A Dangerous Ride on East Alder
A faulty carriage tug sparks a runaway horse, leaving a local family injured in the street.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In a bad runaway in East Alder street early this morning, Mrs. G. Hazlewood and her daughter, Gertie, were injured when their buggy overturned. The Hazlewood family was driving into town from their home east of the city in a rig pulled by a horse that had been in their family for years and was considered safe. While passing the old race track grounds, a tug dropped from its fastenings and struck the horse about the heels. The animal began plunging and kicking, overturning the buggy and throwing the occupants to the ground. Mrs. Hazlewood struck her head and shoulders, sustaining severe cuts and bruises; her arm was badly wrenched. Miss Gertie struck her hip violently against the iron tire of the buggy. Passersby took the injured women into nearby residences, where physicians dressed their hurts. They were later taken to their home east of the city.
“The animal began plunging and kicking, overturning the buggy and throwing the occupants to the ground.”
Accidents involving horse-drawn carriages were a routine yet terrifying part of 1903 transit. While we now worry about cars, the struggle to safely navigate the edges of the city from outlying rural properties remains a constant in Walla Walla's civic geography.
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