Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-28
FREAK ACCIDENTS
/ SHOWN BY CLAIMS
Flowers and Birds Blamed
4 for Mishaps for Which
h Workers Ask Relief. q,
Special Dispatch to The Star.

i Special Dispatch to The Star.
T /, NEW YORK, August 28.--"Acci-
dents" brings to mind automobiles,
grade crossings. airplaneS, explosions,
or hieh-specd machinery. But recent
surrey of the injuries listed in claims
under -workmen'S compensation insur-
ancc reveals that even the decorative
6afFodil. a timorouS mouse, or the wind
Ht the Battery wall may cause an acct
dent that means months in a hospital
for tho victim. The survey proves that
personal carefulncSS is the best safety
guard.
4 Long Island man took a job in a
greenhouse because he liked flowers
He was interested especially in caring
for n bed of dafrodils. But he was not
sufficiently verSed in horticulture to
know that beneath tho yellow brilliance
The plants hid a subtle poison. One
day an abrasion ON his ankle became
infr~s1. For the next few months he
lay in a hospital ward and was lucky
to escape having his foot amputated
Oddly acquired injuries come to light
frequently through the claims work Of
the New York State Insurance Fund
which is the largest carrier of COM
penSation insurance in the State. A
peruSal of the claim files at the home
Office of the State fund. at 432 Fourth
avenue. dsclosas hidden perils in the
most innocent looking circumstances.
Some Claims Found False.
A few Of the claims out of the thou
sands handled every year by the State
fund owe much of their oddly to the
claimants vivid Imagination, but little
investigation and scientific medical eX-
animation quickly stamp these as I'M
justified Nevertheless. as every claim
d, t,I Yl,o t,.,,t fRf nf
unusual accidents actually is eStab-
lishcd and proper claims of the victims
promptly paid.
4 A Palisades Interstate Park guard
picked mp bits of paper that marred
the parks beauty. One large piece had
been selected as a shelter by copper
head snake. The snake bit the guard 5
hand. An automobile quickly brought
the victim to a physician and snake
serum saved the mans life.
An elderly man engaged to run
rrrands could not cope with a strong
wind at the Battery. He was blown
against railing and his leg severely
injured.
Danger turks even in the current
fashion. A girl forgot she had placed a
needle in the hem of her skirt. Her
leg struck against a table. The needle
was driven Tito her leg.
A man who tried to catch a pencil
L that fell from behind his ear was in
capacitated for a week. The point
stabbed his palm.
A spider in the cellar bit a plumber
A machine at which girl was work
ing broke with q crash that sounded
like an explosion. The girls facial
muscles became paralyzed from fright.
school principal handed diploma
To a girl graduate. With it he pre-
eSntcd a bouquet of roses relative had
sent. A thorn pricked his finger and
blood poison developed He was in
capactate ted for several months and the
courts awarded compensation. holding
that the injury was received in the
course of his employment.
Ono man lost an eye when a pleas
ant few against the windshield of his
automobile and broke the glass.
A bo0kkecpor aurned his head sud-
denly and pen in his hand pierced
B his nose. Infection developed that
brought on a fatal brain abscess.
Girl Catches" Cold in Fall.
There are also unusual allegations. A
girl who fell on the marble floor of a
largo Office building admits she did not
break any bones-ln fact, was not even
bruised. But she insists that she
caught cold
delivery boy who says that. in &C
cordance with safety instructions, he
waited for the proper signal light be-
fore crossing Fifth avenue traffic. al
leges that as a result he was incapaci-
tatcd by inhaling the fumes from pass
ing automobiles.
Even the safety of the home may be
Overcstimated.
1T is not generally realized" said
Charles G. Smith. manager of the State