Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-07
No Wonder Women Kissed
and Rugged Dog Romeo.
TWICE REsCUING A LADY.
The Almost Incredible Story of Compare
lively smaIlDog's Afection-Swept From
Two Roofs, He Plunges After and
Finally Saves His Mistress-His Friends
Are Myriad Now.
rrnoM A STAFF ooRRrspoNDrxr.,

JoHNSTowN, June GA large crowd of peo
pie attracted my attention about o'clock this
morning on Main street. On going closer
| noticed that number of men and womer
were surrounding dog and each and every
one of the crowd was anxious to lavish
attentions and endearing terms, which were
more appropriate to be bestowed upon favor
ite child, upon an animal.
Come here, Romeo, my noble old dog" said
one woman, 'give me kiss, there is dearr
'Ah, Romeop said another, sit was a pity
Johnstown had not more such noble creatures
| as you are, and there would not be SO many
people dead hNre nowI'
The dog, a beautiful water spaniel, whose fuI
was clipped so as to give him the appearance OF
miniature lion, stood as quiet and dignifed
among the people as if he understood each
word addressed to him, taking the evidences OF
appreciation as matters of course, which he
had every right to expect.
Soon understood what it all meant. Romeo
belonged to Mrs. G. F. Kress, of Washington
street. Johnstown. East Friday, the day the
iood-gates of the South Fork reservoir broke
loose, that lady went to the house of her sister,
Mrs. A. G. Kress, on Main street, taking the
dog with her.
Swept on, Yet Saved.
While there the awfully disastrous waters
came sweeping down upon them from Cone
maugh borough. SO that all the people in the
house were compelled to get onto the roof.
There were seven in the party, and Romeo
made a good eighth. But soon the terrible
waves and floating debris raised horrible havoc
with the building. Suddenly 2 big wave
knocked off her place of refuge and rapidly
floated along with the wild stream.
No one attempted to jump after her or make
flood had already dragged her beyond all
human reach. But Romeo, the ladys dog,
forgetful of his own danger, had apparently
been expecting what was coming. The waters
had no more than closed above the sinking
lady when the dog jumped after her, and when
her dress appeared again above the surface, he
Immediately grasped it between his teeth. 1t
was heavy burden for small dog, but the
devotion of the animal for his mistress seemed
to make him doubly strong.
Holding the dress in his mouth he gently but
firmly pushed her forward through the waters
toward frame house, which was still defying
efforts proved successful, and, in a few mo-
ments, Mrs Kress was able to lay hold of one
of the spars on the frame roof ahead and to
drag herself into comparative safety.
Second Noble Rescue.
But alasi it was only temporary safety. Even
before the woman han realized her es-
cape, the madding waters came mountain
nlgni IL seemeQs rusnlng against Ine
frame house. This time the building did not
withstand. With terrific crash the wooden
walls seemed to be bursting apart and once
more the woman and her dog were at the
mercy of the flood. The noble brute, however,
was not to be daunted. Again he clung to his
mistress very closely, not as if he were to res
cue her from a Tatery grave but as if his
own life depended upon her safety. Con-
stantly swimming by her side while she was
borne upon the current he contrived to keep
her head above water so as to prevent her
drowning For over half an hour the dog thus
battled with the fury of the waves for the
preservation of his mistress life.
But his noble, faithful endurance was at last
rewarded. He succeeded in steering his valued
burden toward Alma Hal, and here Mrs. Kress
was pulled out of the waters as she reached
the roof. Inconsistencies overcame her. and,
during all that time, Romeo, who (he's entitled
to the personal pronoun) thought the woman
dead barked and howled in the most frantic
manner. Only the returning breath Of Mrs.
Kress pacitied him, and he quietly lay down at
her feet.
This was the story cleaned from the people
surrounding the dog; and when called to see
Mrs. Kress afterward at her SISTERS home, she
verified 1t in every particular. Romeo comes
from Philadelphia, where a brother of Mrs.
Kress lives, who is now the possessor Of IL
water spaniels. HEINRICHS.