Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-03-25
Fire Horses.


Those who have seen fire horses
dash from their stalls TO an exact spot
where the suspended harness may be
dropped upon them and with few
deft manipulations fastened ready for
start, have little idea of the patient
and persistent effort required to train
the animals to promptly and unfail-
ingly do their part in securing the
one great point of dispatch.
1t is marvellous to some observers
to note the precision with which a
horse responds to an alarm, and, COM
ing from the stall on trot, stands
directly beneath the collar and traces
that they may be snapped on him in
less than ten seconds time. Then he
is ready at the drivers call to dash
out of the house and along the silent
or crowded streets, day or night, as
the time may be, until he has reached
the spot whence the alarm comes,
The raw" horses are bought from
the contractor at $50 each They
are taken on 80 days trial, and If
they cannot be taught in that time
they are returned. The green horse
when taken to the stables has not the
faintest idea of the terror in store for
him, and only realizes it when led IN
to large room and tied securely. 1t
is then that the employees of stables
with gongs, dishrans, etc, introduce
TO his horseship more noise in twenty
seconds than he ever heard IN all his
life before. When he RECEIVERS from
the shock of the terrible din and stops
kicking and prancing, he is led back
to his stall. The same amount of
noise is repeated the next day aud the
day after that until the horse disdain-
fully ignores all efforts to upset his
nervous system. After this he is
taught to come under the harness at
the sound of the gong and pull in sin-
gle and double harness an engine
truck, cart, engineers carriage aud
police patrol wagon. This is con-
tinued until the animal learns to do
thoroughly what is required of him.
1t usually takes bat ten days earnest
work on the part of the trainers to
break horse in.
Objection is often made 20 the pace
at which FIRE apparatus are drawn
through the street aud probably there
are those who would condemn as
waste of time the hours and days
spent in shortening to minimum the
period needed to get an engine under
way from the time an alarm sounds
in the engine-house The hremans
reasons in both cases is the axiom
that "more may be done in minutes
Just after FIRE has started than in
hours after it has gained headway.'
The horses which draw the engine,
tricks and carts seem to learn how
much depends upon them, and they
strive their utmost, pulling up at a
burning dwelling painting and almost
ready to fall after run which taxes
them exceedingly.
1t is hard life for the horses ar well
as for the Gremen, and the average life
Of horse in the service OF the depart
ment is four years Some only last six
months, others ten years. Some Of the
animals are even more fortunate than
this. There is at the city's stables at
Twelfth and Wharton streets a noble
old horse named Dad. He is "a years
old and has seen II years Of active
service and willingly pulls hose cart
to fires when the department is short
handed. The lot Of FIRE horse is not
a happy one. He is 30 carefully stalled
and gets into such good condition that
sharp changes in the weather plays
sad havoc with him. He has 10 rush
from a warm stall and plunge out into
the chill air OF winters night and
race along until be breaks into thor
ough perspiration. Obliged TO stand
at fire ground, with the icy wind
tapping blanket around his body, IT
ia DO wonder that he has 10 be taken
to the hospital to recover from heavy
cold, while, with falls, knocks and
kicks from uDruly mates, his chances
for long and happy life in the de-
partment are lessened materially
Philadelphia Ledger.