The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-14
THE FIRE ENGINE IN NOTION


Its PP0gress Through Crowded
streets with Horses Galioping.
The fro engine appears to get through
somehow. A man might travel the streets
Of tho city many day and never see one
blocked, even in the most crowded streets.
Drivers get out Of the way 10 give the en-.
CINE a clear track, and the police help In
clearing the way, and then the driver OF
the engine himself, though he, is hauling
a load of five TONS more or less, Is man
that can get there II there is any room left
for him at all.
Here was fire engine coming along q
busy cross street toward Broadway on tho
way to fire. the horses OH the gallop and
the whistle sounding frequently. Broad
way was simply packed full, as was also,
apparently, the cross street. The space at
the intersection was filled from corner to
corner In every direction with slowly NOV
ing teams sitting past ono another and
moving on their way with the help now
and then Of the policeman stationed there,
and 1t didn't seem possible that any horse
whatever besides those already there could
find room to set hoof except at the gait
the rest were going, much less to pass
through at gallop. But the engine kept
coming, its whistle sounding with tho
note 1t gives when the engine Is moving
rapidly, and In moment man who had
halted on far corner, as others had done
around here and there, to SEQ the engine
said:
Here she comes, with three horsesl"
And 80 she did, with three horses on a
dead gallop and the big engine shining
behind, and then something happened. 1t
seemed as II the engine rolled the teams
back as 1t came along the cross street,
something as q boat might roll water back
from its bows. But it didn't seem as
though 1t could get across Broadway faster
than walk, even with the friendly help
of every driver and of the policeman be-
sides. Nevertheless the engine kept COM
ing all the same, and in half minute 1t
was seen that 1t was going to do some-
thing more complicated still than going
straight across. 1t was going to turn the
corner into Broadway, and this was done
on the jump.
How the policeman know tho engine
wanted to turn into Broadway was not
apparent to the casual observer. Perhaps
the engineer told him with the whistle;
maybe the fireman running ahead point
cd, but the policeman knew 1t somehow
rods before the engine got to the corner.
Tho policeman at the northeast corner
hustled the toam going east along the
cross street out Of the way, at the same
time holding up the men who were COM
ing north on Broadway. He also held up
warning finger to two teams coming
from the west. He had here in moment,
in the simplest manner, made a clear space
around the corner, with room enough for
the engine to swing around. At this in
slant driver coming from the west and
going east drove out from the banked up
teams on that side into that inviting open
space. 1t was like somebody running out
into the open spaeo in front Of the line at
parade. He didn't do any harm. The
policeman had his horse by the bride and
sheered of out Of tho way in, very short
order, and then that space was clear again,
and hero the engine did come, with three
horses, whirling around the corner and
up Broadway on the dead JUMP.
yorl Gun