Isle of Wight Observer May 4 1895
A Runaway in Union Street
On Tuesday morning, about 11 o’clock, one of Messrs Chaplin’s horses attached to a trolly was coming down the High Street. When opposite Mr Duffett’s, something seems to have startled the animal, which commenced kicking, breaking one of the shafts. The driver managed to alight and seize the reins, and made a plucky attempt to stop the horse, but was unsuccessful. It first dashed into a Victoria in charge of Mr Stephens, jun, knocking the fore wheels off, and damaging the springs, but happily did not injure the horse much. The runaway then proceeded at a stretch down Union Street. Painters were at work on ladders outside Mr Lowe’s premises, and on one of these ladders a painter (E Woodnutt, well known as a football player), was at work 30 feet or so from the ground. Woodnutt fortunately saw the danger, and, as the horse dashed into, and knocked down the ladder he was working on, managed to spring upon a neighbouring parapet, thus escaping a serious accident. A light trap belonging to Mr Tuffley, of Bembridge, was also knocked all to pieces.
It was in charge of a young man who had come in to execute various commissions, and was loaded with provisions, which were scattered all over the street. There was a little girl in the cart, and she was thrown out with such violence that some of the bystanders, thinking she was seriously hurt, carried her across to Mr Gurnell, the chemist, where it was son ascertained that she was quite unhurt. The runaway having collided with, and knocked down and smashed the lamp column in front of Yelf’s Hotel, and also damaged another further down the street, eventually overturned the trolly while turning into Pier Street near Mr Guy’s shop, and fell down. The horse was then resecured, and taken to the stable, where it was found that it had received little injury. It is a miracle that more damage was not done, for the street was unusually brisk, many carriages having just started for the races, &c.
