New-York tribune., 1909-11-01
CADET VICTIM DEAD
ARMY-NAVY GAME is
CALLED OFF.
Byrne's Death Results IN Stop
ping of Game by Army
for Season.


the sun which set as he was being car
ried off the football field last evening
rose this morning, Eugene A. Byrne,
left tackle and acting captain of the
Army football eleven, died in the cadet
hospital. A member of the fourth class.
Byrne, whose home was in Buffalo. was
hurt in driving play at tackle. In
which Minot, the Harvard fullback,
was smashing through the West Point
line In the second half of yesterdays
game. John Byrne. the father of the
injured cadet, was at his sons bedside
when the end came.
Late tonight the following telegram
was sent to Annapolis: owing to the
loss of one Of the members of our foot
ball team, and out of respect to his
memory. West Point desires to cease
playing for the season.
"(Signed), III. L. SCOTT,
Colonel, U. S. A, Superintendent"
This action by West Point means the
cancelling of the rest of the schedule for
the year. including the game with An
napolis on November 81. one of the great
REASONS FOR COL. SCOTS ACTION
Colonel Scott's action was taken after
careful consideration of all phases Of the
situation. He said tonight that he had
first inquired whether any complications
would be caused by calling off the game
On assurance that no tickets had yet
been sold by the University of 1nsyl-
vania, through the hands of which all
arrangements for the game pass. he de-
cided to request til Naval Academy to
agree to call the game off.
1t Is the expressed belief here tonight
that there Will be no hesitancy at Annap-
oils in complying with Colonel Scott's re-
quest The decision at West Point not
to take part In game with the Navy
this year is believed to be conclusive. In
any event. the remaining games on the
schedule-those with the Springfield
Training School next Saturday. with
Villanova the following week and with
washington and jefferson a week before
the scheduled Army Navy game-are
cancelled
In the deep gloom that hung over the
academy tonight the only ray of light
was the word from Annapolis, conveyed
with the quick expression of sympathy
from the brigade of midshipmen. that
Wilson, the Navy quarterback, whose In
juries. similar in many respects to those
suffered by Byrne, were sustained two
weeks ago, seemed to be slightly better.
and that some hope of his ultimate re-
covery was entertained.
Lieutenant II. NJ. Nelly, head coach
of the football team here and football
representative on the Army Athletic
Council said tonight: "One thing 1
must say. The game yesterday was the
cleanest and best I ever saw on this
gridiron here. Every man on both teams
helped the fellows on the other side UP
after the scrimmages and the feeling
between the teams was splendid. Not
the slightest element of roughneSS en-
tered into the game for single instant"
Arrangements for the funeral were
completed tonight after the arrival of
Mrs. Byrne from Buffalo. The body re-
manned in the hospital tonight, but to-
morrow it will be taken to the Catholic
Chapel, on the post grounds, where serv-
ices will be held on Tuesday morning at
II O'Clock. The funeral will be held with
full military honors. Interment will me
made in the West Point Cemetery, 18th
the cadet corps firing volley over the
grave.
DOCTORS WORK ALL NIGHT.
Only the immediate resort to artificial
respiration kept Byrne from almost in
slant death yesterday, for he scarcely
drew a natural breath after receiving the
fatal shock. Surgeons were unable to
make complete examination last night
on account of his critical condition, and
opinions varied as to whether blow on
the spine or on the solar plexus caused
the paralysis But X-ray photograp phs
taken after his death revealed a disloca-
tion between the first and second cervical
vertebrte. causing the lrst vertebra 70
be thrown forward. pressing against and
probably resulting in lesion in those
nerve centres of the medulla oblongata
which govern the respiratory muscles.
This caused the natural process of
breathing to cease altogether. and the
artificial means of respiration resorted
10 was all that kept the injured cadet
alive until this morning. No autopsy
was held. aside from the X-ray examina-
tion.
Bvrne's father bore the shock with
fortitude, but he was plainly laborinS
under great mental anguish this after
noon when lie came 10 the little West
Shore Railroad station at the foot of the
hill to meet Mrs. Byrne, mother OF the
victim Mrs Byrne left Buffalo early
to-day. and reached here at 8: 80 O'Clock
this afternoon.
The meeting between the bereaved par
euts was affecting. but each endeavored
to console the other in their grief. as with
bowed heads they ascended the hill to
the bier of their boy.
The manner of young Byrne's injury
witnessed as 1t was by the father and
the hundreds who gathered here to see
the Army struggle against Harvard. was
dramatic in the extreme. 'Then the spec
tators realized that the accident was se-
Csatlassa - asssoa Da0e.