Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-24
Getting Ready for a Fire In 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
floor. He said, when asked how long it
took him to hitch up: Excuse me,
decline to state. Why? Because you'd
think me liar. Do you know how to
use stop watch"
II do"
The captain walked downstairs to the
first floor, where his men were standing
about in little groups. The floor was
as clean as could be- Every little bit
of metal work IN the engine and ten
der was glistening like polished glass.
Within fourteen feet from the head Of
the shaft Of the engine were
two. horses in stalls, directly beside
the wheels Of the apparatus. Formerly
the horses had to run from the rear of
the building. Twcnty-four's horses are
magnificent animals. They are perfectly
matched eight-year-old grays, nearly
fifteen hands high, with clean, tapering
legs, perfectly archcd necks, small
heads and fiery eyes. Yesterday, when
waiting for the stroke of the gong, ready
to Jump forward under the harness, they
were pictures OF animation. Their i'm
mcnse strength and rigidity seemed to
melt away, and they became as 1.-the and
agile rs kittens, paving tho floor. throw
ing their beautiful heads high in the
air.
They know there's something in the
wind, muttcrcd the captain mighty
clever beasts The captain handed a
watch to the reporter, saying: THAT
watch belongs to Captain Eustis, the
ua1man. 1t WAS used by William r.
Curtis TO time Courtney and Hanlan at
Washington. Ii registers an eighth of
a second. When | strike the gong, Won
push that little knob. When the driver
shouts Ready! you push that one. II
yon hear a click or see any part Of the
outfit unclaSped don't stop the watch
until It's rcmcdicd / am going to hitch
up ten times
The reporter stepped within little
inclosurc on line with the end of the
pole The harness, already attached to
the engine, WAS suspended by system
of pullcys over the places where the
horses We're to stand. Tho collars were
hinged az the top, but were open at the
bottom, and they hung like a pair Of
open scissors. When the horses neck
. is beneath this collar it is only necessary
I TO let it drop and close it around his
neck, when it clasps automatically.
With the same movement the rcins are
. claSPod to the hit. which the horse al
ways has in his mouth, and as the whole
harness falls upon the animal at the
clasp Of the collar he stands completely
harncy%cd.
The captain approached the gong.
The iiremcn were all on the floor. The
/ horses were on the alert.
"Clang!"
The watch was started; the horses,
/ whose halters were uuhitchod by the
same current OF electricity that rang the
/ bell, lcapcd forward. and stood like
/ rocks under the harness, with their nccks
held up ready for the collars, which two
/ fircmen sprang forward aud seized There
was n quick click, click. the driver yaultod
into his seat, seized the rcins, and
shouted Ready"
/ The watch was stopped. The horses
were examined, and found to bc perfectly
harncsscd and ready to start The
captain asked the reporter:
/ How muchy'
Gone second and fiyc-cighths"
"If I'd said that Id been called a
liar" said the captain.
The horses were released They ran
back again to their stalls and were
haltercd. There was another trial, and
the team was hitched and harnossed in
one 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: 2, 2, 2,
7-S, ., ~, rs and l.2.-Ner
! York SIM
4 Rival 10 Kerosene.