The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-20
MECHANICS OF CROWDS.
City Police Have Scientific Way in
Handling and Controlling Them.

At first glance a crowd seems merely
TO be a confused mass of people acrI-
dentally shaken together. closer
study reveals the fact, however, that
crowds are usually formed OF groups or
nuclei which will react in much the same
way to any excitement. A painstaking
study has been made Aof the mechanics
of crowds to assist the police to handle
them. The control of great crowds, such
as assemble TO witness parades, has been
reduced IN some cities TO an exact science.
1t has been found that the forces ex-
erted by crowds if unrestrained grows
with alarming rapidity, and soon proves
practically irresistible. People have been
crushed to death, and heavy barriers
broken down by crowds in which no
one person exerts any especial force
The immense cumulative force of n num-
Der of. men pushing together was well
illustrated by q game popular in Ameri-
can colleges some years ago A solid
mass of men standing closely ten abreast
and ten deep would move forward
against similar group. 1t was found
that If each OF the, men pushed only
slightly the combined force was terrific.
The game as matter of fact became 50
dangerous that il was- abandoned.
% In an ordinary street. crowd the first
row of people is poWerless to hold back
and the second row scarcely less so. The
third row, however, holds strategic
troll the advance. Some years ago the
police of some American cities were in
the habit of forcing the crowd back by
reaching over the heads of the first two
rows and striking those in the rear. This
rough treatment would scarcely be al
lowed today, but it was based on sound
scientific reasoning. 1t ignored the first
two rows and cOnvinces those behind
who are really doing the pushing. Al
though the treatment Is heroic il can be
depended upon TO force back the crowd.
The simple plan of controlling a crowd
Is TO place a line of policemen along the
curb line and hold back the crowd bv
intimidation or BY main strength when
the push comes. The plan breaks down
If the crowd il more than ten deep. An
other plan is to place solid. line of po-
Hcemen at the curb, while q second line
pushes them backward. This method re-
solves itself into q feat of strength be-
tween two lines of police and the crowd.
In case of a crowd becoming violent
and dangerous, as in the attack of mob
the police or soldiers may charge the
front row suddenly, striking freely aud
pushing as they 90. This tends to turn
! he front of the crowd about and exert
its own>foree in staying the attack. a
charge OF cavalry into a crowd by
nounted soldiers or police is especially
effective, since the front rows, in their
anxiety to escape being tranpled ON,
push with all their might, against the
mass behind !
A more scientific plan of handling n
great crowd is to place policemen in the
second and third rows OF the crowd. In
this position they may check the begin
ping of any movement forward by re-
ieving the pressure on the front rows
md directing it backward. Another plani
a to place policemen at regular intervals
IN the crowd. In case of trouble each
'oicemaH becomes a nucleus exerting
- own strength and those about him
'ga INST tho general movement
On the theory that an ounce of preven-
ion is worth tons of cure. the police
'tten keen down the size of the crowd
~ controlling the adjacent streets. If
crowd, however great, Is kept in con
,tant motion the danger is greatly re-
irced. since a fluid mass does not exert
70 s2mn pressure rs a closely 9iuassed
nv TIL" nolice IN far eastern cities.
shore personal rights are less observed
Plye the problem nv bringing down
heir heavy guns on the toes of the