It takes three weeks to inspect
t all the school buildings.
Since the Colllnwood holocaust, the
principals and teachers of Portland
schools have been besieged by parents
for Information as to the condition of
the local school buildings, and fire
drills have been held in most of the
schools.
HKMAVO SAFE SCHOOLHOVSES
Prevent Repetition of North Collin
wood, O., Fire Calamity.
PORTLAND, March 5. (To the Edttor.1
The North Colllnwood, O., school
house horror, where a great many children
have been burned to death, should aroui
Portland to take all available precautions
snlnst repetition of a similar disaster
li.-re.
Out of Son children, less than SO escaped
unhurt. Noglipenee alone can not account
for this. Those children were confined
by some action arbitrary and criminal.
Some malignant malefactor seeking the
destruction of 300 children could hardly
hope to succeed so well.
Immediate steps should be taken In all
schoolhouses wheresoever located to see.
that all doors open outwards and are at
all limes unlocked, with hall doors pre
ferably open and so secured. Every exit
door should be supplied with an ax Inside
and out, and every room more than ten
feet from the ground with a coil of rope
ladder adjusted and in place.
Schoolhouses should be as near fire
proof as possible. There should be si
shorter school course if necessary to pro
vide Increase of cost. This question has
been tip and opposed by School Director
Wittenberg. So public spirited a citizen
as Mr. Wittenberg, I hope, will be suffi
ciently impressed by this object-lesson to
reconsider his conclusions.
Children are compelled to go to school.
They should iiot be compelled to live in
huge overcrowded firetraps.
J. B. ZIBGLER.
BLAGKBOAGD BLOCKS EXIT
CONDITION AT WEST SIDE HIGH
' SCHOOL- BAD. . J
Building Lacks Fireplugs, Hose am
Extinguishers Board Will Inves
tigate Various Omissions.
Investigation of conditions existing in
the Portland public school buildings,
relative to safety devices for use in case
of Are, yesterday, led to the discovery
that the West Portland High School
building needs prompt attention at the
hands of the authorities. It has no fire
plugs, no hose or extinguishers and the
exit to a fire-escape from the assembly
room, on the third floor, is blocked by a
big blackboard, which Is nailed across two
windows.
So far as discovered, conditions at the
West Side High School building are the
worst existing in the Portland schools.
Principal T. T. Davis, however, declares
that, ip his opinion, the fire escape fea
ture is not very serious, as, he says,
there are sufficient .exits to make it an
easy matter to clear 'the building. He
also says there is access to the fire es
cape through another room, which could
be used in case all other exits were cut
off.
Just why the large blackboard was put
up to block the exit to the fire escape, is
not known. Principal Davis could not
tell; neither could Suprintendent Rigler.
It has been that way ever since school
work was done in the assembly-room,
some time ago. This will undoubtedly
be a matter for the consideration of the
School Board, which is scheduled to meet
next Monday afternoon.
After hearing from his daughter of the
conditions existing at the 'West Side High
School. H. D. Wagnon, a well-known
Portland citiien, yesterday made the fol
lowing statement:
As I rad the headlines announcing that
200 prhool children had been roasted alive, as
an offering to the rods of icreed and ignor
ance on in part of the school officials o"?
Ohio. I learned from my daughter that she
mas seated, with 20 other high school pupils.
In a room that has "Fire Escape" painted on
the door, and that the window leading to the
fire escape b boarded up by the blackboard,
making this room, on the third floor, a highly
efficient roaster, where we may be called on
any day to offer up some of our boys and
girls as burnt offerings to the crlmtaal stu
pidity and Indifference of the School Board
and other city oflcials who should see to It
that such things are not allowed In a school
room. I found thst the fire escape windows in the
assembly-room were blocked up by seats so
that they, too, would be uele9s In case of
fire. In fact, this whole building Is a death
trap of the worst kind, and shoujd be closed,
as a school, at once and forever: and I belt ere
that Thief Campbell should be ordered to burn
It down, mm It would be much better to have
It burn when empty than to let It burn when
full of children.
If the School Board docs not act in this
matter, resignation will be In order- If not
resignation, we will try the recall after
July 1.
School house poors Locked.
PORTLAND, Or March 5. (To the
Editor.) The Oregonian's comments on
the recent frightful disaster near Cleve
land are timely, and the practice which
you suggest should be adopted: out,
while the School Board is considering
the question of fire drills. It would be
well also to Investigate the matter of
locking the schooihouse doors. A re
liable man, whose duties require him
to visit the schools frequently, informs
me that it is a common occurrence to
find some of the doors locked. The
Ladd, Holman and Sunnyslde schools
have been recent offenders in this re
gard. Probably this is done by the
janitor without the knowledge of the
teachers, but this only makes it worse.
If the teachers In the Colllnwood school
had known that the way was barred,
they might have taken the children to
some other exit in safety.
J. P. NEWELL
Read Sharkey'a Sunday ad.
SCHOOL, CHILDREN MARCHING OCT OF THE LADD SCHOOL, FOUR ABREAST, UIHISG
THREE THOUSAND ATTEKB
I'CXKRAIi OF JIEXRY SHAFFER
ATTRACTS GREAT CROWD.
lAne of Marchers Following Casket
to Grave Nearly Three
Miles Long.
Three thousand people attended the
funeral services over the body of Henry
i ifur1 -71
t cXSTJ7V: ?' '
I I
MISS DOWNS' ROOM, THIRD FLOOR. WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL,
SHOWING HOW BLACKBOARD BLOCKS WAY TO FIRE ESCAPE
JVST OUTSIDE TWO WINDOWS IN PICT t HE.
Shaffer, victim of Patrolman Suitter's re
volver, yesterday afternoon. Tue Shaffer
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" ' 1 ' ''"'1 U Is1 Vs' ' :
home and yard was packed by people and
hundreds' stood out in the street.
The funeral was held under the aus
pices of the Longshoremen's Union and
fully 600 men, wearing- the union insignia,
fell In line as a funeral escort when the
long trip to the cemetery was taken up.
From the family residence, at 334 Fail
ing street, to Morrison and Srona streets
is a march of nearly three miles, but the
entire route was covered by the marchers.
An hour and a half was required for the
march, the cortege crossinj? the Steel
bridge and proceeding up Third to Mor
rison,' thence east to Second, where street
cars" were taken for the Rose City ceme
tery, where interment occurred.
The services at the home were con
ducted by Rev. Mr. Krauffe, of the Ger
man Lutheran Church. No reference was
made to the manner of Shaffer's death.
Only a few dozen people were able to
get inside the small house, but. the im
A : V
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1FTEB THE DRILL, AT THE
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FIRB URILI.,
mense throng of people, nearly all Ge:
mans, waited respectfully outside until
the close.
The funeral cortege was headed by De
Caprio's band and -covered naif a dozen
blocks, the-marchers being arranged in
column of two. The hearse and a car
riage with Mrs. Shaffer and several close
friends, brought up the procession.
TEAM FOR EAST SIDE
Business Men May Back Trl-City
League Nine.
H. K. Smith, secretary of the Tri-Clty
Baseball League, submitted a proposal
last night to the East Side Business Men's
Club that the club supply uniforms for
the baseball team of the East Side, the
uniforms to be suitably lettered. The
proposal was received with favor, and on
motion of Dan Kellaher. W. M. Jackson,
H. K. Smith and H. H. Pomroy, were
authorized to wait on the business men
of the East Side and Interested property-
owners and ask contributions for the pur
chase of the uniforms.
O. El. Helntz and George Dilworth were
appointed to investigate the proposition
submitted b,y Mis Griffith to conduct a
stock company theater if a suitable
building near East Morrison street can
be secured. Miss Griffith said that it
was the Intention to establish a first-class
stock theater and offer good plays. The
committee is to confer with property
owners and endeavor to induce them to
erect a suitable building.
In the matter of Grand avenue and
East Morrison street the club decided
to demand that Improvement work be
expedited. Secretary Jackson was in
structed to write the management of the
Portland Railway, Light & Power Com
pany to ascertain when the company in
tends to put in the permanent tracks at
the intersection of Grand avenue and
East Morrison street. This action was
taken In order to have these streets
ready for the Rose Festival automobile
parade. '
Secretary Jackson was instructed to ac
quaint the several push clubs with the
S50 offer the East Side Business Men's
Club Is making for the best floral arcn
on the route of the parade, and to ask
what action they will take. He will
visit the clubs In company with a rep
resentative of the Rose Festival Associa
tion. 1
I, ADD SCHOOL WIS OVER,
Frankly Declare That His Faith in
Honesty of Counoilmen Generally
Is Limited Has Xo Apology
to Offer for Statements.
Xo "trust" greement or combination,
tentative or otherwise, exists in the
wholesale or retail furniture trade In
Portland, according to W. H. Beharrell
and William Gadsby, two of the moat
widely-known furniture men of the
city, who so testified yesterday morning
before the special investigating committee
of the City Council. Mr. Beharrell is
manager for the Hfywood Brothers 4b
Wakefield Company, wholesalers, and Mr.
Gadsby is at the head of the retail firm
of William GAdsby & Sons. While there
were slight discrepancies in the state
ments of the two witnesses, both being
examined much as if before a grand
Jury, with all other witnesses excluded,
each made a clear-cut declaration under
oath that there ts no arrangement of any
sort at the present time whereby prices
are maintained or independent firms boy
cotted. Incidentally. Mr. Beharrell told what he
thought of the City Council. Without
mincing matters he informed Chairman
Vaughn that, judging from the published
report of the proceedings of the Council,
from the last annual message of Mayor
Lane and from general reputation, that
body is considered open to graft charges;
that the Councilmen had called each
other liars and grafters, and had gener
ally conducted themselves in a ridicu
lous manner at their sessions.
Proceedings 'Are Dlfgiisting.
"The newspapers have been full of re
ports of most dlagusting performances in
the Council," said Mr. Beharrell, when
aaked to explain what he meant in a
recently published letter in which he said
he thought the Councilmen were inflicted
by a disease known as "itching palm."
"The newspapers have quoted certain
members of the Councilmen as calling
each other liars and grafters, and if you
call each other those names, how can you
expect the public to think that you are not
what you call each other?" he said:
"Furthermore, the Mayor, in his last
message, .charged that Councilmen ac
cepted free passes fro.m the streetcar
company. If you will do that. I thought
you might take something else."
Mr. Beharrell acknowledged. very
frankly, that he had no specific charge of
"graft" to make against any Councilman,
or other city official, but had formed the
opinion from various sources, he said,
that the Councilmen were a band of graft
ers. He said he would not apologize for
his statement in The Sunday Oregonian,
but prefaced his remarks by stating that
the "itching palm" paragraph "perhaps
was ill-advised."
Assistant City Attorney Grant. Chair
man Vaughn and Councilman Baker, Mr.
Baker being present as a spectator, took
Vart In examining Mr. Beharrell, but the
latter proved himself to be an excellent
witness, and not once did he become con
fused. Admits One Charge.
Getting down to the furniture business,
Mr. Beharrell scored the Council for or
dering an Investigation of what has been
termed "a trust." 'He declared that, not
since "the Federal indictment, last Sum
mer, has there been any semblance of a
combine in the trade here. He admitted
that he would not sell goods to the In
dependent Furniture Company, or to the
auction-houses and so-called mail-order
firms. This, he said, was because he
was in duty bound to protect the interests
of dealers 4n the city and in the
interior. He eald, for instance, that
he would not sell to the Independent
concern because it was located just across
the street from the store of William
Gadsby & Sons, the latter being -heavy
purchasers of goods from the establish
ment of which Mr. Beharrell is manager.
Mr. Beharrell expressed great displeas
ure at the action of the Council in calling
an Investigation for the furniture trade,
and in making it public through the press.
Mr. Grant thereupon explained that the
So.
-
Best Location
. in City
Modern Equipment
Throughout
FOR ROOMS APPLY TO
MERCHANTS
SAVINGS 8 TRUST
COMPANY
247 WASHINGTON ST.
city charter makes all committee ses
sions public.
Mr. Gadsbv followed Mr. Beharrell, and
corroborated" the latter In every detail,
except where Mr. Beharrell said that he
could not sell to the Independent Furni
ture Company because If he did Mr.
Gadsby would resent it. being an Im
mediate competitor and wishing goods of
an exclusive line on his floors. Mr.
Gadsby said he would have no objection
to the sale of goods to the Independent
people.
DR. SILAS C. SWALLOW ILL
Prominent Prohibition Worker Has
Typhoid Pneumonia.
'1
HARRISBl'RG, March 6. Bev. Dr.- j
Silas C. Swallow, of this city. Prohibi
tion candidate for President In 1904,
is seriously ill with typhoid pneu
monia. Dr. Swallow is editor of the Penn
sylvania Methodist, and has been ac
tive for years In reform work. In
1897 he published an expose of politi
cians, for which he was tried and ac
quitted. Running on the Prohibition
ticket, he received 11 8. 000 votes for
treasurer in 1897. and 182,000 votes for
Governor in 189S. He was again a
candidate for Governor in 1902. and
Prohibition nominee for the Presi
dency in 1904.
Olympia Beer. "It's the water." Brew- ,
ery's own bo tt line. Phones. Main 671.
A 2467. - - .-
Metzger. Jeweler, optician, lit Wash.
Read Bharkey's Sunday ad.
NEW YORK
DENTISTS
4TVkaTD.BoTo9'
CHALLENGE THE WORLD
No charge for Painless KxtimctloB
when other work l ordored. Wo wero
the first and only Eastern Specialists
to advertise and do first-class dent
istry absolutely without pain at mod
crate prices.
We have always associated with OS
the world's most Famous Dental
Experts.
Do not be misled by unscrupulous
advertisers who resort to scare-beau
advertisements to entice the unwary
to their offices.
Pay no fancy fees until you liave
consulted us. Our continued success
Is due to the uniformly Dish-grade
work done by gentlemanly operators.
Ws make a perfect set of teeth for
I5.no.
When they are mads by the
DENTISTS
They are guaranteed with a pro
tective guarantee for 10 years.
Gold Filling
Silver Filllnas -J
Sold Crowns, Stk 5.00
Bridge Work, S2k B.00
We ars making a specialty of
Porcelain Bridge Work.
Largest and best equipped dental
establishment in the world.
DR A. C. FROOM, PROPRIETOR.
Hours 8:30 A. M. to B P- M.
"QUEZAL"
GLASS VASES
A XEW IMPORTATION
OPENED THIS WEEK.
A ftuprem achievement of fh
European artificer skilled in the
product of rare glaBaware.
The "Quesal U eald by con
nolsseura to rival In delicate pria
m&tic colorings and exquisite
modeling the famous Tiffany
glass.
The vases shown this week pre
sent a fascinating pJay of opales
cent colorings peculiar only to
the transparent beauty of tha
"Queza.1" product.
A large display of unique shape
and patterns.
Price Range. f2.M to fU.Ot.
Bailey 8
Company
Vjjg WasKinfitoii St.
J