The morning times., 1896-10-30
IN 4 BIC SEWER
F Street Excavations Recall
an Odd Accident.
HOW A HORSE DISAPPEARED
Street Caved in With the Team and
the Brute Vanished Into the Tun-
nel-Its Carcass Found in the
River Two Days Afterward-TwO
Persons Narrowly Escaped Death.

The construction OF the new trunk sewer
through + street is progressing SO rapidly
that II will shortly be carried across the
old Fourteenth street sewer, built long
before the city had attained its present
metropolitan proportions. The fact recalls
one of the oldest incidents that ever hap
pened to mark real life as stranger than
fiction.
AT Il time the sewer was being repaired
fully twenty years ago, Mr.. Upton IL
Ridenour. now Il retired business man. lIy-
ing at No. 9l6 Fourteenth street north
west, kept two confectionery stores in the
city, one on Pennsylvania avenue and the
ether on Fourteenth street. The delivery
wagon from one Of the stores had been sent
out one evening just as the shades Of night
were descending. In the wagon with the
driver rode one Of Mr.. Ridenour's store
girls.
THE STREET CAVED IN.
The young people were driving leisurely
along when The lurn at the northeast
corner Of Fourteenth and F streets was
reached. The Metropolitan car tracks
then, as now, traversed the thoroughfarcS
at this spot. A few feet from the bend
in the tracks repairs were in progress
on the sewer and the ground all about was
loose and uncertain.
Immediately at the curve the ground
Inc amman SfppHtt upon it tilt htAb
beneath tie horse was seen to shake as
instant II gave way entirely. The horse
struck out wildly with its front feet and
reared and kicked, and the next Instant
disappeared.
The street was crowded at the time and
living witnesses of the scene give
graphic accounts Of the spectacle. Women
tainted ana men ran hithcr and thithcr
with no evident purpose in view. Every
instant Ii was expected To see the wagon
and its occupants go down. and, worse
vet, il was not known what would be the
extent of the awful cavc-in that had ap-
parently Just begun
OCCUPANTS WERE RESCUED.
But the wagon remained where IT was
1t had lodged on the car tracks and the
driver and young lady were assisted to
alighu by a score of willing hands. The
water rolled in a perfect slnice through the
great sewer Its roar could be heard
above The noise of the people in the street.
Every one ran forward 10 see what had
become of the horse. The poor animal
had broken entirely icose from the wagon
and for few moments lodged ON gas
maIn that passed above the sewer at this
point. Its fall was only monIentarily
checked. however. The next instant by
its own frantic efforts the beast disiodged
itself aud f',l into the darkness below.
he wa,..' and mud splashed high in the
air and the horse disappeared. AT that
une the sewer enptied at the foot Of
Fourteenth street INTO the old canal that
traversed street.
WASHED INTO THE CANAL
Two days after the remarkable incident
the body of the horse WIS found floating
III rhe canal below Li.e ;noItl of the sewer.
Mr. Ridenour afterward started To bring
sui. against Richard Waiiach, WHO was then
mayor OF the municipality. The merchant
and the ma yor were warm personal friends.
The mayor advised The suit and said the
city would then sue the cont ract ors.
An arbitration was finally agreed upon
though, and MeSsrs j. Russell Barr and
Harry Stuart the latter still living. We're
appointed arbitrators. Mr.. Ridenour was
awarded $500 damages for his loss.
The new sewer VIII probably cross above
the old one. There is a possibility that
startling developments may happen when
the old sewer is reached, for II has been
minated that the masonry work was
never of the best and the cement and
mortar never thoroughly hardened
A number of people who 81 W the accident
still live in the cit Y to tell of il.