The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-06-14

home ffrs3se bad two appalling sges
targe, hrssagst almost simultaneously
10 vlcw through the Medium o. TIE
press Rain Of c.sders aud ashes wita
streams 81 lava. foIySsi thousands from
thelr bauses In Italy and then The
tsa,sens % q crowded American city
we're turned on, ~ earthquake and
disastrous ore. With 80 warning CO
rreparation ycnuyins las sponied l-s-
fore end buried cities and counties out
d sight. l,ut no one supposed abe meant
10 rc,.eat ne performance At this time.
gan rranclsans had thought hn earth
make disaster possible and lons feared
II with fear tempered with hope II
would he interesting TO know The num.
Ter OF people and especially the Kind
Of pcoplc who kept their heads at the
suprcm. moment 10 these calamiiies
and did the sensible thing Probably
the cool ones were few and In the
n,aiu the very persons least suspected
Of heroic fiber.
There are conflicting and oontradic'
tory accounts Of the fatal moment at
san Francisco, just as there always
will be OF a given stage OF battle. All
visions are not keyed 20 the same 10
eus when some startling new thing Is
up. Panic is the most natural thing
In the world. aud panlcky feelings col
ar MI that one secs or does We nre
all creatures Of hhblt, and we live nor
maliy only where we nre right OF home
Ont loose from old lines OF touch,
sight though, and feeling. above nh
from accustomed props and bearings.
bufreted here, ordered about there, sur
rounded 10y confusion worse than
that In our own minds, not TO driit
almlessly and even bralnlessly. is the
next thing 10 being abnormal.
Doubtless the dwellers IN the shadow
OF vesuylus had planned again and
again lust what TO do and where to 20
II the old crater should get busy, Some
set out for refuge and were overtaken
by showers OF cinders or streams OF
lava which blocked the right OF way
right, left md front Others more de-
lIberate. waited and were caught while
waiting. For such panic comes slowly
and brings despair. IN m earthquake
II comes us the shock comes-instan-
taneously and brings mad desperation
TO quicken every faculty.
A slckenlng sensation Is usually the
name a victim OF earthquake gives to
the first symptom. That ceaseless mo-
ton which Is a part Of our life and OF
which we are a part Is temporarily
checked, People In paved and stone
built cities speak OF the cruncbing ana
grinding as features OF n severe shock.
II really is as when moving vehicle
Is given sharp Jolt, and Its load OF
boxes. iron, stones and what not gets q
shakeup and settles again with crunch
Ing, grinding tremors. The transfers
makeup Is accustomed to these 1olts,
But the average man is not built to
stand firm through Jars that tumble
houses upon or about him. He Is real
" not adapted TO shaking up as e1'
perienced when n rapid railway coach
leaves tho track and bumps along on
the ties. That's about what an earth
quake shock does to things on tha
earth's crust which are not securely
anchored. When ranks of maneuver'
Ing soldiers become hopelessly mud
died the cool commander gives the or
der, "As you were" This restores
each individual to his normal place
and normal attitude of mind lie Is
! then ready for new ventures. II PEG
pie suddenly caught In confusion would
resume their Knitting 80 to speak
and calm themselves an instant they
might map out plan Of escape and
certainly would not contribute to dis
aster.