Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-31
THREE DOZEN DEATHS
of Unclaimed CANNES at the Ruch'S
Hill Pound Last Night
DROWNED IN A DEEP WATER TANK
The Affair Passes OF Without Break and
ALI Are Satisfied.
INCIDENTS OF A DAY INTHE TWO CITIES

|
tions complete, and the affair passed off
without any irregularity. In fact, the unli-
censed canine without an owner leaves the
world in O much easier manner than the
murderers of men who pass away by the
hempen or electrical route.
To be plunged into six feet of water with
ont time to even howl is to all appearances
decidedly preferable to wandering half
starved about the streets of great city,
kicked cuffed and beaten until existence is
not worth the effort of breathing. At any
rate the dogs who died last night seemed to
think So tor not one of them entered an OBJ
lection.
Up on Ruch's Hill stands q neat, new
structure 100 feet long by 20 in width. 1t is
here that the uncared-for ours meet their
DOOM The building stands in the center of
| a tract of pasture land where worn-out horse
flesh of the Public Safety Department is
turned loose to recuperate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE POUND.
1t Is plain board affair, constructed ex-
pressly for the purpose to which it is de-
| voted. A pair Of huge doors take up one
end aud through their glazed panels admit
sufficient light for the inmates to find their
food. But the interior is by far the most in
| teresting part of the place. Along each side
| is Il double row of cages, constructed or
| stout wooden bars ana eacn PROVIDED WIFI b
| stout iron latch.
There are accommodations for 100 dogs,
| which is considered amply sufficient, since
| once day half OF the captives go under the
pair of trap doors cover the death-dealing
machine, consisting of tank and a cage.
The tank is made OF thick boiler iron.
Il is. six feet deep and five in
circular cage of heavy wire with two doors
| opposite each other. Above this, fastened
securely to a beam, is the pulley through
| which the rope holding the cage Is passed.
| The rope goes through a "catch block" on
| the floor. BY this apparatus the cage is
| lowered or raised in or out of the tank at
| will The bottom of the tank rests on the
| ground, and from the outside can be emptted
| through a pipe in a few minutes.
A smooth road winds up the hill past the
building. making it easy for the dog patrol
wagon to reach the place and deposit Its
load. The whole place looks neat and prim,
| and is especially adapted to the care and
| killing of vagrant ours. In each OF the cages
is bright. new pan for water The ami ami
mails are given rations of meat twice day,
| and are well cared for.
ALL READY FOR THE FINISH.
At o'clock last night everything was
ready for the killing of a of the % dogs
| captured Tuesday. In addition to these
there were Ie poor ours whose owners had
voluntarily brought them to the pound to
| be killed Poundmaster Givens had all the
| cages marked with chalk, showing the day
| the occupants had been captured, and he
thus knew at a glance which ones were
| ready for death. About n dozen spectators
were admitted to witness the scene. Among
them were superintendent of Police Gamble
Weir, Inspector McAleese, Chief Clerk
| Crosby Gray, of the Department of Public
Safety. and Officer Glenn, who had charge
of the issuing OF licenses at Central station.
The tank WIS full of water and the cage
hung above it. Poundmaster Givens at the
word opened one of the cages and with
heavily-gloved hands dragged out a meek
looking, ,shaggy-haired dog, which he quickly
clapped into the cage. Then came another,
and so on until % frightened animals were
peering wistfully out between the wires.
Superintendent Weir said that was enough
for one time, so the door was fastened. The
cage was slowly lowered until the cold
water tricl1led oyer the trembling forms of
the doomed dogs. Then the men let
hairy backs floated up to its top. In an in-
stant cage and all were ont of sight. Not
one of the animals made Cry as they went
down. In the glare of q pair of torches held
down close to the water few air bubbles
were seen coming to the top, and then the
water was still.
THE FIRST EXECUTION OVER.
Give minutes up chilled out Superin-
tendent Weir, with his watch in hand, and
then the cage was drawn out. The doors
were opened and the limp carcasses were
tossed out into q wagon to be driven to the
Bakerstown schindery. Then the cage was
placed in position again and the ii dogs re-
manning we're soon under water. After
four minutes immersienl they were
hauled up, but one black cur
that had snapped viciously at the pound
master on being taken from its cage was
seen to be still breathing. So the whole lot
went back two minutes more, when all were
dead: Poundmaster Givens says hereafter
he will keep them all under ten minutes SO
as to be certain they are all dead
The dog-killing apparatus was generally
voted a success: Ali those who witnessed
last nights killings agreed that Pittsburg
now has a quick and humane method of dis
posing of its surplus canine population.
Coming down the hill, DR.. Crosby Gray ex-
planned how quickly drowning kills.
Every one of those dogs" said he "as
soon as they struck the water would open
their mouths and take in large amount Of
water The lungs, you know, cannot act
the water strikes them they become con-
gested and death follows speedily and al
most painlessly. In 10 cases out of 20 dogs
will die in two minutes. The animal that
lived tonight after being under four min
utes was one of the exceptions rarely met
with. The most tender-hearted person
could not but agree to the humanity of this
method"
VALUABLE DOGS NOT KILLED.
Superintendent Gamble Weir was asked
concerning the disposal of valuable dogs of
good blood, whose owners do not apply for
them.
81 have given orders to the poundmaster,"
said he, mot to kill any valuable
animals. After such ones arc kept
4S hours without the appearance OF an owner
they will be turned over to persons willing
to pay 30 cents a day for the time they were
kept at the pound and take out license for
them. But in all such cases the poundmaster
will take the name and address of the
person getting the dog. The latter
must agree that upon the appearance
of the owner at a later date, and the pay
ment OF all expenses incurred the dog shall
he turned over to him. The object of the
pound is not to destroy valuable animals,
but simply TO rid the city of horde of
worthless dogs whom nobody cares to lay
claim to-"
There are 40 dogs at the pound to be
drowned tonight unless called for. Tho
work of issuing licenses went on merrily
yesterday. Fifty-two were taken ut Central
police station.
4 valuable pug dog with collar and
license plate was picked up by the police on
the Southside yesterday. The plate is of
Series 4, No. 996. The owner can secure the
animal by applying at Central police sta
tion. Two leather collars with license
plates were also found. The plates are No.
l711, Series B, and No. 1850, Series j. Thirty
four dogs were captured yesterday.
Starting Up for Himself.
James Mulvehill, formerly cornerlnan at
Fifth avenue and Wood street, but recently