The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-27
4 BRAVE AND FAIrHFuL DoG.
Rousing the Guests of a Burning Hotel and
Leading Them to Satisfy.
clean IN. Y Special

AeduiHB AHcLn W SsnSys
Olean IN. " Special
The large Newfoundland dog ssHeck belong
ing to the St Elmo Hotel, in the neghboring oil
town Of Eldred, Pa, was known throughout the
Northern oil field for its great strength and al
most human intelligence. The porter of the
hotel, kind hearted but incorporate person,
was an especial favorite with the dog The por-
ter small man, slept in little room back Of
the Office. The dog slept in the Office On Thurs
day night last the porter WAS drunk when he
went to bed, and soon fell into heavy sleep.
Some time IN the night he was awakened by the
loud barking Of Heck, who was jumping fran
tically on the porter's bed and seizng the pillow
with his teeth. The still drunken and drowsy
porter tried to make the dog go away, but the
animal persisted in his efforts, and it finally
drawned on the befuddled mind of the porter
that the house was on fire. His room was full of
smoke, and he could hear the cracking of the
flames. He sprang from bed but was still so
drunk that he fell to the floor. The faithful
dog at once seized him by the coat collar the
porter not having removed his clothing on going
to bed and dragged him out of the room and
half way to the outer door of the Office, when
the man succeeded in getting to his feet, and,
unlocking the door, staggered into the street.
The fire was rapidly spreading over the building
and the hotel was filed with guests, not one Of
whom had been aroused The dog no sooner
saw that his helpless friend was safe than he
dashed back into the house and ran barking
loudly upstairs. He first stopped at the door Of
his masters room, where he howled and
scratched at the door until the inmate was made
aware Of the danger, and hurried out of the
house, as there was no time to lose The dog
gave the alarm at every door, and in some in
stances conducted guests down the stairs to the
outer door, each one of these, however, being q
stranger in the house, which fact the dog seemed
to understand in looking out for their safety. All
about the house seemed to have lost their
heads in the excitement, and it is said that the
hotel dog alone preserved complete control of
himself, and alone took active measures to save
the inmates of the house. In and out of the
burning building he kept continually dashing
plotting some half dressed man or woman down
stairs only to at once return in search of Others
Once a lady with child in her arms tripped on
the stairs while hurrying out andfell to the bot
tom The child was thrown on the floor Of the
| hall some distance away. The woman regained
| her feet and staggered in dazed way out Of the
door leaving the child in the midst Of the smoke
| that was pouring from the office door. The
| brave dog saw the mishap, and jumping in
| through the smoke which was now becoming
almost impossible, and selling the child by its
/ night clothes, carried it safely out
| Notwithstanding this rescue the mishap that
! made it necessary led to the death Of the noble
animal The mother of the child on being re-
stored by the fresh air first became aware that
the child was not with her, aud crying out wild
| ly that ANNA was burning upin the house, I.
| made dashfor the building as if to rush through
| the flames to seek her child Heck had already
brought the little one out but it had not yet
been restored to its mother. The dog saw the
frantic rush of the mother toward the
burning building and heard her exclamation
| that some onewas burning up in the house, and
although the building was now mass of smoke
and flames inside and out, the dog sprang for
ward and, as q dozen hands seized the woman
4 and held her back from her insane attempt TO
| enter the house, disappeared with bound over
| the burning threshold The faithful animal
| never appeared again His remains were found
| in the ruins. There is no doubt in any ones
| mind that but for the intelligence and activity
| Of Heck" the fire in tho hotel would not have
been discovered in time for a single inmate to
have escaped from thex building with his life;
/ and that Tho noble animal understood from the
half-cfazed movements of the chiId's mother
that there was still another one IN danger, and
to rescue whom he gave his own life is accepted