Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-26
TWENTY-FIVE KILLED
IN FOOTBALL GAMES
List of Accidents Heavier Under New
Rules According to Statistics
Already Computed.

The football toll so far this year is %
killed and 40 injured. In the closing
games on Thanksgiving day, no deaths
have been reported, but number OF
players were injured whic. Jill swell
the list considerably FroIA lie num-
Der of injuries the statistiG1 would in
dictate that the game Is more danger
Gus than ever, despite the many chang
cs in the rules. Many declare that the
new rules are u failure and the conf
mittee Will probably make some more
drastic changes to establish the game
on II safer basis.
Last year the number of players killed
on the football field or dying later after
II lingering illness from injuries received
on the field totalcd 80. This year the
number of dead Is %.
1t would seem from these figures that
the inauguration of the new rules had
made the game approximately one third
less dangerous than II was year ago.
But comparison OF the number of
deaths in the two years is not con-
elusive on this point.
a compilation OF the number of in
jured this year shows a total OF 400.
Last year the number OF injured, was
only 2l6, The number of manned and
bruised and broken football players for
the year 1910 exceeds by more than 100
From these figures 1t is apparent that
the revision of the rules. and the di-
vidins of the game into quarters in
stead of into halves. has not had the
effect of reducing the dangers that was
sought for. On the contrary the game
of football seems under the present
rules to be dangerous to more people
now than it ever has been before. So
called "open-play." so far as the fig
ures for the year show. has no advan-
tagc over the old mass play system in
the way of cutting down casualties. In
deed, the figures indicate that football
Is more dangerous now than it ever
has been.
1t cannot be argued that more people
are playing football this year than last.
1t Is doubtful If the game is any more
popular now than it has been during
the past FIVE years. 1t should be re-
mcmbercd, too. that the season of 1910
Is not yet ended The figures for
the big Thanksgiving day games
are yet to come and the
Thanksgiving day gumes can always
De relied upon to add materially to the
list of killed and badly hurt.
one of the seasons deaths occurred
in Chicago, the victim being Michael ].
keegan, better known by his fellow
players as "MoSie' Kceean. lie was
an enthusiastic football player and
membor OF an independent team, with
which he was playing when he received
the injury that caused his death in the
Cook County hospital. blood poisoning
having set in. Before coming to Chit
caSo kecgan was y well known athlete
in the east and had played both base
ball and basketball on several teams
His body was taken to his parents
homo in Worcester. Mass. for burial
Among the members of varsity elev-
ems killed in the game this year one OF
the most conspicuous cases was that OF
Ralph Wilson. the half back OF the Wa
bash college team, who died in ST.
Louis on the day following Wabash's
game with University of st. Louis. Met
vim Waters, Il junior in tho Carlisle,
Ind. high school, was another Indiana
most recent Of the deaths was that of
Rudolph Monk, captain of the Univer-
sity OF West Virginia eleven. who was
killed on the field in a game against
Bethany college n week ago yesterday
afternoon.
OF the injuries in football far more
serious than simple fractures of arms,
legs or collar bones, there were three j,
instances OF broken Eecks. and in two
of these cases the victim has subse-
quently recovered and returned to his
studics-although not to the gridiron.
The number of simple fractures
has been an even $50 thus far reported,
while the number of disocations, cases
of gashcs requiring stitches. torn lga-
ments, etc. brings the total up to n
new record Cases of water on the
Knee, sprains and muscular bruises
have been SO numerous as to make
their enumeration here practically M
possible.