Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-23
MEN AND THE DANCER.
How would You Act in "A Calamity
such as BefelI san FranciscOf

st. Louis Globe-Democrat
When a great catastrophe such as that
at San Francisco occupies the public mind,
question which must certainly suggest
itself to every mind is the one of how
the person Mortified at such calamity
would meet a similar experience. There
are men whose experience has not been
narrow or restricted, and who have, in the
course of an average lifetime, been called
to meet situations involving some of the
elements of personal danger, who can form
no just conception of such sudden, swift
and paralyzing danger as that which came
to our western coast Tuesday morning.
Even those of this generation who were
also of the one preceding, and know what
II is to feel the shock OF war, are probably
without any adequate idea of what they
would do in the face Of such an enemy as
that which rose unheralded out OF the sea
at the Golden Gate. The unexpected ad-
vance of martial enemy can be seen, at
least for a time, and measurably prepared
for before the close. On a field of action
there ia a degree OF method. there is order.
system and discipline, so long as heads are
cool and nerves steady. Death comes, but
1t comes against intelligent as well as
courageous resistance.
BILE to imagine that one might retain
control of the faculties to the point of
being able to take every possible oppor-
tunity offering itself for safety. Whether
this might not, in the presence Of the
danger be nothing more than imagination,
it is none the less true that the breaking
up OF a vessel in mid-ocean does not pre-
sent, in many cases, vantage points of re-
slstance to death which the collected man
will use against a fate to which one less
fortunate would surely surrender. A man
capable OF quick and accurate thinking I'm
the presence of any imminent catastrophe,
and who is well aware that such faculty
can often save life In the last extremity,
is nevertheless forced to admit that a fac
ulty OF that kind would have no play when
confronted with such sudden and ap-
palling rise of the death specter as that
seen in San Francisco. In a great cOnfia-
grafton in a crowded building there il quick
use for all the senses and often to some
good end. In a destructive cyclone intel
ligence and composure of mind can note
the direction Of the wind and choose from
all a building the point Of greatest resist
anee and least danger. In practically every
sort OF accident by field or food there is a
chance for mind and nerve to assert them
selves with at least hope OF success.
But the question OF what a man would
have done IL caught In the vortex on the
California shore must remain unanswered,
unless we give It the only possible answer
and say that he could have done nothing.
Then the question will arise Of how a man
should best illustrate his helplessness. The
chief OF the San Francisco -fre department
has given the best possible answer TO this.
He could do nothing, but he gave his life
in trying tOSdo that duty which he felt
he should at least make an effort to do.
Staying at his post was the only thing
possible 70 him, and there he died. And
this is the fun and complete answer, after
all. TO the question OF what a man could
do under such circumstances.