Norwich bulletin., 1909-11-01


hospital at 6.35 o'clock this morning. a
sacrifice to football The army is ac-
customed to death. but not in this de-
plorable form: and this tragedy OF
the gridiron has brought such poig-
nant grief to officers and cadets alike
that the end of football at West Point
and Annapolis is predicted by many.
His Case Hopeless from tho Start.
Young Byrne expired just as the sun
was rising over the hills along the
Hudson. with his grief stricken father.
John Byrne. a civil war veteran, at
his bedside. Brave as was the young
soldiers fight for life II was hopeless
from the start. Buried beneath a mass
of struggling players in the Harvard
Army game yesterday, his neck was
twisted and broken by the weight Of
the crushing pile above him, and he
was picked up with every nerve of his
body except those of his head and
face helpless to perform their func-
ton.
Kept Alive by Artificial Respiration.
Only the immediate resort to arti-
fetal respiration kept the boy from al
most instant death, for he did not
draw natural breath after receiving
the fatal shock. Surgeons were un-
able to make a complete examination
last night on account of his critical
condition and opinions varied as to
whether a blow on the spine or on
the solar plexus caused the paralysis.
But X-ray photographs taken after
his death revealed a dislocation he
tween the first vertebrae TO be thrown
forward, pressing against and probably
resulting in a lesion in those nerve
centers 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 resort
ed to was all that kept the injured
cadet alive until this morning. NO
autopsy was held. aside from the x
ray examination.
~ Funeral Services Today.
Funeral services will be held to-
morrow in the Catholic chapel at the
north end of the post, where the body
was taken this afternoon A cadet
guard has been posted at the chapel
and details OF young soldiers will
watch over the body until after the
services tomorrow.
The funeral will be conducted with
full military honors, Monsignor c. @.
O'Keefe, In charge of the Catholic
chapels in this vicinity, will officiate.
Effect Of the Accident on Remainder Of
Schedule.
When the cadet corps and the off,
cial family OF the academy had re-
covered from the first shock OF the
announcement that Byrne's injuries
had terminated fatally, the effect
which the accident might have upon
the remainder of the football schedule
Immediately came to mind. The SEN
timent hardly had time to crystalline
frHtfs aHHn -
voiced that the casualty would result
in the eurtailing the remainder Of the
seasons playing. If not the cancella-
'tion of the entire schedule including
the army-navy game.
Official expression on the matter Is
meagre. When Col. Hugh l.. Scott.
the academy superintendent. was
asked lfor his opinion. he replied:
That is a matter cannot discuss
now"
Skilled Surgeons Of No. Avail.
Taken to the cadet hospital skilled
surgeons working with relays Of capa-
BILE attendants labored over Byrne
throughout the night. Conscious AZ
times, she Realized the seriousness OF
his condition as the physicians and
nurses kept at their task, and with a
smile and an. occasional cheering WORD
encouraged them in their task.
The surgeons realized as the hours
wore on that they were only serving
to prolong, not to save a life; and
Byrne knew II, too. before the new day
broke He faced death smilingly. only
thoughtful for the grief-stricken father
who was with him when the end came.
All Social Functions Cancelled.
Meanwhile the current of life at the
academy had almost ceased. All social
functions planned for last night, in
Guiding the long g-looked-forwar to
hop, were cancelled at the request Of
the cadet corps. expressed Immediate
ly after the seriousness of the accident
to Byrne became apparent.
BY order of Colonel Scott, cadet ac-
tivities for the day were directed to
be only such as were necessary. There
was no parade tonight. the flag was
lowered to half mast and directions
were given that all academic duties be
suspended tomorrow.
Only 21 Years Old.
Cadet Byrne was only 81 years old.
but was a veteran of the army foot
ball team and popular with his class
mates and officers. He was acting as
Of the eleven yesterday and
he gave his life, too early, perhaps. but
as his father wished Il. struggling on
the field for the honor of the army.
Injured in Mass Play.
Byrne was injured in a mass play
on tackle. a plsy that is common
enough in football and which had been
used several times in the game prcNi-
Gus to the accident. Byrne standing
as left tackle for the army.
was forced under the rush of Crimson
players and on falling must have had
his head laid into position whore the
was greater than the strong ligaments
could stand. They snapped with the
pressure and the fatal lesion resulted.
Paralysis Of Entire Body.
There might not have been such a
sudden termination of the game, which
was called Immediately. had not the
surgeons. who rushed to the spot. real
lied the seriousness of the nature of
Byrne's injury. Although they would
not admit last night that there was no
chance for Ryrne's recovery, II was
apparent that there was little hope for
him
When II became known that Byrne
was suffering from paralysis of the en-
tire body below the liEe. Of the Jaw
bunes tile cadet corps compared with
q ppreGsnsion the similarity betWeen
this sad occurrence ON the West Point
nsld and the recent injury 10 Earl WI
son of Annapolis.
Football as a Sport in Government
Schools Jeopardized.
IF Byrne dies II will kiil. football for