Evening star., 1925-02-20
Collins Case Shows
Humanity of America

Like the expedite n. to relieve the
diphthera victims at Nome, the SYM
pathetic national interest manifested
In the plight Of Floyd Collins, Ken
lucky cave victim. reminds editors
throughout the country that money
mad" America still has heart.
Nothing in the worlds news ever
appealed more widely. more poignant
ly to the human heart thar this
terrible, unprecedented tragedy of
Sand Cave" says the Louisville
Courier Journal. 1.-THE impress of its
agony, of the heroism of its victim
will last as long as the lives of those
who follow the news reports of the
horror day after day" Nothing more
truly awful, thinks the Baltimore
Sun, "has been chronicled in the book
Of fact In the course of journalistic
history"
For an Unconditional, money-crazed.
materialistic Nation, we are a peculiar
people" observes the Lincoln Star.
One Of the great stories, declares the
Omaha World Herald, connected with
the drama being enacted in Sand
Cave. KY, can scarcely be told. Frag-
ments of II can be collected and
pieced together, but the whole thing
Is too big for one man to handle
That is the story Of the concern of
millions of people who never before
heard of Floyd Collins in his pitifuI
predIcament."
The story has been broadcast all
over the country" says the Memphis
Se~s-Seimitar- TT is the question
uppermost In the minds of thousands
If newspaper readers. 1t is not
question with them as to what be-
came OF the opium conference in
Geneva. why the World Court pro-
posal was shelved, why Stone was
onhrmed as justice of the Supreme
Court or why Wheeler was indicted
IN the District of Columbia. These
ire things of Importance in their
place, but their place is not along
side the story of the young man with
ms lie at stake. There is no differ
.nce In humanity since the days when
David sat in the gates awaiting word
from the front to tell the fate of his
hinsoom or the fate of Absalom"
X y
Deaths resulting from the World
war, reflects the Davenport Uowa)
Democrat, are believed from a COM
pliatfon OF official reports. to have
numbered 9.35S.279. During the strue
gle the public appreciation of it's bor-
rors became so numbed that losses
OF thousands in battle were passed
over with little comment, bringing
poignant sorrow only to personal
friends and kindred When millions
were dying 1t was. OF course. beyond
the capacity OF the tenderest heart to
sorrow for each individually. How
oiHerent in times of peace. when 2
single person is in imminent DANCE,
or death under circumstances that
grip the imagination and elicit the
sympathies of every one.'' He is ius,
one man, adds the Boise Idsho,
statesman, there is nothing famous
ABOUT MIN There is nothing in his
career which would give him a greater
claim Tor mention in the news than
have the thousands OF people who die
daily In falls from lodges, automobile
accidents, hres, collapses and poison
ings. They get only paragraph of
mention. He gets columns"
SINISTER rumors that the story and
the incident were fakes attracted
widespread attention while the at
tempt to rescue Collins was in prog
ress ana military court OF inquiry
investigated intimations that the
whole affair was "a press agent
stunt This moved the Kansas CITY
post to observe. Should it develop
that the whole incident is a frame-un
Tor publicity purposes, the master
hosx OF the century will have beep
pared and P. T. Barnum should turn
over In his grave, ashamed of such
puny frauds as wild men of Borneo
ana white elephants, hand frescoed.r,
IN the Jealousies and chickering's
"hicn nave accompanied the relief ex-
petition. the San Francisco Bulletin
sees the lack Of proper authority.
And when authority Is gone from
among men," 1t adds, their efforts at
dealing with the work of the world
VIII result about as successfully as in
the tragedy at Sand Cave"
Why did Floyd Collins. risk and lose
MS life crawling around In the slimy
and treacherous holes near his home
Ihat question has puzzled many who
read of his plight. There Is nothing
strange about IT," explains the Utica
ooserVer-Dispatch collins felt the
urge Of exploration, just as men of
distinction and high education have
felt the urge of exploration to 20 to
the North Pole and the South Pole
to the top of Mount Everest, to the
center of Africa, to unknown regions
IN the interior of South America, to
the Sargasso Sea, or to the arid plains
OF Australia. What new wonder might
| not be discovered? He might come
| upon vast stores of gems, or rich lodes
| Of a marvellous mine. At least he
would go where no other human foot
had ever trod and would behold
scenes never before beheld by man
That he ventured is not un-
usual. Others are venturing in
| more hazardous trails every day.
Navigation Of the air is far more
| dangerous than crawling through fis-
sures far underground. The accident
! that befell Collins was incidental. He
was one out of thousands to Set
l. caught.