Daily camera., 1897-02-06
DANGER In FOOTBALL.
Friends Of the Game Stand Up in
It's Defense.
Sport without Danger to Be Found
Only in Such Games as CroQuet
or Squat Tag-Compara-
tive Cases.

The annual protest against the rough
ness a..d DcutailUy oi football as played
in American colleges and schools was so
vigorous iDt tue close of this years
season that the friends ui Tie game are
coming forward with facts to show that
40 is no more dangerous than any other
igorous exercise or game, and they
cite bicycle accidents, shooting acci-
dents and drown. g while sailing or
skating to show that the record of foot
ball is not open to serious criticism as
an exceptionally rough dme. Ina late
issue OF IIarper's Weekly Caspar Whit
ney mentions his ten yr,tls exclusive
study of amateur sport and its depelop-
ment, and his extensive acquaintance
with football players. adding:
I'm all this time | have never had
friend nor even an acquaintance who
was killed or permanently injured by
football. On the other hand, have an
acquaintance who lost his eye, and one
damaged for life playing polo; four
friends have been drowned by the up
setting of sail boat, two drowned by the
overturning of a racing shell, three
drowned while swimming, two while
skating, two killed in bunting, one by an
an infuriated giizzlF bear, the other by
a defective rife; one killed by the care
less handl.-g of a shotgun, and one
Killed by one of those didn't 't-know-it-
was-loaded fools who was lingering
revolver. Several friends and as many
acduaintances have been killed and sew
eral badly crippled while riding or
driving horses"
Mr.. Whitney says that in 20 years he
has been able to trace only six deaths di-
rectly to foot ball, two of which oc
CURED this year. One of these deaths
was that of Bert Serf, of the DOane col
lege football team in Kansas. He died
from injuries received while playing the
University of Kansas team ut Lawrence,
in that state, on November IA last. a
New York representative of the new
journalism declares that Serf was killed
i'll mass play, and was picked up un-
conscious after a scrimmage. Chan
cellor Snow, of the University of Kan
sas, has written a 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
Eghtest man in the team, weighing
about $50 pounds, had the ball and was
making an end run for a touch down.
He had a clear field for the goal, when
Serf, who was nlav!n@ full back, ran 10
Tackle him, and as the result of a 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 a previous
game, at which time he had been car
ried off the field unconscious on account
OF an injury 10 his head. He was laid
out during the first half of the game
with Kansas, and the referee and others,
members Of the Kansas team, protested
against his being allowed to continue
in the game. He should not have been
allow u to play at all"
Chancellor Snow tthhen makes an i'm
POI TAFT suggestion. He suggests that
an 'a ditioaal official, to rank with the
rel, e. and umpire, a medical adviser,
be ID, olnteu, wit. full power to remove
from tho ram any man of either eleven
who is clearly rot in condition to con-
tinue the game"
The chancellor also notes that the
three men c. tIl KANSAS team who were
reported ''G..As serously injured were
not more than slightly injured. He
adds;
. 81 have no doubt that an investigation
of the entire list Of those reported dan
.geroualy ard seriously injured would
show a general eXaGgeration Of the ac-
,ual condition of the, players men
toned
Mr.. Whitney supplements this by the
declartion that in all the games that
Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Pennsyl-
vania have played there has never been
Il death. These games have been the
hardest played in the entire country.
lie also uecluTeS lila lutlS lS 1io lStolb
of permanent injury in any of these
games, and that the most serious acci-
dent in any of them was that OF
broken breast bone. The man who met
with the accident is strong and well to-
day. Mr. Whitney says that if we wish
to have sport without danger we must
contine ourselves to croquet or squat
tag, or pleasure of that grade.-N. Y.
Sun.
Companion of the Dog Star.
Sirius, the dog-star,s which is the
brightest to our eyes of all the fixed
stars, has very remarkable companion,
never visible except with powerful tele-
scopes. 1t was first seen in 1862, and in
1890 it disappeared, the reason of its
disappearance being that it had moved
so close to Sirius as to be lost to view in
the overpowering light of that. great
star. During the time of its visibility