Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1914 — TEAM OF HORSES DROWN. [ARTICLE]

TEAM OF HORSES DROWN.

Plunge Over Embankment North of Lamson Bridge Into Dredge Ditch. John M. Knapp, the liveryman, met with quite a heavy loss Saturday shortly after the noon hour, when one of the teams of horses with which he was hauling material for the new bridge over the Iroquois river ditch near the Lamson bridge, west of town, fell off the new grade north of the river into the Curtis Creek lateral dredge ditch and were drowned. Mr. Knapp had sent two 4-horse teams out with material for the bridge, and the men had unloaded the material and started back north with their teams and wagons. The lead team of the- wagon driven by George Denny had been unhitched from the wagon team and was being led by Denny, who was also driving the latter team. He had dropped the lines of the wagon team for a moment to catch up the hitch strap ot the team he was leading, which haa dropped or been pulled from his hands, the wagon team walking a little too fast for the lead team to keep up. Before he could catch up with the wagon team again, they had reached the high and dangerous new grade that has been thrown up from the new lateral ditch leading north from the river, where the dredge had thrown the dirt all on the west side to make a fill and thereby cut out the old turn around west to get by this slough or bayou in the river.

The new grade now makes the road straight from Peter Paulus* place on south, is perhaps 12 to 15 feet high and quite narrow on top. It is a dangerous place at best, as a slight deviation from the straight line would throw a rig or an automobile off to the west in the low stumpy ground or to the east into the ditch where the water is 12 or F 5 feet deep. The team had started on a slow trot on reaching this grade, when suddenly the “off” horse stumbled, pulling the “near” horse around to the east and the whole outfit plunged down the embankment into the water.

Mr Knapp and his guest, Mr. Hoyt of Pennsylvania, were driving out to the bridge in a buggy, and he was but a short distance north of thb grade when the accident occurred. He ran to the place where the team disappeared and all that could be seen was a hole in the ice and a few bubbles coming up. The team was valued at about $250, one of the horses, Mr. Knapp says, being the best one he had, while the other was not of very much value. The wagon and chains will be recovered, of course, but the harness may be damaged some in pulling the animals out of the water. Mr. Knapp intends to take the derrick that he has used in unloading the heavy pieces of steel from the cars out to the scene and lift the animals and wagon out of the water. The cold was so Intense Monday that nothing was done toward this, but as soon as possible the outfit will be pulled out. From all accounts there should be constructed some railing or guaru along each slide of this grade to protect travelers. A slight error in guiding an automobile over it would probably end with fatal results to the occupants, and it would seem that some sort of protection should be erected along the sides to safeguard the public.

The loss is quite a severe one to Mr. Knapp and one that he can ill afford to sustain.