The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-03-17
PSYCHOLOGY OF PANIC.
Training Can Teach People Not to
Lose Their Heads.

Lose Their Heads.
Much has beeen written. and very
pertinently, about the Troquois Theatre
fire. The value of this disaster seems
to have borne fruit in the fact that so
many Of our cities have insisted upon
the observance of the laws regarding
theatre construction, or have amended
them so as to make theatres as safe as
possible Thus every great disaster
carries its value. and this is the only
reason that we can look upon great
calamities with equarlimity.
But little has been said regarding the
panic which, in such catastrophes, has
been the reason OF the terrific loss of
life BY an extraordinary presence of
mind; a girl Of 16 saved over 30 lives In
the Iroquois fire. In the great Brook
lyn bridge disaster, following its first
opening, the loss of life was due entire
ly to uncontrolled fright. In every the
atre fire the madness for safety has oc-
casioned the great loss of life. The
question how to avert this panic, so
that when the crisis comes calmness in
stead of madness will be the common
state of mind, is one that has never
been sufficiently considered by the
press.
Some years ago there occurred a fire
In one Of the theatres in Cincinnati. 1t
started with every condition for great
loss OF life; there was the smoke. the
blaze, the cry of fire and the imme-
date necessity for leaving the building.
Instead Of there being any panic at all.
| the whole audience filed out within
three minutes. They went out coolly,
calmly, as If nothing were happening.
Why?
For years the public schools of that
city had trained its children to the fire
alarm. This training goes through ev-
cry grade 1t is begun in the lowest
grades. In order not to frighten the
children, the principal tells them that
within week an alarm of fire will be
rung, and they must not be frightened.
| Just before the alarm is rung the teach
er tells the pupils that there will be an
alarm in few minutes and to put their
books quietly away and to be ready for
/ it. Then the alarm Is rung, and the
! children are filed out under no stress of
anxiety. This training goes on, for sew
eral weeks, until the principal says that
| the next time the alarm will be unan-
nounced and that the children are not
| to be frightened when they hear it, but
| to accept 1t with instantaneous atten-
/ ton. The result is that the school is
emptied in a very few minutes without
the least panic.
| Thus every young child who goes to
school in that city is put through a
course Of training in possession
| during his whole school period, just as
he Is trained in mathematics or in his
| tory. The consequence is that when an
alarm is rung in any part of that city
at any time there can be no panic, be-
cause it has been trained out of the
citizess while they were in the plastic
period of youth.
| The same training obtains on all yes
sells of war once week. when the
crews are called to quarters, whether
| by day or night, by order of the cap
| tain, so that there may be no confusion,
/ and each man may be in its appointed
| place to repel or to attack
| In the same way horses are trained
| by wise men to be entirely seif-possess-
| ed when they meet the horrible cleo
trio car or the demon automobile, or
leven when they see the fearful putting
| Of the engine or hear the heatrending
Shrek of the whistle.
| Panic is lack Of education; panic is
| ignorance; panic is the absence or self
possession; the mind in panic is the UNI
/ trained mind. This our educators must
perceive and must take account of.
Undoubtedly every public school in any
great city of the land has its rules for
1 emergency in case of fire. But how few
of them educate their pupils week in
/ and week out to the intelligent obedi-
ence OF these rules.
On every Sunday morning on most
ocean liners there is an alarm of fire
One Of the most interesting sights in
crossing is to see each sailor respond to
his allotted place and at once be ready
for the emergency that may come ir
reality at any moment. What would
our fire underwriters say and in what
proportion they increase our rates /.
the hoses in the engine house were mo-
trained to spring to their places, eager
FOR the harness to drop upon them, 81
, that they may be ready to start for {
fire in 80 seconds after the alarm is Civ,
en-? Surprising horse lost his heat
, and developed a panic, how long would
he stay in tibet fire department?
, So the Irouuois fire, If it teaches us
anything, should pass way beyond TIL.
physical appliances of safety that oughi
to guard our theatres and should reach
, the real seat of the trouble--that is, the
lpanic that is inherent in unframed
masses Of people. This can only be OBJ
Waited by incessant drill in our public
schools, SO that the whole city is trained
. from it's youth up into a self-possessior
that will become as much of a rete1
action, whatever the emergency, as put
ting a fork into ones mouth.
Every board Of education in the Stat
! of Massachusetts and in the who'll
country should insist upon repeated
/ and continual fire drill throughout ths
. whole period of public school life
, This is the psychology of panic. Cal
. the question be solved in any othe
, way? And is not this simple method a
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