Show Curiosity Could Be a Real Hazard I Speakers at a special nurse training course at the University of Utah the theother theother theother other day y emphasized the problem of dealing with stricken panic-stricken people during during during dur dur- ing a bomb attack Dr Camilla M. M Anderson chief of the Veterans adminIstration administration adminis adminIs- mental hygiene clinic in Salt Lake City said that in such an attack practically everybody left alive would be experiencing varying degrees of anxiety which would lead to varying reactions from bewilderment or hysteria to tears and vomiting Mrs 1 Hazelle B B. B Macquin dean of the university college of nursing who experienced bombing during World War Var II said that desp despite te strong emotional emotional emotional emo emo- reactions to be expected in a U. U S. S atomic attack she felt sure Americans would not go off the deep end While Americans might indeed not go off the deep end and many might succumb to hysteria there is good reason to believe that the their r insatiable curiosity and penchant for thrills might prove a major handicap in our efforts to todeal todeal todeal deal with the destruction suffering and confusion following an attack A recent experience near New York City emphasizes that handling crowds of curious sightseers might be more ofa of ofa a problem in an atomic attack than handling physical or psychological cas cas- A young man hunting along the Hackensack river near Pearl River N N. Y shot at a crow in a tree He missed the crow but hit a building of the Barnabas Fireworks company setting off an explosion which shattered windows for miles around Startled residents of New York and New Jersey thought it was an atomic attack But instead of running away stricken panic-stricken they ran avidly toward the explosion scene Highways Highways Highways High High- ways were jammed with sightseers b It was so bad that fire engines and ambulances couldn't get through Motorists Motorists Motorists Motor Motor- parked their cars all over the area even in the middle of the highway while they ran to the explosion site Police Chief Fred Kennedy of Orangeburg township saw women dragging dragging dragging drag drag- ging their children by the hand as they raced toward burning buildings which for or all they knew might explode once more at any moment Kennedy upbraided the women for bringing their children to such a place of possible peril V C Well 1 ell they replied we Uwe couldn't leave them then at home and still see the excitement Up to a point curiosity is all right but it could be bc a real hazard in a serious emergency Chief Kennedy had a good I idea when he lie warned civil defense I authorities that they had better belter concentrate concentrate concen concen- on getting people to stay at home in any war attack emergency emergency and and be prepared to follow up persuasion with some pretty rigid enforcement |