The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-09-20
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.
Why Mon Drcad TO End Their Lives IL
sssSSS Great Cathsirophes.

Nothing is more curious than the fact
that dying qs one of crowd, seems to
J be more terrible to man than simply
eSdying his own individual death. I'm
Huestionably there seems to be no kind
X of death moro dreaded by men than
X death either from sudden catastrophies
like that Of the Ring Theatre at
+ Vienna and that Of the Clyde, for in
sftltance--7or from pestilence. No doubt
it Is perfectly true that death cannot be
'hared in the same sense in which n
,ril or o pleasure can be shared; you
nnot, in all probability, be conscious
the strength of companionship after
70 begins to flicker low, nor arc there
gove ono or two people i'll tho world
18th whom most men would covet the
ense of companionship in such mo-
nent as that of death. Still it is some
what curious that death on grand scale
always seems to be moro terrible, even
to separate individuals, than the ordinary
death by units. OF course, terror is
very catching, and, therefore, the terror
OF crowd always enhances the terror
Of the individualr<9Bu though that OK
plains the supreme agony OF q sinking
Aship or burning theatre, it does not in
the least explain the additional dread of
death which plague seems TO inspire in
individuals, for between the inhabitants
of n plague stricken city there is ALWAYS
very much less active sympathy than
there was before tho pestilencc appeared,
and it is rather through the growth of
mutual repulsion than through the
helglltenlng of common sympathy,
that the influence of pestilence is chiefly
felt. Perhaps it will be said that men
40 not fear deaththe more on account Of
'he number dying around them, bat
uly as that number makes evident the
teatness of the risk. But that can
hardly be the explanation Of the matter,
Eerwlse we might expec!, much
greater terror i'll every man to whom the
doctors so frankly acknowledge TINT
'death IS Imminent, so that wo ought to
find in healthy inhabitant of a plague
stricken city, whose chance of death is
probably much less than one in { wo
AS matter Of fact, very few patients
. stricken with ordinary disease, who are
.olu hat death is inevitable. show any
p'nlc aesall, while the perfectly healthy
nran' surrounded by pcstilencc, is too
olecn consnrned with atcrror which rcnd
ers him absolutely unfit for the Discharge
OF his duties. 1t seems certain that tIn
selfish terror inspired by tic SIGHT Of
dying crowds does unnerve men in q
manner IN which sentence of death
passed upon themselves would not m.
" nerve them at all. We wonder why this
Ms, and suppose the reason to be that j,
is only great risk in combination with
the chance of escape that unncrvcs
man whom the prospect of certain death
would not unnerve ut all. 1t is the
eager passion with which all the mind
iushcs into the alternative of PROLONGED
life that really un,nans n nature which
would be steady enough in facing Ger
tam death. Mingle great fear with a
vivid ray of hope and you will turn
mead which could hold its own against
inevitable fate The tumultuous cl,-
ment in the case of plague is, VIC be.
iieve, the selfish desire to escape rather
than the actual prospect of death. The
panic felt is really the panic of tempcst,,-
I,'s nope rather than the panic OF fear
Extnguish the hopo and the panic will
"SAtcn cease rs completely as if you had
cXtlnguishc9. the fear itself.