Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-09-26
A FAITHFUL DOG.

An Oeau IN. " special says The large
Newfoundland dog Heck, belonging to the
St. Elmo Hotel, in the neighboring oil town
of Eldred, Penn, was known throughout
the northern oil.field for its great strength
and almost human intelligence. The por-
ter ofthe hotel, kind hearted but intempe-
rate person, was an especial tavorlte with
the dog. The porter, a small man, slept in
a little room back of the office. The dog
slept in the Office On Thursday night last
the porter was very drunk when he went to
bed, and soon fell into q heavy sleep Some
time in the night he was awakened by the
loud barking of Heck, who was jumping
frantically on the porters bed and sezing
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 dawned 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 other 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 filled 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 bark
ing 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 instances conducted
the guests down stairs to the outer door,
each one of these, however, being strangers
in the house, which fact the dog seemed to
understand in looking out for their safety.
All the inmates of 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 IL lady with child in her arms trip
ped on the stairs while hurrying out and
fell to the bottom. The child was thrown
on the floor in the hall some distance away.
The woman regained her feet and staggered
in II daZed way out of the door, leaving
the child in the midst of the smoke that
was Douring from the Office door. The
brave dog saw the mishap, and, jumping in
through the smoke seized the child by its
night clothes and carried it safely out. Not
withstanding this rescue the mishap that
made it necessary led to the death of the
noble animal. The mother of the child, on
being restored by the fresh air, first became
aware that her child was not with her, and
crying out wildly that "Anna was burning
up in the house !" made dash for the
building as if 10 rush through the flames to
seek her child Heck had already brought
restored TO its mother. The dog saw the
frantic rush of the mother toward the burn
ing building, and heard her exclamation
that some one was burning up in the house,
ard altogether the building was now mass
of smoke and flames inside and out the dog
sprang forward, and, as dozen bands seized
the woman and held her back from her in
sane 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 the hotel would not have been
discovered in time for a single inmate to
have escaped from the building, and that
the noble animal understood from the half
crazed movements of the child's mother
that there was still another one in danger,
and to rescue whom he gave his own life, is
accepted as equally certain. The remains
of Heck were given q fitting burial, and his
loss is regretted as that of q useful citizen
might be-
SALT LAKE.-A bather can lie on the surface OF
Tho ,ater of the great Salt Lake without eXertion;