it seems to me the "massive panic" actually never existed (it was a clever "fake news" somewhat started by Orson Welles).
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/10/30/241797346/75-years-ago-war-of-the-worlds-started-a-panic-or-did-it
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-15470903