The Grit-advocate., 1905-03-03
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Pluck, Bomanoe
and Adventure.
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STOPS FIRE HORSES MAD RUN.

Q Q burning tenement in Cook
~ street. went Engine 11G,
~o~ Jim Leonard driving the
big. young grays of the engine, Captain
Marks of the SchOles street station and
Engineer Wolf with him. In front
numbered the truck wagon of Engine
Company 137, going SO slowly that
Leonard's racing team was upon it be-
fore the corner Of Manhattan avenue
was reached.
The grays were straining at the lines
until the leather was cutting into Leon
ards wrists. He saw there was no
stopping them in time to avoid crash
ing into the truck. AS truck and ell
gine whirled around the corner. Leon
ard made try at passing OH the right
hand side. He threw his weight
against the right line and the team
swerved so sharply that the engine
lurched like a ship in heavy sea.
That lurch and the yelling of hundreds
of excited persons in Manhattan ave
nue. who thought the engine was going
over, scared the young horses out of
all control.
They plunged towards the sidewalk
and then with n jerk and lunge that
snapped the strap which bound Leon
ard to the drivers seat and tore the
loops of the reins from his cut hands,
they dragged him forward headlons
over the front of the engine into the
street. They ran away out Manhattan
avenue. Marks and Wolf We're snapped
off as Leonard fell.
Marks picked himself up with the
breath Jared out of him and his
clothes in rags. AS the engine tender
turned the corner Marks swung on to
it. Wolf stayed behind to look after
Leonard. Two wheels of the engine
had passed over his body. He was
lying senselcss in the street.
Lam those horses" yelled Marks to
James Mathewson, the driver of the
tender. you've got to catch that team
before they kill somebody. Let 'em
out and drive like the devil was afte"
you"
Two blocks ahead the big grays were
swinging into their stride. the engine
reeling and jumping, sparks whirlinS
out of its smokestack, a long line of
black smoke trailing after. Wagons
lodged towards the curbs, their driv-
ers white and unnerved at the close
call. Pushcarts, deserted by terror
stricken vendors. We're smashed and
their burdens of odds and ends scat
tered. Ahead of the runaways as far
as one could see people We're scurry
ing to doorways, with here and there
a policeman shooing them like chick
ems. No policeman dared to grab for
the brides. 1t would have been sure
DEATH
/. MathHwson's horses were staid, sober
old Fellows, but they awoke to the
spirit of the race. Foot by foot they
ate up the distance between them and
the reeling engine. Eight blocks the
race lasted, but at Meserole street the
old horses of the tender We're neck and
neck with the crazy young grays.
Captain Marks, who had climbed to
the drivers seat OIL the tender. watched
his chance and jumped. He landed in
q heap on the seat of the engine. The
reins were dragging over the horses
rumps. Marks leaned forward and
caught them up. He is short man,
but as strong ms an OK. Every ounce
of strength he had he put into his
arms, trying to see-saw the team to a
stop.
He couldn't do it. and he took n long
chance. He leaped on to the back Of
the off horse, steadied himself and
yanked its mouth until the bit cut in.
Then he gripped its nostril until it
couldn't breathe and took all the run
out of it. With the off horse conquered
the rest was easy. When he climbed
off the engine his uniform was in
strips. His face was piastered with
mud and bleeding. His hands were
cut and burned from the friction of
the lines.
Several hundred persons wanted to
make a hero of him. He was too busy.
There was fire to be looked after.
He went on to that as fast as he could
drive.-New York Sun.
NERVE-RACKING MOMENTS.
A miss NAV be as good as q mile in