The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-01-13
How They Work

Some weeks ago We published an account
of the burning of the barn of Mr. James c.
/ Lee, near Thomas Run, and mentioned the
! fact that all of Mr.. Lees cattle which were
| fastened 10y the Walters patent fasteners
were released at the last moment and saved.
! Soon afterwards Mr.. Lee received Il letter
| from the manufacturer of the fasteners asking
for some p rticulars of the fire and sent the
following answer, which we publish for the
benefit OF our readers who are interested il /,
secure method of fastening their live stock
which will at the same time permit their
speedy release in an emergency:
THOMAS Rus Z. o. Hartford Co. Md,
December 18th, 1892.
M Geo,gc Jackson NqpIcton, L,dianu:
DEAR SIR: TO YOUR inquiries regarding
my recent experiences with the use of the
"NattcIs' Cattle Fasteners | reply with
much pleasure.
/ have had about thirty of these fasteners
in my stables for some ten or twelve Years, i'll
continuous Use, and have never noticed the
slightest particular in which they failed to
perform everything for which they in
tended.
On the night Of the 2d instant my barn
with its entire contents was DESTROYED by fire,
except the most of my live stock. At that
time had hot commenced to stable my cat
tie regularly, and therefore only three cows
and pair Of oxen were in the stables of
these the three COWS and one OK were secured
with the Walters Fasteners, the other OK
with an ordinary neck chain and + {; all stood
side by side; the OK with the ordinary chain
being nearest the door. The four animals Sc
cured with the Walters Fasteners were all
saved. The other was burned up.
The test thus afforded of the fire escape"
features of Your fasteners was about severe
could have been devised. The fire broke
out after eleven O'Clock at night when every
body about the place was sound asleep, until
awakened 10y the glare of the flames ; the fire
started on the inside of the barn and there
fore made no show from the outside, until it
burst through the roof and sides. The first
one To reach the spot was Il young coored
Ian, and the entire building was then in
flames. He first went to the horse stable and
succeeded i'll getting all the horses out with
out serious difficulty, after putting harness on
one OF them. by his time the fire was drop
ping down through into tn. cattle stables.
and when lie went to release the cattle, he
found the fire dropping from the roof and
sides all around the stable door and the litter
III the entry, fronting the cattle, on ii re. 1t
WAS just possible to reach the door, but i'm
possible To stay there any length of time. lie
spraug to the door and threw it open, then
pulled the lever and jumped back out OF the
heat and danger-this was all he could do. in
fact. We did not know until the next day
how many of the cattle got ont. To have at
tempted to release these cattle by any meth
cd less expeditions than that afforded by
these fasteners would have been not only use
less but very dangero >.
All the cattle secured by your fasteners
were released aid saved. feel sure that if
all my stalls. which are supplied with these
fasteners had been occupied at the time, that
all the cattle would have been saved just as
the four were.
This brief description of some Of the cir
cumstances of my fire is the best answer | can
give to your questions. All the saving that
was done was accomplished by one boy be
fore any assistance arrived.
do not think these fasteners should super
sede Il reasonable insurance, but they certain
ly supplement it in very satisfactory way.
Yours, very truly, ETC.,
JAMES C. LEE