The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-12-02
FOOTBALL IN 1909 CAUSED 26 DEATHS
Highest Total in Many Years and Almost Double Of
and 19OzzO More.SeriouSy Hurt---ChicasO Tribune'S
Figures Show That Majority Killed Were College
PLAYERS Trained by Expert Coaches.

AS a result of the numerous fatali-
ties and the agitation which they have
stirred up, several colleges have dis
banded their teams, and many of the
city high schools in various parts of
the country have been forced to give
up the sport,
Georgetown University, of Wash
ington; the University of Virginia,
the United States Military Academy
at West Point and ST. Mary's College,
in Kansas, were among those which
suspended the playing of the game.
A meeting of the Board of High
School Principals in Washington, ID.
c., resulted in the casting out of all
the games scheduled for this season,
and the game will not be resumed
next year unless therules are changed
radically.
The Faculty of Loyola University,
at Baltimore, also cancelled all the
games for the remainder of the year,
and the School Board at Bellefon-
tame, Ohio. decided to rule out all
contests following the death of one
player there.
The State of Virginia will probably
be the one which will give the heav-
lest blow to football. Following the
death OF one of the State University
players and the injury of several of
her youths within the State, bill
will be introduced into the Legislat-
ure at the next session to forbid all
such contests in the future. 1t is ex-
pected that this bill will be passed.
Already the City Council of Norfolk
and Portsmouth have forbidden all
contests within the city limits.
The death which attracted the most
which revived TO a large extent the
football, was that of Cadet Byrne,
n West Point cadet. Byrne was an
upper classman. twenty-five years
old, when he was fatally injured dur
ing the contest with Harvard Univer-
sity. His neck was broken during a
mass play, and despite the fact that
every attempt was made to save his
life, he died soon after.
The interest in this accident was so
great that expressions of opinion were
asked from the heads of nearly every
institution of learning in the country
Some of them saw in 1t proof that the
game should be abolished, while 9TH
ers urged changes in the rules. Some.
however. looked upon it as an unfor-
tunate accident aud declared that the
game AS it is now played could not
be made less dangerous without TAX
ing away the exciting features.
The deaths in football to date have
resulted in more agitation against
football this fall than at any time
since the present playing rules were
adopted. The representative varsity
coaches of the country realize that
something must be done, some new
rules adopted, by which the risk of
! death or injury must be greatly re-
duced. The winter session of the
Football Rules Committee in New
York this year is sure to be of unu-
sual length, and will result in some
rather wholesale and radical changes
| following a discussion in which the
sponsors for football in every section
of the country are pretty sure to par
! ticipate.
The new rules diminish the mum
Der of fractured ribs, but at the cost
] of other broken bones.