April 11, 1909 - The New York Times - Small Pox Scare
JERSEY CITY TEAM BEATEN BY YANKEES
Five Players Vaccinated Before They Were Allowed to Play in the Game.
COURTNEY BREAKS ANKLE
Skeeters' Crack Infielder Injured Sliding to a Base—Cold Weather Affects the Players.
It was almost a home-coming for the New York Americans yesterday afternoon when they lined up against the Jersey
City team at West Side Park in Jersey City, for the atmosphere of Manhattan pervaded even to Jersey, and a few of the faithful were on hand to see Stallings's men triumph over their opponents by the score of 3 to 2. Fresh from the
warm weather of the South, the New Yorkers could hardly be said to enjoy the welcome, for the cold blast of wind that swept across the field and the occasional ache of a vaccinated arm were not of a character to instill enthusiasm, and as a result the article of baseball could hardly be called spirited or of even a clean- cut calibre.
Early in the day the smallpox scare again cropped up to the discomfiture of the team, the men having to undergo another inspection by the health authorities to satisfy some of the skeptical of the city across the Hudson, and, as has been the case during the past two days, more men were vaccinated. The inspection was made by Dr. J. E. Craven, who put more virus into Ward, Warhop, Ford, Engle, and Austen.
The pill of the atmosphere, which approached almost the point of bitterness, caused undoubtedly more havoc with fast
playing than anything else. When the sun had dropped low in the sky the men performed antics on the field that would
have looked ridiculous had the season been further advanced, but which did not appear that way yesterday, for the entire grand stand and bleachers crowds were on the jump with swinging arms and feet that beat a tattoo on the boards for almost the entire time of the game, which lasted two hours. There was evident at all times a laxity of fielding and some absence of control by the pitchers.
An accident marked the first inning of the game which put one man out of the game for the rest of the season, or at least the greater part of it. Courtney of the Jersey City team broke an ankle in an attempt to reach second by sliding. At first it was not known that his ankle had been broken, but as he was suffering much pain an ambulance was called from Christ Hospital and the fracture was found. He was taken to the hospital and the fracture reduced.
An amusing incident for the spectators occurred in the eighth inning, when Elberfeld was hit by a pitched ball that sought out to the greatest accuracy the vaccination mark on his arm. Elberfeld danced while the crowd laughed, and he kept up his antics for a good part of five minutes, the sting of the blow on his sore arm not tending to place him in an amiable frame of mind.
The Eastern Leaguers were a bit more accustomed to the cold snap than the New York team, and several times threw a scare into their opponents' camp. Lake, however, was equal to most of the emergencies that he was called upon to face, and pulled himself out of the tight places. He struck out twelve men, and showed considerable clever work.
New York led off in the scoring, Elberfeld crossing the plate after having pounded out a three-bagger, Engle bringing him home on a neat single after two were down. Jersey City tied the score in the second. Shehan got to first on an error by Ward. Foster drew a base on balls, and then Spar sent Sheehan across the plate on a teasing infield hit. The sixth and seventh innings brought a run each for the American Leaguers. The last tally for the Jersey City team was made by Foster, who drove the ball to the fence in left field.