Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-06-22
TIE NECESSITY OF CAUTION.

= THE NECESSITY OF CAUTION.
81 By one of those inexplicable but oft re-
eurring condolences OF fatalities, series
Of painful disasters almost wholly traceable
IA panic has in the past few weeks passed
over . good portion OF the globe. Without
cha slightest reason, without the faintest
ehadow of real danger hundreds Of human
beings ranging from men OF mature age
down to tiny children. have in moment
BECOME panicked, cast their presence OF
mind to the winds and rushed like animals
into self destruction. At st. Mary's
nsroehial school IN New York. putt OF
wind blew some smoke from the street
into the front door and up the stairs. In
q saoment panic ensued, children swept
their teaehers AWAY and fell over each
ether in suffocating numbers filling the
hallway wittra scoreof little corpses before
order could be restored. Hardly had this
become dim in the p ublic mind, before on
the threnged Suspension bridge between
New York and Brooklyn woman STUN
hled down Q step and gave little shrek
ss she fell. The madness OF panic at once
s.ssea upon the crowd and they damned
together struggling, praying and swearing
aatil thirteen dead bodies lay in the crowd.
Only last week in q crowded public school
Of New York an ugly insect known to
young people a. the DEVILS riding hsrse''
dew in at a window and circling around
struck little girl who shrieked. The
school at once became panicked and the
children rushed pell NELL from the room.
In their flight down the steps, floor after
6oor Of schools was panicked and the chill
tiren Joined in the stampede. Strange to
record, but one life was lost. But
aot 30 light was the loss of life ia
the awful disaster at Victoria Hall,
in England, where ten Thousand children
were assembled last Saturday night to
witness the feats Of q magician. The panic
in this instance, as in the others. was
wholly causeless. The lower floor Of the
seats had been emptied In an orderly way
and it was the turn Of the children in
the galleries to come out. One little one
fell and screamed; in an instant wild
3tkuk&l0 UCk0u kOt CAAes oAo uuu0Aou anu
eighty dead bodies Of the little ones who
had been but few moments before laugh
ing and clapping their hands with deli ght,
were taken out Of the mass.
There is apparently no drill, however
perfeet, that can fortify the minds Of old
or young against the sudden gust OF panic.
Nor Is there but one preventive that can
be calculated on with any certainty. and
that is the stationing of strong men in
public places and through crowded public
schools. who are put there solely for the
purpose of suppressing panics among the
children. Women have been as cool and
brave a. men and they SO showed them
selves in the panics in the New York
schools, but their strength was too feeble
ehey we're swept away with the children.
In quiet city like or own, out of the
thoroughfare OF great evenSe, one would
hardly expect disaster like any Of these
but it is always the unexpected that does
happen and we too have crowded houses to
witness public exhibitions. and full schools
which 1t is not impossible might in the
twinkling of an eye become the scene OF
dreadful tragedies. At least We cannot be
too watchful nor be toe liberal with pre-
cautions.