Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-23
HORSES FOR FIRES.
sgLEcTlNo AND TRAINING ANIMALS
FOR FIRE ENGINES.

NNNNiNFANNAf NAAfNff NNN AfANNN W
About Month J. Needed Tor Raw Re
crnits-Tbc Horse Plays ~ Important
Part at Every riro In uis city.
OF tho praise which has been showcrod
upon the Now York fire department for
tho excellence Of is system. the splendid
animals that haul the heavy engines and
trucks hayo their share ANY one who
has watched one Of the crack engine
companies tearing through tho street In
response 10 an alnrm cnunot have failed
TO notice how the horses strained every
muscle TO cover the distance as quickly
aa possible with scarcely a touch from
the drivers whip. Some Of tho horses
show an almost human Intelligence In
tho quickuess with which they respond
10 the alarms sounded by tho big gongs.
Nowhere can that DO seen better than
in the house Of Engine z, nt Chambers
aud Center streets, whore two horses. 10
and Charley, hold tho record for tho
quickest time in getting into harness.
Horses and mnu have to show on fro
qucnily for the benefit OF visitors. The
foreman sounds the gong In ono Of these
exhibitions but docs not release the
houc at once, as the regular alarm docs
by electrical apparatus. Tho two big
horses, whose stalls are on either side "
tho engine, atruin nt their haiiors and
jump Ia thoir elgcrncss 90 get tu thuir
pisces, Tho moment the foreman ro-
leases them by touching an electric hut
ton thoy spring forward and duck their
heads under the collars suspended with
the rest Of the harness from tho CELL
ing and ready 10 b. fastened about their
nucks.
Sometimes the foreman snaps tho col.
lar beforehand 20 test the intelligence Of
tho horses Thcn 10 aud Charley pol;s
their heads through the closed collars
aud struggle until they Get their headn
through them. AZ an actual alarm Of
iire the horses will start ON tho instant,
aud they vie with tho frcmon IN thcir
eugurncss 10 get 10 the fire.
A. IMPORTANT ANIMAL
II Is plain that the horo plays just ns
necessary u part Ia the autonomy of tho
iire department rs human member.
The moro intelligent the horse l. tho
| quicker the engine or truck which he 10
helping TO haul will be az the scene Of %
Ere. Horses That enter into tho spirit "
the work us heartily 49, tho fromcn arc al.
most invaluable. for ovory moment saved
frequently counts Tor much in saving
lifo and property II follows that tho
naining Of tho horses which nro added
eyory year 20 the department is us ina.
| nortant as the trimming of the fromrn,
who must learn to handlo tho hose. az
aud scaling ladder with cXpurtnc5g. ~.
though that brunch Of the service IA
heard Of seldom by the general public,
Chief Bonner gives II tho strictost otten-
ton. and the recruits IA horfolC "a hayo
TO go through an ordeal just ~ feycrrul
that which their human allies must IN
dcFgo.
The training stables IN West Ninety
ninth street are In quiet neighhorhood
and the now building Is used also as tho
departments horse hospital. Foreman
Joseph Shea, who Is also DR.. Shea, has
charge Of tho stables. Ilo was grad.
uatol as veterinary surgeon and has
been connected with the department foe
eleven years. His position IL one OF tho
most important ia tho department. Hc
looks after all tho sicl, horfes in tho
engine houses. and Is kept busy at tho
hospital with tho horscs laid up there.
He buys tho green horses for tho depart
meut, accepting thom only after they
have shown their ability 70 do tho wori.
required.
Tho commissioners allow 5000 for the
purchase OF each horse, and Dr.. Shea
makes his selection from the big punches
OF western horses IN the Bull's Head
market Ho always selects q horse OF
good size, generally blocky, with plenty
Of muscle. Tho horse that has speed and
trcngth in good proportion is tho horse
that DR., Shea is looking for constantly.
TRAINING SEw HORSES.
Thcra are 500 horses Ia active service
in tho department, and about fifty 70.
cruits have 10 be added each year. They
usually 90 mp to tho Ninoty.ninth stree,
stable on trial, half a dozen at u time
and DR.. Shea has n month IN which 10
accept or reject any one or all Of tho lot
In that timo he can tell whether tho
horse "a likely TO DO OF any value,
As soon as tho green horses arriy,
they arc housed comfortably In tho third
story OF tho stable. Three roolny hos
stalls are there, too. and their doors indi
cato hard usage. "Somo Of those green
horsci," ono Of tho stablomon said
don't seem to know anything else but
how to kick, and they do that with q
vengeance. All Of tho now recruits dc
not talto kindly 10 their now quarter.
and still less TO tho training. In tho
ground story tho green horse gets hi
first lesson. lie Is usually four or fiv,
years old aud barely broken TO harness
A part OF the story Is partitionod of fol
tender or hose cart, The customary
big fire gong is on tho wall, and all Of
tho alarms from Morrisania 20 th,
Battery are sounded. In stalls bogid,
tho tenders the raw recruits are broker
in, two at time. At first they mus
become accustomed TO tho sound OF III,
big gong. Most horses arc 80 confusol
by the changing that they are absolutely
intrnotable for awhile. Some never GO
accustomed TO tho noise, and these az,
rejected. In tho course OF "A day or tw,
the average recruit begins to understand
that It bears a very close relation to hi
movements. New York Sun.
Caro- OF Plants.
Care should DO exercised at this eof
aon OF the year not TO oyerwatcr YOU
| t,1auts ma yetyotuHon IL inrliupd IA l,n !,