A STREET SENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 17 April 1907, Page 2

A STREET SENSATION.

A COACH TEAM BOLTS. Another misfortune was yesterday added to the long iaue to" ill-luck that has icccnlly' overtaken Mr K (..miter, proprietor of the Vyailara-Nc.', I'lvai.m.n coach -cniile. Only ;t few weeks auo Mr Coulter was kicked by a lioise, and snlVered a broken leg. He ha> just come out of the hospital, and on .Monday again mounted the box. On Tuesday Mr das Barne.l was in charge of thi' coach from Wallara, and in New Plymouth, he stopped his team ! outside Mr W. Bedews shop ill Cpp.-r ' Devon street. Dismounting from uis seat, he left the two horses unattended whilst he went to Hie hack of th..' coach lo take out a parcel. Whilst thus engaged he noticed the coach I move slightly forwarn, and commenced to run round to stop the horses. dustt, at the moment, however, (hey bounded oil' as though startled and galloped right through the middle of .he town, people speedily making way for the rattling coach w'liich came down the cine at a great speed. Coining slightly into contact with Mr Sparkes' express, a band of the coach wheel llcw oil' but

no damage was done to the other ve- i hide. The pres.'iiee of mind of Mr i i'lOiii'vlielil previ'iilcd a serious suia-'i. , There were, as usual, several calls lined up on the stand in Kgmont street, and when Mr lloneylield saw the coach team i-hiiriiing iiown'l)i'V"ii street he knew m(uilivrly that the horses would turn into Kgmont strei.;, on their way to West's slabies, the Xcw Plymouth h'eadipiarlers of (he coach. Such a course would involve n collision with the two leading cabs, but by waving his arms and searing the bea'sts Mr lloneylield managed to turn them slightly from their course, although he was not successful in making them keep straight along i)ev)n street. Instead lliey dragged (lie coach on to the footpath on the corner, the vehicle bounding upwards as it struck the kerb, and catching against the arc gas lamp suspended from the verandiii. This was shattered and wrenched oil', and the glass thrown in all directions. The leani made straight for the door of Mi' H. IVarc's boot establishment. A young lady, Miss Moore, was standing in the doorway and just had lime to gel, behind the door itself, when one lijorsc and the pole rushed into the shop. Mi Deare, who was also standing at (he door, ipiickly got out of range. The oilier horse struck the wall with terrible impact, gauging out its left eye, and cutting its face severely. The force of the concussion dislodged some of the hoots bung in the shop, and some. *.f the iron brackets .supporting the, shelving were snapped oil'. Only one of the horses was damaged, the other being absolutely unhurt. The coach itself sull'ered but slightly, although at first it looked pretty badly injured, owing to (be fact that the impact loosened a nil nearly dislodged the cover. The kingbolt in the forocarriage was bent, but otherwise the collision with the Tierbirg and the verandah did not all'cct tli.i vehicle. The horses were quickly released from their awkward position, and taken to West's stables, whore Mr H. Taylor, a veterinary surgeon from Wailara, examined the injured animal. Tie found that the horse was sure to lose the sight of one eye. This same animal ran away once before, and, with a log 'of.' wood attached to him, cleared the thoroughfare. A hig crowd collected, attracted liy the rattle and the unusual sight of a coach under the verandah in front of town business premises. Gen- . oral sympathy is expressed with Mr i Coulter in his ilKuck.