A FIERCE RUNAWAY - Frank Murphy - 1901

MURPHY

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 11/19/2015 at 21:52:57

DUBUQUE DAILY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1901

A FIERCE
RUNAWAY
~
THREE HORSES ATTACHED TO
A FIRE ENGINE RAN AWAY
LAST NIGHT
~
DRIVER WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED
~
Frightened Animals Dash Across
Fourth Street Extension and Up
Seventh Street
~
Driver Frank Murphy, of Engine Co. No. 3 was injured last night at 7:30 o’clock while engaging in preparing an alarm sent in from the corner of 12th and Jackson Streets. Murphy had just finished clasping the harnesses on one of the horses when the animal reared up on its hind legs and one of its front hoofs struck the driver in the face. He was knocked over by the blow and fell beneath the three horses that were attached to the engine. Before Murphy could regain his feet the animals made a dash for the door and sped down Fourth Street. The ponderous engine was pulled along as though it was a child’s toy and at every lunge the maddened steeds quickened their pace until it seemed to those who witnessed their flight that the several tons of metal they were pulling after them would be torn asunder as it jolted across car tracks and over the rough pavement. At the corner of Fourth and Locust streets the runaway collided with a lamp post which was broken down. The collision only added to the fright of the animals and they tore down Fourth Street across the railroad tracks, out Fourth Street extension as far as the High Bridge and turned into Seventh Street. They continued their mad flight up Seventh Street to Clay where they stopped of their own accord.

An examination of the engine disclosed the fact that no damage was done to it, neither were any of the horses injured.

The injured driver was removed to his home, 43 South Bluff Street, where a physician attended him. His injuries proved less serious than at first supposed. One of his legs is bruised, his left ankle is sprained and a slight cut on the under lip was the extent of his injuries. Murphy was fortunate in being able to get out of the way of the engine wheels, for if the ponderous machine had passed over him he would have been instantly crushed to death.