The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-16
FIRE HORSE FELL DEAD
ON WAY TO FIRE.
MethuseIah of Engine No. 3 Victim
of Heart Failure.


Under spectacular circumstances and
after long and hard run, Methuselah,
| one of the Oldest horses in the Savan-
nah fire department, dropped dead
yesterday morning on the wharves of
| the Ocean Steamship Company.
The heavy engine at the Central
Fire Station, with Driver Frank Kill
roy in the seat, was slowing up with
in twenty-five yards of a fire plug on
the wharves when Methuselah was
noticed TO be in distress. The run from
the fire station on Oglethorpe avenue
to the STEAMSHIP wharves is a long
one, but the three horses that dashed
ahead of the engine did not falter. Me-
thuselan was fairly beside himself as
he plunged forward on his last run,
anxious t, reach the point from where
the alarm was sounded, before closing
his eyes. The trip across the city
was made in less than five minutes.
The trio of painting and foaming
horses was being pulled up for the
water plug when Driver Kilroy noticed
the ears of Methuselah drop back. In
stinctively he threw on the brakes and
the big engine came to a sudden stop
some distance from the hydrant. The
middle horse staggered to one side and
then to the other and as Driver Kill
roy jumped from his seat the animal
quietly and gently let himself sink to
the wharf. When the driver reached
his head Methuselah was dead The
horse had made his last run, had
Fought death away until he had
dragged the heavy engine to where it
had been done, his duty had been per-
formed, and there was no struggle
against death.
The sudden death of the horse cast
a gloom over the men at the Central
Station. MethLsCIah went into service
at that station and was named and
trained by Driver Bob Glass, now at
tached to the chemical engine. The
name was given because the horse was
rather old when pui chased for the de-
partment. Driver Glass figures that
the animal was about Is years old.
Metnuselah went into service on the
morning of Feb. IS 1897, and on the
evening of that date answered his first
alarm. The men at the Central Sta
ton have the record, for the horse
made a splendid run. An actress at the
ScreVen House was curling her hair
with the aid of benZine lamp.
lare curtain became ignited and an
alarm was sounded from box 81. The
new horse did well on this run, and at
no time did the Iiremen have cause to
complain of the service he rendered.
Methuselah was kind and docile,
quick to learn and prompt to obey.
He served in several companies,
and could be worked right or left, or
in the middle harness. He is said to
have been of the PercherOn or French
Coach breed, and his loss will be keen
Ixy Sol ~ ~, No
cause is assigned for the animals
death. except heart failure.
Chief Mcguire, in speaking of the
death of the animal, said: 81 believe
the horse had heart failure. He had
often made longer and harder runs,
and had always stood them we'll 1t
is true he was getting along in years,
but we have horses in the department
much older than Methuselah was, who
are still doing excellent service.
Horses 1 believe, are as liable to heart
disease as human beings. A few years
ago one of the best horses in the serv-
ice fell dead in his stall at Central
| Station. $50
"Methuselah appeared to be perfect
| ly healthy and well when fed yesterday
morning, and made an excellent run
| in response to the lalarm. Sergt. Pow
| ell of the police force says that in
| four and one-half minutes after he
pulleu the DOA mo. was on Ln6
ground.
Fire horses have a hard life of it at
| times. They are carefully fed and
| groomed, but when an alarm comes
in they have their share of the hard
ships of fire duty to perform After
a short time in service they seem to
learn how much depends upon Them
and they strive their uttermost, pull
| ing up at a fire after a run, which
taxes them exceedingly, and it is no
wonder they some times fall dead aft
er such efforts.
Some horses last eight and ten
years in fire service, while others only
last from one to three years, though
the average life of a fire horse is six
years in this section, but we have
horses doing good service that are
known not to be less than 16 and IS
years of age. With the falls and
knocks and kicks from unruly mates, a
horses chance for a long life in the fire
department is lessened materially"
The fire was in the coal bunkers of
the British steamship Sandersen. The
| blazeS were discovered in their incip-
| iency and were extinguished before
much damage had been done The
alarm was sounded from Box 81, at
645 O'Clock, and the northern section
| of the department responded.