The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1897-06-15
CA@ToRrA.
81; =: 4 1%16zz~ 4 -


in American colleges and schools was so |
vigorous at the close of this years
season that the friends of the game are !,
coming forward with facts TO show that |
il is no more dangerous than any other |
vigorous exercise or game, and they |
cite bicycle accidents, shooting acct
dents and drowning while sailing or
skating to show that the record of foot
ball is not open to serious criticism rs
an exceptionally rough game. In A late |
issue of Harper's Weekly Caspar Whit
ney mentions his ten years exclusive
81 udy of amateur sport and its depelop-
ment. and his extensive acquaintance
with football players. adding:
In all this time [ have never had a
friend nor even an acquaintance who
was killed or permanently injured by
football. On the other hand, I have an
acquaintance who lost his eye, and one
damaged for life playing polo; four
friends have been drowned by the up
setting Of a sailboat, two drowned by the
overturning of a. racing shell, three
drowned while swimming, two while
skating, two killed in hunting one by an
an infuriated giizzly bear, the other by
a defective rife; one killed by the care
less handling of shotgun, and one
killed by one Of those didn't-knowit-
was-loaded fools who was lingering a
revolver. Several friends and as many
acquaintanccs have been killed aud sew
eral badly crippled while riding or
driving horses" s,~s.,!sssss,sss"',A
G. Mr. Whitney says that in 20 years he
has been able to trace only six deaths di-
rectIy to foot ball, two of which oc-
Cured this year. One of these deaths
was that OF Bert Serf, of the Doanc col
lege football team in Kansas. lie eicu
from injuries received while playing the
University of Kansas team at Lawrence,
in that state. on November IA last. A
New York representative OF the new
journalism declares that Serf was killed
in a mass play and was picked UP UNI
conscious after "A scrimmage. Chan.
oellor Snow, of the University Of Kan
sas, has written letter giving the facts
about the death of young Serf, who was
only IS years old Chancellor Snow
says:
Speak of the Kansas eleven. the
iightesst man in the team, weighing
about $50 pounds, had the ball and was
making an end run for touch down.
He had a clear field for the goal, when
Serf, who was playing full back, ran 10
tackle him, and as the result of too
high tackle was thrown, striking the
ground with his head, just as Speak
carried the ball over the line for
touch down. The real cause OF Serf's
death was his being out of condition.
He had been injured in previous
game, at which time he had been car
ried off the field unconscious on account
of an injury to his head. He was laid
out during the first half of the game
members Of the Kansas team, protested
against his being allowed to continue
in the game. He should not have been
allowed to play at all"
Chancellor Snow then makes an inn
portant suggestion. He suggests that
an additional official, to rank with the
referee and umpire, "a medical adviser,
he appointed, with full power to remove
from the game any man Of either eleven
who is clearly not in condition To con
tinue the game"
The chancellor also notes that the
three men of the Kansas team who were
reported dangerously injured" were
not more than slightly injured. He
adds:
IL have no doubt that an investigation
Of the entire list OF those reported dan
gerously and seriously injured would
show IA general eXaggeration of the ac-
tual condition of the players mem
toned"
Mr.. Whitney supplements this by the
docartion that in all the games that
Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Pennsyl-
yania have played there has never been
a death. These games hive been the
hardest played in the entire country
He also declares that there is no record
of u permanent injury in any of these
games, and that the most serious acct
dent in any of them was that OF a
broken breast bone. The man who met
with the accident is strong aud well to-
day Mr.. Whitney says that IL we wish
10 have sport without danger we must
confne ourselves to croquet or squat
tag or pleasure of that grade. N. Y.
sun