Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-10
A(efan0rla Qbazette
MONDAY EVENING, deer. 10.
Keeping Cool in Emergencies.


The pressing question 10 any emergency is.
of course, what is to be doue?' UnhapplIy.
the answer is not always at hand. We ara
often altogether unprepared to act, or Wo act Ia
| such way as only to increase the danger. The
most humane onooker 10 case of partial drown
Jog may at the same time be the most helpless.
While 10 any Of the frequent casualties to chill.
dren-such as choking, scalding, etc.-thc ten
derest mother may but contribute to the c.',H,.
ity, either by the use Of wrong means or the 10
ability to apply right ones. How common this
is in respect of many kinds of accidents, and
how many ofthose cases returned fatal might
have had happier issue had the spectator but
known what to do" The terse advice sup.
posed to meet every species of emergency is to
keep COOL" We admit its force, and agree
that it cannot be too frequently insisted upon.
Without presence of mind, neither the zoal Of
self interest nor the soIiciude of affection itself
can act with effect. In some Instances even,
special skill and knowledge may bo par
alyzed by an access of nervousness and Its
consequent confusion of mind. Again there oc.
cur many grave situations 10 which tactand self
possession are all that are necessary to avert Sc
rous calamity. Some stage properties sudden
ly took fire during performance before crowd
ed audience at a certaio European theatre. The
that the danger was not serious, and dread'og
the result of sudden rush from the house.
coolIy stepped 10 front of the curtaiu, and 10
calm tones announced that His Majesty the
Emperor, who then occupied the imperla box:
had been robbed of somo valuable jewes, and
that any one attempting to leave the theatre
would be immediatly arrested. The threat
would Of itself have been useless, but the tact
and manner of its delivery conveyed an as>ur'
ance Of safety to the excited people which no
direct appeal to their reason could have done.
They resumed their places; the fire was sub.
dued aud not till next day did they learn the
real peril they had escaped by the timely russo
of the great actor. How terrible contrast that
unhappy and unchecked panic which led to the
loss of life at Brooklyn. The effects of panic
and confusion have sometimes their amusing
side. We have seen ordinarily sane people
street from height of several storles-to save
it from fire; aud there occurs passage 10 one
of Hoods witty ballads which seems to prove
the incident by no means rare one -
Ooly see how she throws out her chaocy,
Her basius and tea pots aud eli;
The most brittle of her goods-or any;
But they all break in breaking their tall.
But while Jest may be pardonsble in such
case, this losing ones head too often takes place
in circumstances involving loss of life or prop
erty. An excited plying crowd, for example.
is gathered round O person struck IN the street
with apoplexy. An alarm has been given, and
q curious, gaping group has come to witness
case of suicide by hanging. a concourSe OF
people eta1d before house from which ISSUE the
first symptoms CT fire. In such cases tbs spec
tators are usually nerVcless and purposeless
the danger to life property is in the exact ratio
of the number Of onlookers. How curious and
instructive to note the change which comes over
the scene on the arrival Of single sensible and
self possessed person. One Of the idle sympsthl-
zers cf The apoplectic patient suddenly frees the
neck and chest q second goes sane!y in search
of temporary appliances; third runs zoalously
for doctor, and the remainder 20 about their
business. One stroke Of a knife and the would
be suicide has been placed in tho hands of few
of the more intelligent by-standers for resusclta.
tion The precise locality of the fire has bcen
reached and the fire either extngushed prompt.
y with the means at hand, or kept under until
the arrival Of the fire engines which have been at
once sent for.-ChambSr's s Journal.
LUcK.-Spcaking of luck, says writer in
Nc Mian's Magazine remember M' Thier'
eayiDg one day that he accounted for tho favor
the Empress Eugene enjoyed abroad by tho bo
lief which her rise in the world induced IN
lucky star Young women, having no fortune
but pretty faces, were encouraged TO be CT good
cheer by hcr dazzling success. For some years
after her marriage suicides among the shop. girls
and seamstresses underwent remarkable dlmi-
mutton The hope thst Louis Napoeons OF somo
kind would present themselves disspsted suc'-
| dsl dependency.
| FOK SALE OR RENT.
TOR RENT-Tho HOUSE and STORE No