Evening journal., 1898-06-13
PET OF THE FIREMEN.
HJacIs,' "a Chicago Fire Department
Dog, saves Lives by Giving
Warning of Danger.

Jack, the dog Of the Chicago fire de-
partment has endeared himself to the
men of the trucks and the engines by
many smart tricks, in some of which he
has shown more than ordinary canine
intelligence, but when "A few weeks ago
he saved the lives of the crews Of two
pieces of apparatus he built bond be-
tween himself and the men Of the blue
shirts that nothing but death will sever.
Jack is not exactly a home-loving dog.
He lives always in engine and truck
houses, but he stays in no single one OF
them; nor does he abide even in any
half dozen of them. North side, west
side, south side, he goes, all over town,
with absolute impartiality, lodging
with marshal or hose company OF patrol
or coal cart as fancy leads him.
Several weeks ago big downtown
fire had called out all the business dis
trict engines and most of them just
across tho river. At the third alarm
truck IA from the north side came tear
Ing over Wells street bridge and south
ward on Fifth avenue to change Its
quarters. At the samo time engine
company II. coming from west side
house, where IL had been on a change
of quarters. galloped eastward on Lake
street in response to the alarm. It's
hose cart was little IN advance Of It,
and as the pieces Of apparatus hap
pened to be timed collision between
the little hose cart and the ponderous
truck would have been inevitable at
Lake street and Fifth avenue but for
jack.
The dog had been visiting with en-
zine II , and, as was his custom, he raced
ahead of IL TO the fire. He was about a
block ahend of the hose cart when he
shot across Fifth avenue, a piebald
streak against the dirty perspective of
the pavement. The driver Of the truck.
then at South Water street, caught a
glimpse Of Jack and without the loss of
q second shot home his brakes and
| pulled back on the reins. But stopping
big truck. half running, half sliding,
| OF high speed in the smooth irons of a
railway track Is a thing for ten horses,
| not three. The huge machine shot
steadily forward, its speed scarcely
checked. Around the corner the hose
cart was coming at clattering gallop.
Neither driver could see or hear the
other apparatus, and but for the glimpse
that the truck driver caught of Jack
there would have been no warning Of
the danger.
This mans hard work on the relns
and brakes decreaJA1 the headway OF
the truck slightly byNtle time the cross
ing was reached and Mat single fact
saved the fremen's lSAs. The un-
warned hose cart was sNl galloping
heedlessly east when the big truck sud-
denly loomed omlnously across it's path
way. The driver of the cart was quick.
lie almost overturned his cart IN the
sharp swerve by which he fairly threw
his horse to the right. His left wheel
struck tho footboard OF the truck and
grated on it as the two machines
inmmed into Fifth avenue together
Had tho speed Of tho truck been greater
any such aversion OF collision would
have been impossible. As It was ths
lose cart brought up hard ngainst IN
elevated railway post. while the TRUCK
slid south under the structure. Several
lires were IN imminent danger every
minute until the two pieces Of appara.
t'Is separated.-Chicago Chronicle.