The sun., 1916-11-22
FIRE HORSES TAKE
40 FOOT DEATH LEAP
Louis Taylor, Strapped to Hose
Cart Seat, Plungcs Into
n. Y. Central Cut.
HAS CHANCE FOR LIFE
Tiny Blaze i'm Barn Is Cause
Of Thrilling Accident in
The Bronx.

A defective snap lock on the on horses
collar Of Engine Company SIS hose
cart jolted open last evening on the way
to a nre. few moments later two ter
rorized animals plunged through the iron
fence OF the New York Central Railroad
cut at Park avenue and 1880 street.
carrying their wagon with them and
helpless driver strapped to his seat.
They landed on the tracks forty feet
below q mass Of splintered apparatus
and dead horses. In the midst Of the
pile the driver. Louis Taylor. -. Of 7e7
East 18th street. was found in criti-
cal condition.
Engine Company IS IL stationed
on Belmont avenue near the corner OF
l83d street. The Bronx. At 8 o'clock
last evening the alarm rang In from
box at 1S4th street and Washington ave-
niue The engine rolled out In Jiny.
and Taylor. springing to his seat and
buokling the leather thong about his
waist as the collars fell on the two big
bays. turned out after the engine.
On = wild Gallop.
At Warrington avenue the engine
blaze. The hose cart, rsttlinG In its
wake. should have followed. but Just
as Taylor braced himself for the tug
at the reins the snaplock broke. The
horse. with the loose collar slappinR
about its throat could not swing the
pole around. II reared In fright, run
ming half free from the wagon. Then
both horses set of on q wild gallop.
straight down the street.
TAylOr saw what was ahead He
tamed on his brakes. but the steep
grade OF the roadway made them use
less. II was like sliding down a shute.
with the wrought iron fence OF the
railroad cut at the end OF the road.
From the rear end OF the vehicle Fire
men Edward Reith and james Laracy.
wondering why the cart had not turned.
as It should. called up to him.
Jump" Taylor flung back at them
over his shoulder.
Instead, sensing what was wrong. they
climbed over the reels of hose to his side
to help. They were only few yards
from the corner of Park avenue when
Taylor turned to them again.
Jump" he snapped. III YOU want to
save your lives. jump. ! can't"
They leaped. Al the corner Taylor
made last brave try. The collar OF the
near horse was holding and he tried TO
Il
horses were running mad and neither
would answer the rein.
Ripping Open the Fence.
Straight into the fence they went and
fifteen foot strip Of the heavy iron was
ripped from its sockets by the impact.
Women and men who lined the windows
Of the houses along the street leaning
out to watch the engines go by" saw
the cart disappear over the edge of tho
| stone coping.
/ There is New York Central statior
at 1891 street. Reith and Laracy. will
Policeman McAndrews. were the first
down the stairs to the tracks They
found the wreckage piled up on th'
northbound tracks. Both horses wer,
dead. having landed head first. Taylor
whose belt that had kept him from leap
ing TO safety with his companions wa.
broken In the fall. had been thrown ou
of his seat and was lying beside ant
close to the third rail. A northboun,
commuters train had just drawn ou
and the hose cart had barely missed th'
last car in its descent.
The two fremen and the patroimai
risked the danger OF the electric rail I,
pull Taylor clear. He was unconscious
when an ambulance came from Fordhan
Hospital. Dr. Brady. who treated hin,
found him suffering from internal in
juries, fracture OF the pelvis and sew
eral broken ribs. He has "a chance to re
cover.
Traffic on the northbound local an,
express tracks was held up for an hou
and twenty minutes while the curren
was turned or and wrecking crew O
the railroad took out the two horses an,
the remains OF the apparatus. Fiv
thousand persons crowded about the ga
in the fence until the reserves OF tn
fremont and Bronx Park stations. unde
Inspector Walsh. showed them back.
The fire proved to be but a tiny blaz
In a barn. II did not need the hos
that never came to put II out At Fir
Department headquarters II was liste
as an unnecessary alarm"