The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-16
ATERRIBLE RUNAWAY.
The Wife of Rear-Admiral Febiger Danger,
,Ously Hurt.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispateh.I
WASHINGTON, April ia painful acct
dent, resulting in the dangerous wounding
of the wife of Rear-Admiral Febiger, hap
pened yesterday afternoon.
The lady was coming up the street in an
open victoria drawn by the admiral
handsome span of bays and driven by the
colored coachman, when the pole of the
carriage became separated from the socket,
and the whiffletrees dropped on the horses
heels. The horses started a little, but 1t
was the opinion of those who saw the at
fair, that prompt, decisive pull on the
drivers part would have brought them to
halt. The driver, however, seemed com
pletely unnamed. The accident occurred
ut the corner OF Thirteenth and +. streets,
and as the horses prOceededwest towards the
E5bitt house. their speed and fright IN
creased, the driver lost control OF them,
dropped one Of the reins, and then
ROLLED uELpLas5LY FROM HIS SEAT.
into the street. Eewas not hurt much and
Immediately sDrang up and ran back for his
coat MEANWHILE Mrs. f'ebiger's sen Paul,
who was IL TIE carriage with her, had
jumped out ANA sie2cdone Of the horses by
the hcal. He was unable to Stop them and
let 90 lust as Colonel +. n. Wicker, of Key
West, Florida, who was passing along the
street with two friends, came running to
his assistance The animals were now,
however, past control. One OF them mad
broken loose from the whiffletree, and IN a
moment they dashed past the EbOitt house
to the rear of Wizards hotel. where one OF
them turned and fell and brought the car
riage over on to him with such force that
the wheels revolved rapidly in mid air.
Mrs Febiger was thrown out under the
carriege on to the hard asphalt pavement
and the loose horse dashed off up F street
The wreck was quickly surrounded by peo-
pie from the hotel and Mrs. Febiger was
taken ont and carried into the Office Of DR..
G.. b. Harrison, opposite the Ebbitt house.
HER CONDITION WAS TERRIBLE,
and those who saw it realize that if she
| lived it would be almost by miracle. Her
| face was gashed and bloody almost beyond
recognition; her forehead cut, her nose
broken and her mouth torn. Her right arm
was broken in three places, and her skull
was fractured at the base of the brain.
Everything possible was done to make her
comfortable, but the physicians could not
| hold out much hope. Congressman Thomas
| Of Illinois, was one of the first TO rush to
! her assistance, and he held her arm while
| it was being set. The physicians called in
beside DR.. Harrison, were III. stone OF
! New York. who is DR.. Harrison's brother
! in-law, DR. Ford Thompson and DR.. Rixey
of the navy.
MRS. FEBIGER DID NOT RECOVER
consciousness. and she was in such condi
ton that her son was not allowed to see her.
At 9:3O she was carried on a stretcher to
her home on I street.
Those who saw the accident spoke in the
strongest terms of admiration of the self
possession and calmness with which she sat
IN the carriage as she was dashed to her
death. She called out to her son, with true
motherly solicituGe, to let go his hold on the
reins, but she made no other cutlery. Some
of those who saw the affair said that the
horses were going so slow at first that Mrs.
| Febiger might easily have got out of the
carriage, but she evidently relied at first
upon the ability Of the driver to control the
! team.
Mrs. Febiger is the second wife of the ad-
miral She has two sons and daughter by
| her first husband, Colonel Johnson. The
daughter, Miss Leila, is soon to be married.
Admiral Febiger's own daughter has just
entered a convent. The son who sprang
out to seize the horses was not injured.
Everyone who saw him admitted that he
behaved with great GOODNESS and did all in
his power to stop the frenzied runaways.