, 1890-07-24
HERO OF THE STREET.
How n Young Bootbisok stopped a
Runaway ON the Bridge.

HERO OF THE STREET.
How Young Bootbisok stopped a
Runaway ON the Bridge.
"Ding, ding, ding" rang the cleo
trio gong at the New York terminus
of the Brooklyn bridge just at the
busiest hour of an afternoon, says
the New York Tribune. Nearly all
i'm the great throng that was pour
ing into the entrance turned their
heads as they heard the impetuous
note OF warning. What was this
gong? Why was it sounded? Few
in the crowd knew, but ilvstinctively
they seemed to feel that something
serious had occurred. Instantly the
policeman whose duty 1t is to watch
the carriage exit at the northern side
of the terminus had run to the
strongly constructed gate thrown
back against the building aud had
unfastened 1t ready for closing.
Then the word passed: "It's n
runaway on the bridge, and it's
coming this wayp'
In another minute the crowd,
springing up, as it were, from the
ground, blocked Park row. Sever
al policemen strove vainly to keep
the people back from the end of the
driveway. Necks were craned and
eyes We're strained to catch a glimpse
of horse and wagon which was ust
coming into view at the top ol the
long stretch of paved approach to
the bridge.
"Here he comesw was the cry
from n thousand throats, and people
involuntarily drew back, as if to
avoid the crash which might come
later on. The horse, 1T could be
seen, was ON a dead run, but so far
away was he that he only seemed to
be moving slowly,
Then it could be seen that a young
man sat In the drivers seat and held
the reins. His feet were firmly
braced against the footboard, his
lips were set, and he was exerting
all his strength to stop the mad on
rush of the horse. But the incline
Is steep, the animal had evidently
''lost his head" and was now DASH
ing to his certain destruction in an
excess of mad terror. The police
man, with his hand on the gate, be-
gan slowly to close it. 1t was his
intention, shold the animal not be
stopped, to shut 1t in his face. Peo-
pie began to picture to themselves
the crash, and turned away their
heads in horror. There was pro-
found silence in the awestruck
on ayI la, h,r 81
eXclamations, and above all the i'm
Fortunate ding, ding, ding" of the
gong.
Down the long incline came the
frightened steed, his black coat be-
spattered with loan, and swayed
from side to side by the frantic
efforts of the young driver to
slacken his gait. In some of these
lurches the horse and wagon mar
rowly missed striking the teams
drawn up at the sides of the drive
way. From "a cab standing "a few
hundred feet up the driveway could
he heard the hysterical screams of a
woman. Still the horse had not
slackened his speed. The policeman
closed the gate and the crowd drew
back, us II impelled by one will,
holding its breath.
The horse had reached the stone
balustrade that walls the driveway
for the space of about 100 feet from
the sidewalk. A bare-legged boot
black, whose face showed pale be-
meath its coating of dust and CRIME,
was seen standing on the balustrade.
Suddenly the boy was seen to spring
into the driveway in front Of the
plunging horses. He seized the
frightened reins close to the bit,
and raising himself from the ground
hung at the horse's head. A shout
went up from the crowd. The horse
made several more plungcs, then
swayed from side TO side, and finally
stopped stock-still within few feet
of the stout bars of the gate. The
gong ceased ringing. Five minutes
later the entrance to the bridge had
regained its usual appearance and
no one in the hurrying crowds
would have guessed that 1t had
been the scene of an act of heroism.