The New York herald., 1871-01-15
HORSE NOTES.
The Fire Engine Horses sf the New Yevk
Fire Deparsneue.

uOnoG W. 10.
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The Fire Engine Horses Of the New Ysvk
Fire Dcparsness.
Relieving IN the fable, Hephastos, or Vulcan, the
neurological god OF fire. was not more Of wonder
than IN the New York Fire Departments OF today IN
its PERFECTION and entirety, ana propose 70 give
brief description OF recent morning visit among
the engine houses, made more particularly 20 note
the wonderful sagacity anu intelligence OF tie
horses belonging TO the department., and 70 show to
what degree instinct may be developed.
In company with Fire Commissioner James Cal
way we started for Engine House No. IL, Captain
Erlacher, located IN Wooster street, to see the
naOdms Operandt Of receiving and obeylng an
alarm. Arrived, we visited the stables, To-
Gated In the rear OF the building. Here
we found tom" and "Pat," bay team,
used on the engine, and "Jim.n gray, the tender
horses they all stood with harness on IN clean
stalls. and showed good care and grooming Com
missioner Galway signined his wish TO have an
alarm sounded. aud Captain Erlacher, after giving
a few orders, signined his readiness TO proceed.
Timing watch In hand, the Commissioner took his
place near the gong; for brief space an was ST.
ence, then The gong ran out, and insrantaneously,
without o word being spoken, the horses Of Their
own accord rushed from their stalls. With ears laid
back and eyes naslnng fire the bay team "rsm" ana
'Pat' came across the floor on dead run and ar
ranged themselves alongside OF The engine pole, aAd
.Jnn' threw himself headlong between The shaIt Is
OF the tender simultaneously with the striking Of the
gong the men precpitated themselves Ia manner
and way only known to themselves from the rooms
above, and, TO use q seaman's phrase, In s.jiny'
the horses wcrc hitched the driver seated aud
the Captain sung out "All ready.n We looked 1t the
commissioners watch and found II had taken
exacuy seventeen seconds. Hook and Ladder Com.
Street was next visited The horses, Bill and Dick
are pair OF sixteen ana half hand grays, one OF
them five year old and not long in the Sci vice OF
came numbering over the moor anu TOOK their sta
tons ready to be attached to the heavy carriage,
piled. "All ready'' was shouted, and re-
ference to Commissioner Galway's watch showed
that eleven and hall seconds only mad
hospital oil the department, located at 1879 Chryse
street, was next MADE. where the sick horses are
well cared Tor by the veterinary surgeon OF the
force, DIR. Burns, who has an envlable reputation
for skin In his branch or business. Only two horses
belonging to the department have been lost during
the year, and most OF the stock has been on duty
since Its organization The foregoing Is only
an arm Of re the a Seng ane We
trained and seeming to enjoy the excitement Of a
run as well as ever the members OF the old volunteer
force did. In conclusion New Workers have many
things to be proud of and among them not the least
Is their Fire department and ITS horses.
Horses on the Road.
The last few days have been so temperate and
like hardness, have sofened very materially making
the driving good. Road men have taken advantage
OF this, and plenty OF speeding has been INDUCED IN
by all who own trOtters Captain Jake Vanderbilt
has come up from staten Island with his fast team
OF blacks, ana, with his usual indomlIabe pluck,
allows no one to show HIM the way down the lane.
Ex-Sherin O'Brlen has got new tean and nne
aad fast one. Ioo-a black and gray-ihat he shows
great speed with. Charles Carlnan has got O
roam and brown thai he gets a terrific gait out
OF; and Dan Mace shoots up the road be-
hind Little Dan and q brown horse, very
fast and stylish, that Is suspected Of being
dark one.' Hickok and Alexander Patterson
have riding behind Edna, the 2:2a roam, and a
bay mate, but knowing they have speed jog along
Turnbull with his nay team, enjoys his rides III
| rational manner, and Commodore Vanderbilt, with
his top up, sits costly behind that team of s0rrels
Jay Gould, forgetting the cares aud Of the
Erie Railroad, is shaking up the little bay mares
his afternoon drive behind that slashing gelding.
Prince OF Wales, who is long striding one and .
on Of Being an mex excellent Judge OF norseesh. Mr.
| Starin, with that fast bay gelding was after
| a black team, but owing to the crowded
not liking to take the chances stayed there
all the way TO The Dam bridge. Wm II. Harbeck
par attached TO a fine wagon. j. H. Harbeck. Jr.,
| had black that Is known to be fast. Harry Har-
beck consulted his speedy fouryear-od Windermere,
and found he ready TO CO. 'ssa1led in" with q
rush. J. z. Laws, forgetting the cares Of large
down town business .et 60 the head'' oil his white
footed gelding and shot ahead. OF the crowd. G. N.
Ferguson always has good team, and, with a
brown and gray that were no exception. showed
how they could get away II called on Alex Howe
Still sticks TO his well known black mare, who has
all the virtues tnat horse can nave. Wm Ii. Brown
looked sly behind that ratter OF his, the Western
splendid team with the whip. and ranged along
side OF number Of teams, but found no one
to stay with him long. William Olllne, seated
behind hts glossy team OF blacks looked happy as q
lord. The great double team driver. Frank Fergu-
son, drove the splendid gelding Meramora with a
gray mare for q mate. They went as though they
were scared. Mr.. Ridabock, In a dignifed manner
held the relns over that well known and well liked
brown gelding Quaker, the hero OF some fast races
a lew years back. Dun WaltOn's tall form con-
looking every inch like trotters. William Humphreys
drove that line team OF thoroughbred ones, attached
TO beautiful top wagon. The whole establishment
Is credit 10 Its owner. Robert Browns gray,
Name, was going well ami strong, his owner letting
all the small fry alone and only noticing the real
tfofters. This horse has record low IN tile thlr-
ties. A. II. Pnyfe, with his iavorite colt Venus,
showed what speedy youngsters are coming on the
carpet 10 contest the palm opvlctOry with the old
ones Joe Benefits big Long Islander came down
the road attached to wagon Weighing 4S3 pounds,
and showed good step. Joe Is great Judge OF
hor@es, watches and steam engines. Mr.. Vlgelin's
team, Juno and mate looked we and speeded fast
recently on the ruad and number OF gentlemen
have been seriously injured.
We omitted IN our Inst OF horses that have beaten
1880 IN harness the Widow Macree whs trotted a
sheat In 2.2g over The Union IN race against Frank
4 pie and Putnam.
C0tRSE Or EMPIRE.