The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-07-07
ORDERS SOLICITED.
A Ride on q Thunderbolt.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch, June1o.
One Of the strangest accidents that
We have been called upon to record
for some time, occurred on Wednes-
day night, about 11.30 o'clock. We
learn that at that hour our we'll
known citizen, DR.. G. w. Spencer,
was driving from the city to his
residence in the fourteenth ward,
or rather Oakland, where the gentle
man resides. Mrs. Spencer had been
to rehearsal of the Cantata Society,
and the lady was accompanying her
husband when the accident occur
red.
The doctor was driving home in a
duck wagon, drawn by two horses,
and was caught in tho storm that
ragged on the evening referred to,
when but q short distance past the
Soho bridge on Fifth Avenue. Pro-
ceeding at q fast gait, in order to
escape the increasing tempest, the
doctor had Just passed the turn into
the Oakland road, when thero came
terrific flash of lightning. quickly
followed by thunder. Such was the
force Of the shock, which must have
entered the earth Immediately in tho
doctors vicinity, that, for an instant,
he literally knew nothing beng CON-
pletely stunned. He recovered him
self in q moment, however, and
observed that one Of his horses was
on the ground, and at the same time
that his wife, who but moment
before, was by his side, was miss
ing.
In an instant he jumped out Of the
vehicle, and, retracing his steps in
the drenching rain, what was his
astonishnent to find Mrs. Spencer
sitting in the mud, about thirty feet
behind the wagon. He at, once
picked her up and was no little
surprised to learn that she had no
bones broken, nor was she at all in
jured. His house was not far distant,
and the doctor at once accompanied
his. wite to their homo, where he felt
Mrs. Spencer, and obtaining aid, re-
turned 10 the sccne of tho accident.
The horse that had fallen was still
upon the ground, while the other was
calmly standing by his side, no doubt
thinking that the stables leaked con-
siderably, if not more. The harness
Ca splendid new set was cut, and the
uninjured animal vas taken home
The other horse, after considerable
trouble, was able t. stand, and ono
of the doctors employees was leading
HIM towards tho stable, when, near
ing q deep chasm on tho road, the
horse again fell to the ground, but
did not stop until he landed at the
foot of the hill. From this rredica-
ment the animal was successfully
rescued, and strange to say, was able
to walk to tho stable. Here the har-
ness was being taken off, when it
was discovered that the animal could
not open his mouth that in fact, he
had the lockjaw.
In this condition the poor brute
existed all day yesterday, and when
heard from last evening was still
living, but had not opened his mouth.
The singular part Of this accident
is that Mrs. Spencer has not the
slightest idea how she left tho wagon,
nor has the doctor. They were
driving along moderately just when
tho fash of lightning descended, and
that is all that Mrs. Spencer or the
doctor know, until the one found
herself sitting in tho mud, and the
other minus his companion. 1t is
with great pleasure we record the
fact that neither the doctor nor his
estimable wife Were injured.