Evening star., 1933-01-29

~ kills the hunter, when an in
N/ fection kills the doctor when
the chauffeur IS kicked by
horse and when the blacksmith
breaks his arm cranking car, it's news.
And So on the front pages of the newspapers
from day to day during the last year has ap-
peared another chapter in the never-ending
story of the capricouS whims of Old Man Acct
dent and how he lays mortals low Grim
tragedy. humor, melodrama and pathos are all
to be found in the story, and condolences
appear that all but defy credulity.
Familiarity breeds contempt That term,
usually applied to affairs of the heart, is all too
true of accidents. Among the queerest accidents
of 1882 are manY that Illustrate the point
Nine Marie Curie, you will remember was
co-discoverer with her husband of radium She
has spent most of her life in laboratories work
ing with chemicals and seeking new cures for
the afflicted She, if any one, knew the dan
gers of infection.
Yet Nine Curie scratched her arm last year,
and like so many of the rest of us, she con-
sidered the matter of no Importance Even
when her arm began to get sore few days
later she refused to seek medical attention.
Finally her friends persuaded her to 60 to the
hospital.
She didn't arrive minute too soon another
days neglect would probably have cost her an
arm, If not her life.
technical school in Liverpool, Prof. James
Foote He knew his chemicals perfectly Yet
he stood in his class room one day, picked up a
glass of acid from his desk. thinking it was
water, and drank it. Then he died, while the
reomful of students looked on aghast.
Dr. Arthur McNeal, a well known Chicago
physician, died in the hospital which he had
founded. Dressing wounds was an old story
to him. yet he pricked his finger with safety
pin while adjusting a hospital dressing and
died within 48 hours Of infection.
doctor in Mexico took dose of his own
medicine and it poisoned him. A grade-cross-
ing watchman who knew the train schedules by
heart and had saved thousands of motorists
from being struck by trains was himself struck
by a train at his own crossing.
The opposite situation is just as prevalent.
A man may be efficient and safe in highly
hazardous occupation, yet meet death at some
thing quite tame and dull.
Typical is the case of Mohamet Ben Brahin
. Chicago acrobat, who broke his neck when he
tripped and fell on the smooth, sandy level of
q bathing beach.
An aviator in Iowa was strangled to death
by the rope of swing while swinging in front
of his father-in-law's home to keep cool.
star high school foot ball player in Iowa
had his shoulder disocated when his younger
brother kicked him in his Sleep
"A /HEN a New York policeman pulled
wv clean shirt from his dresser drawer it
accidentally fired revolver beneath. The bull
let killed him.
Chicago policeman was helping his wife
clean house and in turning a mattress off bed
he forgot that he had left his revolver under
the pillow. 1t went off, infiicting flesh wound
in his leg
There was the usual number of drownings
last year-the National Safey Council estimates
highly unusual nature. Benjamin Natkins
prominent Norritown N. j.. business man,
drowned in crock of vinegar, while Percy
Ruehkorf of Percy, ILL.,, more choosy drowned
In puddle of wine.
Many true accidents last year, for sheer
incidence, beat anything found in fiction.
In May 1881, an Indiana man and his wife
were injured when train struck their car at
grade crossing. In May, 1882, while riding in
the same car, they were struck by the same
train at the same crossing. This time the
woman was killed and the man seriously in
jured.
On July % Robert Benitez of Mexico City
was struck three times by three different auto
mobiles and lived to tell the story. One month
earlier, on June %, Mrs. Emma Graves of Los
Angeles was struck by baby buggy and was
killed
IN Kansas City 7-year-old girl darted into
the path Of an automobile and was dashed
TO the pavement. physician discovered, the !,
girl had suffered nothing worse than slight