Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-18
FINE FIRE HORSES
Those Attached to Local De-
partment
SELECTED WITH CARE
ASSISTANT CHIEF WAGNER'S
TALK OF THEM.
Speed the First Consideration-Intel
gence and Aptitude-The Prize
Truck Company's Team.

If there IS one feature above another of
city life which is inspiring to the residents
of the great beehives of urban population,
it is the sight of piece of fire-fghtng APP
paratus drawn by big, strong, straining,
galloping horses dashing down the street
on a dead run in response to an alarm of
fire.
Persons who will stop their work for no
other cause will pause a moment and go
to the window to see her go by while TO
those on the street the warning shouts of
policemen, the hurry and skurry of We
hicles to draw out of the way, the hasty
stopping of the electric cars, the acceler-
ated jump of pedestrians to reach the side
walk, and the general excitement, hustle
and movement incident to clearing a pas
sageway for the five tons of highly pol
ished steel and nickel with a cloud of
black smoke trailing in IT, wake. make the
eye of the old sparkle wtI renewed ami
nation and the young with unfeigned and
expressive delight.
While the fire apparatus itself comes in
for its full share of public admiration, and
the firemen clinging to the big trucks and
the footboards of the engines like spiders
to trellis are given their quota of friendly
and approving glances, it is the horses that
attract the most attention, and it is upon
these fine, smooth coated, Well-matched. in
telligent animals that the eye fingers so
long as the apparatus they rapidly
pulling remains in sight.
Fine Fire Horses.
There is something about a fire horse
which at once distinguishes him from his
equine fellows. One need not look at the
fireman in uniform mounted the back
of one of a pair of these fine specimens of
horse flesh while they are being exercised
upon and down the street in the vicinity
nf Tfa FNgriFz or hon IN lr1n W
they fire horses they speak for
themselves and in Washington. as in other
cities, every citizen is proud of his fire
department but especially of its horses,
without which its usefulness would be eX-
tremely limited.
These horses are all selected from spe-
cially segregated stock, and in Washing
ton they purchased through an agent
in Baltimore who makes speciality to Sc
lect picked horses for our fire department.
Chief Engineer Dutton is especially inter-
ested in securing the best horses that may
be found to be adapted to the trying work
which is expected of them, and the inspec-
ton. trial and final selection of the ami
mails is delegated to Assistant Chief Wag
ner.
In discussing our fire horses with Star
man this morning Mr.. Wagner said:
THE average service life of fire
horses is about three years. Our horses
are designated by numbers on the official
register. but each horse has, of course. a
name by which he is known in the house
in which he is attached. There are about
$50 horses in the department. each piece
of apparatus has a reserve horse in the
house and our horses cost us about s245
each, We limiting the initial price paid to
$50
mo doubt the residents of Washington
often ask what becomes of the old fire
horses. We turn over to the property clerk
of the District horses which have become
lncapacitated for fire duty. He distributes
them among the different departments of
The District such the engineer
street cleaning and other departments, oc-
casiOnally some going to the police de-
partment and others To the jail and work
house officials, where they are put 10 va
rious services. This accounts for the fine
lot of horses TO be seen in Washington at
tached to the wagons of the departments in
question. These horses are all good for
what We call slow service which means
about any kind Of service except fire serv-
ice, which is extremely rapid. The Dis
trict, therefore,. obtains a lot of excellent
horses through the fire department.
Their Intelligence and Aptitude.
THE Washington fire department goes
IN for speed and not for size in the selection
Of its horses. Our streets are such tina.
We can make better speed to a fire than in
most cities. and we want and try to secure
runners and not the big, chunky horses to be
seen in some cities. A short-legged horse
Is not a good runner, so in the event of ii
fire our people may rest content in the
thought that the horses that are in front
OF the fire apparatus on its way to extin-
guish the flames are speedy and as game
horses as the money allowed can buy and
good judgment determine.
Our horses when selected are not less
than five nor over nine years. not over sew
enteen hands high nor over 500 pounds in
weight We take horses of any good solid
color. such as bay. brown. chestnut or gray
Out not black, All are well broken to har-