The Washington times., 1902-07-29
One of WheelerS OF Truck
Loaded With Iron Is y
Crushed to Death.
NARROW ESCAPE OF HERDIC
Vehicle Filled With Passengers Driven
Upon Sidewalk Barely in Time to
Evade Frightened Anima,s-Smash-
Up in Mcpherson Park.

Four runaway horses, dragging n
hugo truck. loaded with structural iron.
created a sensation yesterday in the
vicinity of the Department of Justice. on
X Street. Their mad rush ended at Nc
Pherson Square, where one of the wheel
ers net a cruel death. the impact OF
the truck against the curb launching the
mass of iron beams so violently that
the animal was crushed and horribly
mangled between the metal and tree.
The second wheeler was badly cut. The
leaders escaped injury.
The rumble Of the heavy wheels and
the clatter OF hocfs attracted the at
tention of pedestrians and residents in
the neighborhood and the sight Of the
unwieldy. swaying mass of iron carecn-
ing down tne street caused everyone to
seek safety At Fifteenth and X Streets
passing herdic had narrow escape.
How Runaway Started.
The team belonged to Littlefeld, Al
word G. Co.. and was in charge OF ne
gro driver who afterward gave his
name to the police as Jeff Brown. The
iron had been carted to the corner Of
Fifteenth and l. Streets for use on the
erection there of a new apartment
house. as yet unnamed. Brown had
aiighted from the wagon. which was
moving slowly up to the point at which
the beams were to be unloaded.
When this point had been reached.
III in,
the rear wheels. he told the police af-
terward. and expected this would stop
the team. Instead, however, the sud-
den jar to the wagon caused several of
the iron beams to be forced forward
against the wheel horses. They immedi-
ately reared and plunged, and in an in
stant the four horses were off in a mad
Cash down the street.
Eerdic's Narrow Escape.
y herdic had just passed the corner q
few moments before. and was in the
middle of the block. when the driver
heard the heavy rumble of the loaded
wagon in his rear. Seeing the imrni-
nent danger to his coach and passen-
gers. the herdic driver pulled the horses
and entire outfit clear Ip on 20 the pave
ment. Just as the rnnaways dashed by.
within q few feet of the herdic rear
" heel.
AT K Street the leaders swsrved
slightly to the west. while the pole
horses pulled to the opposite side. With
the heavy mass back of the wheelers.
The leaders were pulled into a bee-line
for Mcpherson Park.
Animal Crushed Against Tree.
In the next moment the crash came.
As the horses dashed across the pave
nent into the park the heavy truck
wheels struck the high curb. throwing
all the weight of tons Of beams against
he lrcklcss wheelers. The near horse
vas swung Violently against a sidewalk
rec and pinioned there by the iron
orders. The sight was a sickening one,
he animals blood staining pavement.
street, and wagon. With one heaying
yasp the animal died. The off horse was
sadly cut in the hind quarters by the
;hifting Of the load. but. having free
1assaseway IN front. tore loose from the
.aTness and escaped death. The leaders
we're uninjured.
Brown, the driver, came up in a hur-
y, but too late to give any help to
lis team. The truck was drawn back
n the street ard the iron transferred to
mother wagon. For nearly an hour
rowds stood about the ccone, until lie
,;ty scavenger had removed the dead
lnimal and had cleared up the place.