
Why do we read about accidents? Lessons from 18th-century English newspapers
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카지노 게임 컬렉션If it bleeds, it leads카지노 게임 컬렉션 is a well-known maxim associated with journalism. Accident reports often attract readers, even when their headlines give away the plot. This has been true for over three hundred years, since .
Just four pages long, British newspapers of the 1700s had few images, no headlines and little separation between articles. Their random arrangement of news paragraphs is reminiscent of modern social media feeds without their algorithms. Jostling with news ranging from foreign military reports to book reviews, accounts of accidents occur as random shocks, nearly as surprising for the newspaper카지노 게임 컬렉션s readers as the original accidents must have been for their subjects.
As a scholar who studies 18th-century British media, I often encounter accounts of accidents as I read old newspapers. Despite the different look of these newspapers, their readers evidently possessed an interest in spectacular, unusual and gory accidents that feels very familiar. The accidents most frequently reported in newspapers of the 1700s arise from traffic, working conditions, natural disaster and human error.
Traffic accidents
18th-century London카지노 게임 컬렉션s narrow roads were congested with horse-drawn vehicles, pedestrians and panicky animals. Traffic accidents were frequent. Readers of the on March 9, 1784 could trace a runaway ox카지노 게임 컬렉션s destructive path
카지노 게임 컬렉션Yesterday morning an over-drove ox tossed a boy in Smithfield, but fortunately was not much hurt; the ox then ran down Cow-cross, and opposite Mr. Booth카지노 게임 컬렉션s, the distiller, tossed an ass, carrying a pair of panniers, filled with dog카지노 게임 컬렉션s meat, nearly to the height of the one pair of stairs windows, and before he could be secured terribly gored a young man, who was taken to St. Bartholomew카지노 게임 컬렉션s Hospital.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Readers were no doubt reassured that the ox was unhurt after tossing a small boy and amused that the animal ran amuck down the appropriately-named street 카지노 게임 컬렉션Cow-cross.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Traffic incidents involving notable people were particularly popular. The Morning Chronicle of April 9, 1800 reported that the had been enjoying a ride when 카지노 게임 컬렉션a dog belonging to a driver of cattle ran across the road, and impeding the progress of the horse, the animal fell on his Royal Highness, and the Duke unfortunately being entangled in the stirrup, was dragged a considerable way.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Luckily, two patriotic men in a passing chaise made room for the injured Duke and tipped the post-boys two guineas to carry him to a surgeon.
Waterways were equally treacherous. Pity the poor father who, having placed his child and his nurse in a boat, then saw them fall into the Thames. He 카지노 게임 컬렉션with great Difficulty took up the Nurse, but the Child was drowned: The Child had been brought that Day from Wandsworth to be seen by its Parents, and was returning when this melancholy Accident happen카지노 게임 컬렉션d,카지노 게임 컬렉션 lamented the Daily Post of Sept. 16, 1729.
Sympathy or laughter?
Eighteenth century readers were often given emotional cues from newspapers카지노 게임 컬렉션 descriptions of accidents as 카지노 게임 컬렉션unfortunate,카지노 게임 컬렉션 카지노 게임 컬렉션melancholy카지노 게임 컬렉션 or 카지노 게임 컬렉션shocking.카지노 게임 컬렉션 These small adjectives had the power to transmute unseemly gawkers into sympathetic witnesses. On March 1, 1801 reported the tragic fate of Lady Hardy:
카지노 게임 컬렉션[S]itting alone after dinner reading, but falling asleep, her head dress approached too near the flame of the candle, and caught fire; it communicated to other parts of her dress before her Ladyship awoke. On awaking, and perceiving her situation, she inadvertently ran out into the passage, where the draught of air so much increased the flames, that she was found entirely in a blaze카지노 게임 컬렉션 she was rolled up in a carpet, which instantly extinguished the fire; but her Ladyship was so dreadfully burnt, that she lingered till four o카지노 게임 컬렉션clock the next morning in the most excruciating agonies, and expired.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Occasionally, a newspaper카지노 게임 컬렉션s tone seemed more amused than sympathetic. 카지노 게임 컬렉션A few Days since as the Son of Mr. Mitchell 카지노 게임 컬렉션 was felling a Tree, it fell on him,카지노 게임 컬렉션 reported the General Evening Post of Dec. 17-19, 1747. The unfortunate Mr. Bacon was struck by lightning so violently that it 카지노 게임 컬렉션made his body a most shocking spectacle,카지노 게임 컬렉션 punned the Public Advertiser of July 18, 1787.
Present-day journalists카지노 게임 컬렉션 codes of ethics stress sensitivity and avoid . Eighteenth century Britons카지노 게임 컬렉션 sense of humour, however, could be .
Workplace accidents
Accounts of work-related accidents abound in the news of the 1700s. Bricklayers and carpenters plummet from scaffolding. Painters and glaziers fall through windows. Watermen drown.
As Fog카지노 게임 컬렉션s Weekly Journal reported, one poor currier, 카지노 게임 컬렉션as he was standing on a Stool to hang up some Skins in his Shop 카지노 게임 컬렉션 fell with his Neck upon the Edge of a sharp Iron used in that Trade.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Modern journalists have a about accidents, to provoke investigation into their causes and offer strategies for increased public safety. In 18th-century newspapers, there is less emphasis on preventative legislation and institutional culpability and more focus on personal diligence.
Articles often also stressed the admirable fortitude of an accident카지노 게임 컬렉션s victim or responder. The on Jan. 1, 1760 reported a courageous post-boy카지노 게임 컬렉션s efforts to deliver the mail:
카지노 게임 컬렉션[M]istaking the Road, [he] got into a Wood where there was a great Declivity, and both Horse and Lad fell into the River, broke the Ice in one of the deepest Places, and sunk to the Bottom; the Horse could not get out, but was drowned; the Boy got hold of a Twig, and by that Means saved his Life, yet exposed it again to the greatest Danger, by endeavouring to recover the Mail, which he did, with the Saddle, to the Surprize of every one.카지노 게임 컬렉션
Better still, the boy delivered the mail the next day. In the newspaper record, pluck and valour are celebrated characteristics.
Accidents interrupt our daily routines with their disturbing novelty. Like fables, 18th-century newspapers카지노 게임 컬렉션 short tales of accidents deliver moral lessons on the value of diligence, empathy and courage. Stories of fatal accidents are : in their remembrance of death, they prompt us to seize hold of life.
, Professor of English Literature,
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