Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-01-25
EDUCATING FIRE HORSES.
HOW THEY ARE TAUGHT IN THE
NEW YORK DEPARTMENT
Marvellous Speed Brought Out and
Great Things Accomplished in a
Few Seconds

re" ocCOnuS-
There are many interesting things in
New York, writes Foster Coates, in the
Brooklyn Citizen, but there are few
things more interesting than the school
from which fire horses are graduated.
1t is situated in the upper part Of New
York, and is under the management of
several veterans of the Fire Department
commanded by a we'll known veterinary
surgeon, who is practically principal of
the school,
This New York horse school has been
in operation since 1882, and in that
length of time has graduated some four
hundred horses. There are employed in
the fire service in New York nearly five
hundred horses. These supply the fifty
five engine houses of the city, the seven
teen hook and ladder companies, beside
the various water towers and wagons of
the chiefs of battalions, with motive
power. 1t is hard work, too. Horses,
no matter how strong and hardy, suiier
from it, despite the care that is taken of
them.
The horses are all picked, but they are
seldom of any use for fire work after
five years of service. They are selected
by experts from among the best horses
that are to be found at the Bulls Head
horse market, the chief horse market of
the United States. The horses selected
come mainly from the West. It requires
some skill to pick out horses for use In
the Fire Department. Big and clumsy
horses are of no use. But the horse
must be speedy and strong. The horses
high, weighing from 1900 to 1850 pounds,
RI CT
years. Younger horses are not strong
enough to drag heavy fire engines, and
older ones are too old to train.
AS soon as the horse is bought he is
sent to school, and DR.. Shea, who is in
charge of this institution, says that, in
his opinion, horses and boys are very
much alike, and must be managed in
very much the same manner. But DR..
Shea believes in kindness as means to
get control of his pupils and teach
them.
1t is marvellous how quickly these
yonng horses learn what is necessary for
them to know before they can be put to
work. The men who handle them know
their business thoroughly, and are in
love with it. Under their careful hand
ling the green horse understands his
whip is used in this school. The first
test is that which establishes the sound
ness of the animals wind. Then he is
put in his stall. He is led back ward
and forward to where the harness hangs
until he becomes used to the engine, and
until he also becomes accustomed to
ducking or lowering his head to get it
into the collar.
When he accomplishes his task we'll
he is given apples or candy or Jumps of
sugar, and is petted and made much of
He is next taught to rush to his place in
front of the engine at the clang of the
gong. When he becomes expert at this
his education is complete and he is ready
for serious work, and a week later can
run to fire as we'll asthe most thorough
going veteran.
There are always dozen horses being
put through their PAGES at this school,
which is constantly becoming more and
more of a necessity. These horses cost
about $500 each, and after their five
years they are disposed of to street
peddlers and cartmen for any sum from
$50 to $3.50. These horses are so well
taught that they never forget their train
ing, It is not an uncommon thing when
a fire engine dashes through the streets
of New York to see some dilapiGated
looking nag attached to some huckster's
wagon prick Up his ears and join in the
race to the scene of the fire. 1t is an old
and broken-down fire horse, who cannot
forget the stirring days when he helped
draw an engine. It is the same spirit
that led broken down hunters to Join in
the hunt at the sound of the cry of the
hounds.
There are some wonderful horses in the
New York Fire Departments, but the
champions are "Joe" and ''Charley,"
the splendid team that are attached to
Engine Company II, at Chambers street.
These were the prize winners at the
Words Fair, at the American Institute
in 1885, and they are still the champions.
They are the two most famous
scholars ever turned out from New
Yorks school. Joe is the champion of
champions, and he entertains many
visitors who come daily to admire his
intelligence. Joe is a roam. and hand
some one, too. His mate, Charley, is
bay, and this team can drag a heavy fire
engine over the ground faster than any
team in the United States. and probably
in the world. At the Worlds Fair,
when they won the medal which they
still hold, they were tried on a dash Of
% feet inches. They made three tests,
one at 10 in the morning, another at ,
in the afternoon. and yet an
other at 5 o'clock in the evening.
The time for the first dash was l 90 sec
onds, for the second p seconds and for
the last , seconds The intelligence of