CHEERS ALARM HORSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18499, 8 September 1923, Page 11

CHEERS ALARM HORSES.

A DASH INTO CROWD. THIRTEEN PERSONS HURT. royal; procession -.marred. A distressing accident marred the visit of the Duke, and Duchess; o! York to the Royal Infirmary,. Liverpool, recently; to lay the foundation stone of a new nurses' home. Just as the 'Royal visitors were alighting at the entrance to the infirmary the horses, attached to a carriage belonging to Lord. Derby took fright at the cheering. They dashed into trie . spectators, seven children and six adults being injured. The .Duke. showed the greatestanxiety for the injured, and, with tho Duchess, insisted on visiting them in. the wards before leaving the building.' Some of the injured were knocked down by the horses; others. lost their footing in the wild stampede and were trampled on. Fortunately in the majority of cases they suffered only from bruises and cuts. Two, however, sustained broken limbs. The occupants of Lord Derby's carriage were Lady Catherine Mead, a LadyinWaiting, and Sir Benjamin Johnson, Hish Sheriff of Lancashire. The' whole affair occupied only i» tew seconds, and the horses we're pulled' up within three or four yards of the scene of the accident. Police officers dashed to the rescue, and in a very short time the injured people wore receiving attention. Am<ni2 the crowd stationed at,the spot was a large number of children, and these figured very heavily in the casualty list. Stretchers were hurriedly brought from the infirmary, and the most seriously injured taken into the building. The children were lifted up by the constables, who carried them into the nfirmaryin their arms. An eye-witness thus describes the scene:—" It was all over: in a flash.. The horses* were drawing the last carriage in tho procession, and the driver, it seemed to me, had his work' cut out to hold the animals in. " It was obvious that they frightented at tho .cheering. ' Just as tho Dukb got out of his carriage the crowd burst into rounds of. cheers. '"This thoroughly alarmed the horses, and they swerved and-bolted. The driver pulled with all his might at the reins, but lie «>uld riot stop the animals in time. 'The people at the end of the street vrere too intent on what was' happening at the infirmary steps .to . seo tbefr danger. A second later and the • horses had dashed into Dalby Street, and the men, women, and children standing there were being knocked down.like ninepins. They were not all thrown down bv the horses and carriage, for some were upset by people stampeding out of -tho way. • ° '