STAMPEDE OF HORSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23957, 4 November 1939, Page 9

STAMPEDE OF HORSES

CONFUSION AT ARMY CAMP MEN'S REMARKABLE ESCAPES (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY. Oct. 26. A stampede among 100 horses at a Light Horse Regiment’s camp at Wagga (New South Wales) resulted in about 15 of them being killed, and several soldiers being injured. One of the squadrons was watering its horses when the stampede occurred. The regiment is encamped in the Show Ground, which is enclosed by a galvanised iron fence, A number of ooys had climbed on the fence to watch the troops and their horses, and it was the noise they made on the iron fence in clambering up and down that first frightened some of the horses. Several of the animals became panic-stricken, and began to plunge and kick. The panic spread instantly to the rest of the squadron, and before the men in charge of the animals had time to catch them 100 fear-maddened horses were galloping and plunging in a wild stampede. Men were knocked down like ninepins. Raciilg in all directions, kicking and dashing themselves against their fellows, the frantic beasts tore down about 100 yards of fencing. They galloped madly along a road, some of them falling over gutters and other obstacles in their way. A number of them were killed outright, and others had to be destroyed. Other horses on their way to water also became frightened, and were kept under control with the greatest difficulty. Many of the men had remarkable escapes from death, and several were injured seriously enough to be admitted to hospital.