The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-29
THRILLING RUNAWAY ON SECOND AVENUE Two Little Girls Thrown from
 Vehicle DASHED DOWN SIDEWALK Lou H. Abel Is Slightly Hurt and Wal ter Houseman Is Praised for He-
 role Work In CIineIng to
 the Animals Nostris.
DASHED DOWN SIDEWALK

There was display of heroism outrival- ing fiction when frightened horse dashed madly down the sidewalk on Second ave- nue yesterday afternoon, pulling buggy in which were two small girls, while a quick witted man clung desperately to the animals nostrils.
 ? The horse and buggy belonged to H. c. Lowery of 1928 Second avenue. south, Woodlawn. The vehicle was standing near the corner of Second avenue and Twentieth street, two little daughters of MT. Lowery, Ruth and Alva, being seated in 1t waiting for an older sister, who had stepped into store to do some shop ping.
 A large automobile was directly in front of the buggy and when it started off the horse became frightened and plunged across the street Lon H. Abel, who was passing along the sidewalk. jumped for the horses head but was thrown to the hard pavement and badly bruised.
 The animal plunged across the street, getting upon the sidewalk and looked as if 1t was going to plunge into the en- trance of the Steele-Smith department store. It swerved, however, just before reaching the entrance and started pell mell down the sidewalk, which was crowd ed at the time. Pedestrians fell over one another getting out of the way of the Frightened animal, all but one, Walter Houseman.
 With a leap Houseman reached the horses head and secured a grip on its nostrils. Then down the sidewalk man and horse raced. How Houseman managed to keep running was marvellous to those wit messing the affair. Past dry goods stores. jewelry shops, tailor shops and drug stores the runaway dashed, barely graz, ing the fronts of the buildings, while pale faced people ran Into stairways and en- frances.
 Nineteenth street was reached, lady and small child barely missing being struck. As the buggy was half way across the street another young man, Len Orten, made an attempt to stop the runaway With a jump he landed in the back of the vehicle, but Just as he did 50 the vehicle struck a water plug on the corner and he was thrown to the ground. The two little girls shot into the air and people closed their eyes, but miraculously the children landed on the hard pavement and received not single bruise.
 Houseman had managed to swerve the horse around from the plug, causing the buggy to strike 1t sideways and at the same time probably saving his life. The buggy was damaged but slightly.
 A crowd of several hundred persons had gathered within a few minutes, while every ambulance in town made a rush call to the scene, excited persons having called them out thinking several people had been hurt or killed. MT. Abel was the only one injured and he was removed to his home in an automobile. His injuries are not thought to be serious, however.
 The two little girls were not the least bit frightened by their experience, their only fear being that someone would tele- phone their mother and frighten her.
 It took over half an hour for the great crowd which had gathered to cease talk ing of the affair and break up. That sev- eral people were not injured was regard ed as wonderful, the street at the time, O clock, being thronged.