Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1911 — EXCITING RUNAWAY MADE CROWD RUSH FOR SAFETY. [ARTICLE]

EXCITING RUNAWAY MADE CROWD RUSH FOR SAFETY.

Team Hitched to Wagonload of Household Goods Dashed Down Depot Platform Tuesday Afternoon.

There was considerable excitement at the depot Tuesday afternoon when a team of horses drawing a wagon load of household goods dashed down the platform and collided with a heavily loaded truck, causing the - team to come to a sudden stop and the people on the platform to rush for places of safety.

The team belonged to O. O. Hammerton, who was loading his household goods, stock, etc., for removal to Michigan. The driver of the team was Jerry Tullis, who left the horses standing unhitched in the west part of town momentarily. The animals became frightened and started to run, and took toward the depot, almost a mile away. When they reached the Babcock & Hopkins elevator they turned north, but instead of crossing the tracks, swerved to the east and ran straight down the depot platform. It was a close call between the water pipe where the engines are filled with water and the rear of the express wagon, which was backed up to the platform, but neither horses nor wagon struck either and as dashed east on the platform there was a scatterment of people for places of safety. One of the large trucks was loaded with express packages and the horses lunged full speed into this, sending the truck off on the railroad track and scattering packages in every direction. Two of the standards on the truck were broken off by the impact but neither horse seemed to be injured. The horses were brought to an abrupt stop and there was no difficulty in quieting them down and getting them away. The northbound train was due in a very, few minutes and It required about all the time to clear the track. Household goods had been scattered all along the route taken by the horses and the goods were considerably broken and damaged.