STARTLING ADVENTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81855, 2 October 1906, Page 4

STARTLING ADVENTURE.

NARROW ESCAPE OF PRINCE OF WALES. The London "Daily Telegraph ' of July 25th. in its account of the Prince and Princess of Wales' visit to Hertford on Monday to declare open the new buildings which are to house the girls on the foundation of that beneficent charity. Christ's Hospital, says that the arrival of the Prince and Princess of Wales within the precincts of the hospital was marked bv a startling incident. Their Royal Highnesses were travelling in a ceespring serai State landau belonging to the Marquis of Salisbury, who had just received the appointnlent of High Steward of Hertford. The de ni'.nstratiun in Fore street was both loyal and loud, and the shouts from the deeply packed crowd were 010 much for the spirited horses drawing the Royal carriage. The animals were slightly restive before they reached the gates of the institution, and directly they entered the broad avenue at the end of which stands the old door of the school hall, the.' took the bits between their teeth' and'bolted. The coachman's efforts to contro 1 the hordes were not successful, and when about twenty yards fiom the brilliantly draped pavilion under which were the Royal seats the near wheeler swerved to the left, as if a'armed by the bright colorsfluttering in the breeze. Pulling its companion with him, the horse hauled the carriage smartly round towards one of the new blocks which the Prince was to declare open. The situation looked desperate, but a combination of orcum-tames saved the Koval carri age from disaster. In the first place, a tightly stretched rope broke the pace of [he animal, which crashed through it. A lime tree, whose scarred bark bears testimony to its staunch resistance to the weight of the runaways, stood in the path selected by the in their flight, and as there was not sufficient room for their to turn between the irces, one horse went to the left of the tree from [he end of the avenue, and the other to the right. They were- thu-. brought up, and half a dozen police .men were at thej r h<a f |s in an instant to prevent an attempt to take a fresh line of retreat from the noise of the street.

Th<ur Royal were ralm and smiled a* Oi'T ualk»-d past th<» rmptv dais, whereon cht*y wop l to haw been received with duo ceremonial by the chief officers of the citw