The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-07-18
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Robert l.. Collins of Tallahassee has
Thrilling Experience.


Mr. Robert L. Collins returned home
Monday from Green Cove Springs, where
he recently had thrilling experience
and miraculously escaped from death.
The story is told by the Green Cove
Spring as follows:
While returning on Wednesday night
from a visit to friends who reside few
miles out of town, MIR. Robert l.. Collins
of Tallahassee and Mr.. w. J. Fripp of
this town became the victims of an
almost fatal accident.
They were riding in sulky to which
was attached Mr. J. McIntyre's horse
The night was cloudy and dark and the
horse was given somewhat loose rein.
When about a quarter of mile from the
entrance of the cove, and while the horse
was moving along in trot, the left wheel
struck stump few inches from the road
and the vehicle turned over. Mr.. Fripp,
who was seated on the side which struck
the stump, being tosst over Mr.. Collins
head and thrown into the grass without re-
ceiving q scratch, not even losing his hat
in his aerial excursion and sudden alight-
ing. Mr.. Collins was far from being 90
fortunate. His right leg became entangled
between the shaft and the bottom OF The
sulky, holding him as though he were tied
As soon as the vehicle turned over, the
horse became frightened and started off
toward town in a mad gallop, dragging
the overturned sulky and Mr.. Collins al
her heels. The seat was doing service as
wheels, and furrow and large tufts of
wire-grass were plowed and torn up. Mr.
Collins was dragged distance of nearly
800 yards, his body humping over the
ground The whole distance. When nearly
to the entrance of the cove road, the
animal slackened her speed a little, and
Mr.. Collins was shaken loose and left lying
iu the road. His companion, who had
followed the runaway, soon came up TO
him, and, instead of finding bleeding
corpse, found him perfectly conscious, but
badly bruised and with large patches OF
skin worn away in several places and his
clothing in tatters. Placing his friend 10
an easy position, the unhurt one hurried
to town and fetched a conveyance and a
friend, and with his assistance Mr.. Collins
was taken to town. DR.. Bruce was sum-
moned, and be found no homes had been
broken and no serious hurts inflicted-noth.
ing but scratches and the loss of some skin
ON The back and hands and q general
twisting and wrenching of mucles and
joints.
It seems a miracle that Mr.. Collins did
not lose his life. The horse kept in the
road throughout the greater portion of
her fight, it is true; but there were many
roots and several little stumps in the
road, and also bridge, which 10 a rude
affair and which 10 constructed Of scant-
ling timber. In going over this bridge
the runaway team loosened several pieces
of scantling, jerking one directly cross
wise it's former position. The team also
went out of the road once and ran over a
large stump The sulky and harness
must have been made of excellent mate
rial, as they held intact unit | they were
dragged to Burrows mill, near the West
ern depot, where the horse tore loose
from them. One of the horses legs is
somewhat skinn' d, she evidently having
gotten astride one of the shafts
| Mr.. Collins lost nearly everything his
pockets contained, including his watch
and ~ or 8 in money; but everything
was recovered, except about 81 of the
money in coin. His coat enveloped his head
during the hurried trip, and saved his
head from being bruised and his face from
being mangled. He is now moving about
town on crutches, and will soon be his
self again.