Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-01-22
Were Frightened
By Automobile
Yesterday.
TO THE RESCUE
Three Men Jump Overheard and
Bring the Horses Safely
to Shore.
WAS WOODBRIDGE TEAM.
Driver Jumped When He Saw the
Water Ahead and Was Slight
Iy Injured.

A team of spirited horses attached
to a coach owned by d. p. Carpen-,
ter, of Woodbridge, and driven byl
William Robertson, colored of
Woodbridge took fright while passing
down New Brunswick avenue yester
day afternoon and started on wild
tear They did not stop until they
had leaped overheard from Merritt's
docks at the foot of Fayette street,
pulling the coach after. them.
The driver was compelled to jump
to save his life and landed in pile
of scrap iron in front of the foundry
of P. White & Sons. He was slightly
injured. A number of men along
shore saw the horses go overheard
and three of them, James Kelly,
Charles Johnson and Thomas John
son, jumped into the river and man
aged to cut the harness and save the
team.
Automobile the S'ause.
The horses, a pair of -year-old
colts, were hooked to the coach and
started for this city to attend fun
eral. At 1916 o'clock as they were
crossing the Lehigh Valley trac.nN A
big red automobile came along at
fast clip. 1t passed the horses
like a streak and in second they
had leaped forward and were be-
yond the control of the driver.
Down New Brunswick avenue they
dashed like wild and turned into
Fayette street. AS they approached
State street, Robertson, who is over
six feet tall, and known as one of the
strongest and best horsemen in
Woodbridge, wound the reins around
his arms, stood up in his seat and
sawed. t~t the horses had the bits
betwee~ aeir teeth and would not
st9n. Town Fayette street they
went faster than before, being assist
ed by the grade.
Saw Water Ahead.
As the team passed High street and
Robertson noticed the water ahead.
he knew that nothing could stop
the horses and he decided to jump.
He did so just in time, for the next
moment the team was struggling in
the water.
The United States dredge Gedncy
was tied up at the dock, but this did
not seen to hinder the horses One
of them managed to get his forward
foot on the deck of the dredge, the
tide was low and the dredge was
about even with the dock, but he
STAYED for only a second, the weight
of the other horse and the heavy
coach pulling him down. SEA
Coach Followed Horses.
Both horses landed in the water,
but the coach struck a small float
where it remained for a few min7
utes only, when it too went over
board
A number of men along the shore
saw the accident and three of them
Jumped into the sound. The horses.
were brought under the dock, to a
landing. They We're chilled through
and all of the run was taken out of
them.
Robertson, in the meantime, had
come up and under his directions the
team was hustled TO the stable of
Liddle & Pfeiffer. where they were
taken care of so that they would not
take cold.
Only Top of Coach.
Only the top of the coach could be
seen and men started to tow it ashore
at once as the tide was rapidly ris-
ing and it was feared that it might
cover it entirely. After some hard
work the men managed to get the
coach around to the stern of the Ged-
ney, where it became fast in the mud
and the two front wheels were lost.
What was left of the coach was
finally hauled up on the beach. Be
sides the loss of the wheels the for
ward part was smashed and broken
and it was otherwise so badly injured
that it is doubtful if it can be re-
I paired.