Second Year English Notes Sindh Board THE DAY THE DAM BROKE

THE DAY THE DAM BROKE

(James Thurber)

SUMMARY

The Columbus—Ohio, broken dam rumor began, about noon of 12^th March 1913, on High street. The author is not sure, as to how the rumor began. Perhaps, it began thus. Suddenly, somebody began to run. Maybe he was late for an appointment, to meet his wife for which he was very late. Whatever it was, he ran towards the east. Somebody else began to run, perhaps a newsboy in high spirits. He was followed b a portly (fat) gentleman of affairs, who walked at a trot. Inside of ten minutes, everybody High Street was running.

The fear of the broken dam was put into words. by a little old lady in an electric (an electric carriage), or a traffic cop, policeman) or by a small boy. Nobody knows who. All of a sudden, two thousand people were running towards the east and shouting, ‘Go east’.

The writer’s mother and grandfather also joined the crowd. The writer’s mother did not panic. She turned out all the fires and she took with her a dozen eggs and two loaves of bread, as she planned to take shelter in the Memorial Hall, two blocks away.

The writer’s grandfather was under a great misconception when he saw the crowd running. He thought that the city was under an attack by the Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry. So, he, with his sword in his hand, shouted at the enemy, Let the sons come’. So grandfather had to he stunned (unconscious) with the ironing board; The writer had to carry grandfather on his back, who was over six feet and weighed about a hundred and seventy pounds. Because of this, the writer’s family lagged behind. Grandfather regained consciousness at Parson’s Avenue and again he challenged the rebel dogs. But at last, when he realized that the darn had broken, he too joined the crowd.

Another episode to a bent Colonel, who at the time was drowsing in a chair – there was a parade at Fort Hayes. When the crowd was going past the fort, the crowd shouted, go east.’ The Lieut Colonel thought that he was ordered to go east, So. he, in turn, ordered his men to go east and he along with three hundred soldiers were running towards the east. A fat man stopped the officer and asked why he was running. He didn’t know why he was running, so he asked a little child, who informed that the dam had broken, go east. Thus roared the colonel, ‘go east’. He carried the exhausted child and was leading the crowd, with the soldiers following him.

The writer mentions a visitor, in an airplane. While flying over the city, he looked down on the road but was horrified to see a crowd running on the street. It was ‘very hard for him to know the reason why the people were running on the street. He was reminded of an incident of the Marie Celeste (a Ship), which was found in perfect order after being abandoned by its crew, who disappeared forever.

At the time of the dam scare, the writer’s aunt, Edith Taylor, was in a moving theatre. She could hear shouts and the sound of running feet. An old man said something and went towards the door, at a trot. This startled everybody. In no time the crowd, inside the theatre was rushing towards the exit. A woman shouted, “Fire”, who always expected to be burned up in a theatre. So, everyone inside the theatre got frightened and rushed out of the theatre.

Outside of people in panic were running towards the east. A woman, who was very tired, somehow managed to climb, a bronze statue of Sherman, Stanton, Grant, and Sheridan who was watching silently the going to pieces of the city.

A woman, in her late fifties, went past the writer’s aunt, so the writer’s aunt with some effort, came alongside her and asked, “What is it?” She looked at her and stepping up her speed replied, “Don’t ask me, ask God.”

When the writer’s aunt reached Grant Avenue, Dr. Mallory passed her and shouted, ‘It’s got us.” He mistook the swishing sound of the skates for the rushing Water. So, while running to save his life, he fell on his face. He kept lying and did not bother to get up, as he was sure that the flood water would sweep him away. Soon the boy on the skates rushed passed him and only then he realized, what he had been running from. He looked back, but there was no sign of any water. But after resting awhile, he started running again and caught up with the author’s aunt at Ohio Avenue, where both of them rested together. Hundreds of people passed them. Nobody went in his car, because all ears had
to be cranked, and no one took the risk to start his car.

The next day everyone went to his work as usual. Everyone was so ashamed that no one had the courage to talk, about the events of the previous day. Only after two years had passed that the people dared to talk about the breaking of the dam, jokingly. But people like Dr. Mallory, even after twenty years, would shut their mouths tightly, because they were terribly ashamed of their conduct on the 12^th of March, 1913.

Questions Answers

 

Q.1      How does the panic appear to have started in Ohio?

Ans.    James Thurber relates the broken-dam rumor in his essay ‘The Day the Dam Broke’. He does not mention an explicit cause, rather a probable one, as to how the rumor started in Columbus, Ohio. Business activities were in full swing on High Street, which was the main channel of trade. Some people were making proud, some little boasts. Suddenly somebody began to run and, in just ten minutes, two thousand people were abruptly running like hell, shouting “Go east! Go east! Go east!” The fear of the broken dam might have been put into words by an old lady in an electric, or by a traffic cop, or by a small boy, but Thurber says that no one knew who spread the rumor.

Q.2      How did Thurber’s mother cope with the situation?

Ans.     In his essay ‘The Day the Dam Broke’ James Thurber tells that unlike the other people, who ran out leaving fires burning and food cooking and doors wide open, his mother turned out all the fires. She planned to take refuge somewhere in the top of Memorial Hall, so she took with her a dozen eggs and two loaves of bread as a precaution against hunger during the refuge. However, she could not reach Memorial Hall as the flood of people, who were shouting “God east”, drew her along and the rest of her family members with her.

Q.3      How long did the panic last and how was order restored?

Ans.     The broken-dam rumor,  as James Thurber mentions in his essay ‘The Day the Dam Broke’, did not last more than two hours. The tangled evacuation of the city ended as abruptly as it began, and all the people silently went to their home, leaving the streets peaceful and deserted. The order was restored by the militiamen. However, their bellowing through the megaphone initially added to the confusion and increased the panic because people thought they were saying “The dam has now broken” rather than “The dam has not broken.”

Q.4 Why did Dr. Mallory think that flood waters were about to engulf (drown) him?

Ans. Dr. Mallory passed the writer’s aunt and in his panic said, “It got us!” He was sure that the flood waters were going to sweep him away. He actually mistook the swishing sound of the skates for the rushing water. So, while running to save his life, he fell. He kept lying flat on his face, as he was sure that the flood waters would engulf him. Soon, the boy on the skates rushed past him and only then he realized, what he had been running from.

Q.5 Why did the citizens of Columbus not care to talk about the events of the March 1913?

Ans. The citizens of Columbus were so ashamed of their conduct the previous day, that nobody had the courage to talk about the event of 12th March 1913. It was only after two years or more than the people plucked courage, to talk about the broken darn rumor, jokingly. But there are a few people like Dr. Mallory; who, even after twenty years, would shut their mouths, tightly, because they were terribly ashamed of their conduct on the 12th March 1913.

Q.6 Thurber’s sardonic but affectionate view in “The Day the Dam Broke”.

Ans. The author, James Thurber is one of the leading. American humorists of the modern times. The Day the Dam Broke is an extremely amusing and a humorous essay.

The author pokes fun at the panic-stricken people of Ohio, who thought that their lives were in danger because the dam had given way.

The writer laughs at the mob psychology, and how it works in a given situation. A person in a mob does not think or rationalize. He merely follows the dictates of others.

The author also suggests that man by nature is very timid. He wants to save his life under all circumstances particularly if he is faced with danger.

So, while the author criticizes the crowd for not using their brains and behaving stupidly, yet he sympathizes with them, for the suffering they underwent. This is his affectionate view of the crowd.

Q.7 How does the panic start and how did it end, in “The Day The Dam Broke”?

Ans. The author, James Thurber, is not sure, as to how the panic began in The Day the Dam Broke. He feels perhaps it began some such manner. At about moon of 12th March 1913, on High Street, suddenly somebody began to run. Maybe, he was late for an appointment to meet his wife. Whatever it was, he ran east. He was followed by a fat gentleman of affairs, he walked at a trot.
Within ten minutes, everybody on High Street was running in panic. While running, they were shouting, “the dam has broken”, “go east, to safety”. This is how the panic started.

The panic ended as abruptly, as it began. It lasted for two hours when finally order was restored by militiamen, announcing over megaphones that, “the dam has not broken”, but the people in their confusion heard that, “the dam has now broken”. Thus, the people with renewed strength started to run. At last, the mob was brought under control.