Daily Republican., 1881-03-17
Getting Ready for fire I'm New
York


Engine Company "a, in Morton street
is said TO be the quickest in the world
Captain William Mclaughlin was found
Yesterday in his room on the second
aoor. He said, when asked how long il
took to hitch up; Excuse me, de,
cline to answer.
Whyf
Because you'd think me liar. Do
you know how 10 use stop watchl"
81 do"
The captain walked down stairs on
The first floor, where his men were
standing about in little groups. The
floor was as clean as could bs. Every
little bit of metal work on the engine
and tender was glistening like polish.
ed glass. Within fourteen feet of the
shaft Of the engine were two horses in
stalls, directly Leside the wheels Of the
apparatus. Formely the horses had to
run from the rear Of the building.
Twenty .four's horses are magnificent
animals. They are perfectly matched
eight-year.old grays, nearly fifteen
hands high, with clean tspering legs,
perfectly archsd necks, small heads
and frey eyes. Yesterday, when wait
ing for the stroke of the gong, ready to
jump forward under the harness, they
we're pictures OF animation. Their i'm.
mensJ strength and rigidity seemed to
melt away, and they becamess 1.-THE
and agile ss kittens, paving the floor,
throwing their beautiful heads high in
the air.
They know there's something in
the wind" mutterei the captain,
mighty clever beasts" The captain
handed q watch to the reporter saying:
THAT watch belongs TO Captain Eus.
tbs, the oarsman. 1t was used by Wm.
B. Curtis 10 time Courtney and HAnlan
at Washington. II registers an eighth
Of second. When strike the gong
you push that little knob. When the
driver shouts Ready" you push that
one. If you hear click or see any
part of tue outfit unclasped, don't stop
the watch until it's remedied. | am
going to hitch up ten times"
The reporter stepped within a little
iuclosurs on a line with the end Of the
pole. The harness, already attached
to the engine, was suspended by sys-
tenn of pulleys over the places where
the horses were to stand. The collars
we're hinged at tha top, but wsre open
at the bottom, aud they hung like a
pair of open scissors. When tue hor-
sss neck is beneath this collar it is only
necessary to let it drop and close II
around his neck, whenlt clasps sutom.
atically. With the sams movement
the rsins are claspsd to the bit, which
the horse always has in his mouth,
and as the whole harness falls upon
the animal, at the clasp Of the COLLAR
ne stands completely harneSssd.
The captain approached the gong,
The fireman were all on the floor. rne
horses were on the alert.
"Clang!'
The watch was started; the horses,
whose halteTs Wers unhitchsd by The
same current Of electricity that rang
the bell, leapsd forward, and stood
like rocks under the harness, with
their necks held up ready for the collars,
which two tiremsn sprang forward and
seized. There was quick click, click
the driver vaultsd iuto his scat, seized
the reins, ard shouted "R lady"
The watch was stopped, The horses
were examined, and found to be perfect
ly harnesssd and ready to start. The
captain asked the reportsr:
"HOw much"
cone second and tiyeeighths."
"It I'd said that Ia been called a
liar" said the captain.
The horses were released. They ran
back again to their stalls and wers hal
tered. There was another trial, and
the team was hitched and hsrnessed in
,ne and one half seconds. This made
the captain smile. The time occupied
by each Of the other eight trials was ex.
pressed in seconds, as follows; ,, ,,
rs, 2, l ! s and l2.-New York
Sun,