New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-13
STOPPED JUST IN TIME.
RUNAWAY FIRE HORSES CHARGE on THE
CROWD AT UNION SQUARE.
HEROIC AOr OF 4 PoLICEMAN-oNE PANIC
AvERTED BY COOLNEcs AND STRENGTH

ANOTHER BREAK QUICKLY QUILTED.
Three fire engine horses while drawing engine
No. during the parade Yesterday afternoon, sud
denly became excited and ran away with the
engine a. fast rs they could go. They We're
headed straight for the immense throng at Sew
enreenth-st. and Broadway. and it only by
the splerdid nerve and pluck of the police there
that terrible accident was averted As il was
panic began and spread in the scnseleSs way OF
all panicS. Luckily that also was checked be-
fore il became uncomfortable BIT number OF
people were hurt. some Of them seriously, before
il was over
The conditions under which the runaway oc-
Cured made it a most thrilling and terrible
spectacle. The p1radc Of fire engines had barely
begun 10 pass the cottage stand on the seven
tccnth-st side Of Union Square when II oc-
CURED The streets Oh both sides were df'srlv
packed with spectators, and where the parade
crossed Broadway and started up Seventeenth-st
the crowd was so huge that il required the con-
slant efforts of thirty policemen TO keep the way
open.
Tie fire horses unused 10 slow progresson' "''
had been FESTIVE and hard 10 control from me s'"'
They pranccd and worried and several times III
fcrent teams would start into run, reqnirl"E Il
Grr, and able hand 70 prevent them from becoming
troubn till the fire engines wheeled into Fourth
ave. Then the crowd there suddenly pushed pack'
nc the three biz white horses drawing Engine NO
o broke out Of the line and began TO run Inc
nor;conon stationed there saw il and wondered
put M one suspected the truth and no sound was
u,.or.d ny fine driver But he knew that AT thnt
r,op,cnt IN, three powerful horses had got beyond
his control. He braccd himself for q mighty e'-
fart and eycrted every muscle OF his ponN 10
cniIc thcrn into ScventcentE-st lie succeeded III
doing this But then the horses, big. magnlh''n'
animals seeing the broad street. PM their headS
down and went with wild rush, az fast as II
they were going TO 4 Ere
What followed lasted only few sconds. bnt
Il seemed a long time 10 the crowd. The 'EiFer
wa. pala. and fully realized the terrible danger
The engine flew from side to side n the horses
dashed alone headed directly for the crowd ~
Erood,yay and Sevcutccnth-st, which was So
tightly wedgcd in that none could move ont OF
the way. The driver wrapped tin reins oronhu
his arma and lay back On the seat, Dnt ho''hhe
could stop the three Grand animals In the MD
do of tbc block the cngin" nearly struck a ladder
,rucl, ahead Of it. The driver managed TO steer
his horses clear Of Il. but that was all They
rushed on madly. suddenly big policeman made
avln. lean at Tie head Of one Of the horses II
70 be counting death. For AN instant there was .
miycd nm iumblc Of man and horses and hr"
engine But the man won, and dozen oth'r
nolicomcn were at the horses heads befon the
frightened spectators got their br"aths back. Inc
brave polccman who did what YVES really most
heroic and a grand and noble thing TO see, was
Edward f. GrAcnla zen, of the Iw'nN-hh'h
n-ccinct When he and his courageous com
nanions finally stopped the wild horses the heavy
role of tho engine wa ,nly few feet away from
the hclplcs-lv damned in crowd.
The pcoplc there crowded and pushed rantc-
ally 70 get ont of the way and most OF them We're
overcome hy fear During the crush a doctor
had the lieamcnts Of his ankle torn. and many
women tainted Will" several got hystercal.
Luckily the crowd there was treasured and held
In check by the police
Bat at Fourth-ayc. and ScNcn'eenth-st there
occurred tho most dreadful thing that can happen
in u crown 4 panic began. Cool headed men
in the cottage stand opposite trcmbed when they
saw It develop. a., for a few moments, The great
crowd in the street rceled and -waycJ. first back
ward. then forward. then backward again with
increasing impetus. For moment the solid blue
line Of police wavercd II was hut for moment
Rnt II was enough TO allow a multitude 10 break
through the lines With a mad ruah, Tx"
great body Of water bursting ITS bonds the crowd
into the ulQIlc or inc STREET, ulI'I wv
Loois and wheel. Of horses and engines which
came ND the street two abreast. While thhn
rush lasted things looked bad nnmi'r "f
women and children were carried clear across the
street ~ tho grand stand. where d number OF
men hurrlcdly lifted them in. expecting that me
panic would tcc"mc worse Again the police
lid well They formed In solid line AZ once and IN
a few minutes all was calm again. But IN" ambu,
lance WAS Kent busy One women found
with her knee clp lslocatcd. three or four women
had been knocked down and were Ins"nsibie, and
form
name surrad tO crowds block away. who were
altogether ont of sight and hearing Of the run
away.
While the disorder az it, height the horses
of fir. engine No. started TO run, but they were
checked i'm time. II was said hy the police that
tho panic was begun 10y foolish old women who
ehrckcl that the runaway Vas coming back
toward the crowd where She The nan,+, OF
some Of those treated by In" physicidns as they
wrr,. reported to the police last night were.
Dr. Dahl. NO &c West One Notwithstanding
thirdst ankle .Islocatcd and liramcnis torn.
Annie Roil. No. $50 Av"nueB, hystrra.
Annie lenning No. Al Las; SiAtccnth-si.,