El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-26
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Danger in Football.


roughness and brutality of football as
played in American colleges and
schools was so vigorous at the close OF
last years season that the friends OF
the game are coming forward with
facts to show that it is no more danger
Gus than any other vigorous exercise
or game, and they cite bicycle acct
dents. shooting accidents and drowning
while sailing or skating to show that
the record of football is not open to
serious criticism as an exceptionally
rough game. In a late issue OF Harper's
Weekly. Caspar Whitney mentions his
ten years. exclusive study OF amateur
port and its development. and his eX,
tensive acquaintance with football
players, adding:
''In ali this time l 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 sailbOat, two drowned by
the overturning of racing shell,
three drowned while swimming, two
while skating, two killed in hunting,
one by an infuriated glizzly bear, the
other by defective rifle; one killed
by the careless handling of shot
gun, and one killed by one of those
didn't know-it-was-loaded fools who was
lingering a revolver, Several friends
and as many acquaintaces have been
killed and several badly crippled while
riding or driving horses"
Mr.. Whitney says that in 20 years he
has been able to trace only six deaths
directly to foot bail, two of which oc-
CURED this year. One of these deaths
was last of Bert Serf, OF the Doane
college foot ball team in Kansas. He
died from in uries received while play
ing the University of Kansas team at
Lawrence, in that state, on Novemb Der
II last. A New York representative
of the new journalism declares that
Serf was killed in a mass play, and was
picked up unconscious after scrim-
mage. Chancellor Snow, of the Uni
verslty of Kansas has written letter
giving the facts about the deoth OF
young Serf, who was only Is years old,
Chancellor Snow says:
''Speak of the Kansas eleven, the
lightest man in the team, weighing
about $50 pounds. had the ball and was
making an end run for touch down.
He had clear field for the goal when
Serf, who was playing full back, ran to
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 lire 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 ne had been carried off the
field unconscious on account of an in
Jury to his head. He vas laid out dur
ing the first half of the game with
Kansas, and the referee and others,
mem bers OF tho kansas team, protested
against his being allowed to continue
in the game. He should not have been
TO play at al >"
Cha 1cello r Snow then makes an i'm
portan suggestion. He suggests that
an additional official, to rank with the
be appointed, with full power to re-
move from the game any man of either
eleven who is clearly not IN condltlGG
to continue the game
The chancellor also notes that the
three rnen of the Kansas team who
were reported dangerously injured"
were not more than slightly injured
He adds:
Il have no doubt that an investiga
ton of the entire list of those reported
and seriously injured
would show a general exaggeration OF
the actual condition of the players
mentioned"
Mr.. Whitney supplements this by
the declaration THAT IN all the games
that harvad, Yale, Princeton and Penn
sylvapia have played there has never
been death. These games have been
the hardest played in the entire coGp-
try. He also declares that there is no
record of permanent injury in any OF
these games, and that the most serious
accident IN any of them was that of
broken breast bone, The man who
met with the accident is strong and
well today. NJ. Whitney says that if
we wish to have sport without danger
we must confine ourselves to croquet or
squat tag, or pleasure of that grade
n. Y. Sun.
STATE OF THE BIOrCLE INDUSTRY.
The national shows held by the
national board of trade of cycle manu-
facturers are reliable index of the
bicycle industry. Those held in Chi
cago and New York, which have just
been brought to close, reflect more
than any of their predecessors the
economic importance OF this business,
which has now grown to such vast pro-
portions. Few, even of the most care
full observers, appreciate the position
hos fur