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DANGEROUS SPORTS AT FAIRS.8tatisticA Show Lone List of Accidents for Season Just Closed. •County fair accident statistics gathered by the Chicago Tribune for the season just closed point to the driviugr oftrotting horses by amateurs as the mostcommon cause of injuries. The mostdangerous injuries are received by aerialperformers. For children attending fairs Hie danger is in riding on merry-go-rounds and in standing close to the running track,Taking the States of Illinois, Indiana,Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Tribune asked 450 county seats for information as to accidents to performers andspectators at county fairs and street carnivals. Fifty-five counties reported a total of seventy persons injured, the remaining 395 counties reporting no accidents. Of the injured forty-rive were performers, professionals or amateurs, and twenty-five were spectators. The injuries range from broken ribs and legs to bruises. Of the forty-five performers injured, twenty-six were hurt by the collision of sulkies in driving races and in being thrown from running horses. The most serious accident to a drivertook place at Atlanta, 111., where Edward Stubblefield, president of the Logan County Fair Association, was thrown from his seat in a collision with, a sulky, and for a time was near death.“The slide for life,” a feat in which the performer slides down a wire fromthe top of the court house dome or other high elevation, laid up three men, and“leaping the gap” and “looping the loop”claimed five victims.Five of six aeronauts injured havefaulty parachutes or bad luck in landing to blame for their injuries, ranging from a crushed shoulder to a sprynei a:he and auother: i*:. ■'} ■i-'-i •^tor:he crush of vehicles At-• • *• . • • ► » u / ' • . ,-kfair melosuresftnd *farmers* horses by the noise an^ttnuatml sights at the grounds were responsible for the overturning of buggies and wag^ ons and the resulting injury of six persons.The following table tells the nature of the work in which performers were engaged when injured:Number injured.Drivers and riders in horse races ...... 26Aeronauts, in making parachute descents 5 Aeronaut, by explosion of gun machine. 1“Leap the Gap,” on bicycle............ 2“Slide for Life.*’ on wire .......... 3“Looping the Loop” ..... 3Diving into tank ....................... 1Trainers .lacerated by lions ....... 2Hit by falling tent pole............ 1Tight rope performer ................. 1Spectators were injured as 'follows:Number injured.In driving accidents while entering andleaving grounds ..................... 6By race horses breaking through fencesand into crowd..................... -6Eyes injured -by “confetti”' at streetcarnivals ................ ^Thrown from merry-go-rorml ....... 5Gored or kicked by animals on exhibition ................. **Falling iivor 2
Newspaper Details
Albion Daily Record
Albion, Indiana, US
Tue, Nov 15, 1904
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Barry M.
USA 27 Dec 2020
Other Publications Near Albion, Indiana
Albion Noble County Democrat
Albion Democrat
Albion Daily Record
Albion New Era
