Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-08-10
FIRE HORSES.
Some Anecdotes Of the Intelligence and Endur
ance Of this Noble Brute.


when confagration occurs mus. be
intelligent, or otherwise they cannot
be taught to perform their duties
properly, and it would certainly be in
convenient to haze them vicious.
y fire horse weighs from twelve
hundred and fifty 10 sixteen hundred
pounds. He is apt to be grey in
color. He has broad forehead, a
bright intelligent eye, well-shaped
ears. and a general appearance OF
strength and nobleness. The best
traits of the horse, the traits which
make us love and respect him, are his
docility and his courage, and these
traits come out very strongly in fire
horses.
Horses, it is commonly said, and
truly, are excessively timid. But
yet, in spite OF this excessive timidity,
they have a certain kind of courage,
they have the capacity "to do or die"
that is, to exert their utmost
strength, in spite of pain and OF that
extreme weakness or exhaustion
which is fully the equivalent of pain.
Not all horses, OF course, have this
capacity. but most well,bred, highly
intelligent horses have it.
! The work of the fire horse is diff.
ferent from any other, and it requires
a peculiar combination Of qualities
The fire steed must be able to draw an
extremely heavy load at a smart gal.
lop. Engines with the men who ride
on them, usually weigh about eight
thousand pounds, or four tons. Some
are lighter and some are heavier, but
those which are heavier are drawn by
three horses abreast. Hose carts, or
wagons, usually weigh about half as
much as the engines. The weight
ordinary drawn by fire.horse there
fore is about two tons, hence the ami
NAL must have strength, be we'll
groomed and cared for, being careful
not to let him over.exert himself. 1t
is the eases thing in the world to ruin
horse that is fat and soft. If, in
that condition, he does any excessive
work, he is almost sure to become
broken-winded or lame.
Little by little, under careful man
agement, the fire.horsc loses his extra
weight. he works off the fat around his
heart, and acquires firm, hard mus
cles. Thus he becomes ready to gal
lop mile with the engine or hose.
wagon behind him.
There used to be in one fire station
a big brown horse with an immense
shoulder, strong, short legs and a
noble head and expression. He served
i'll the fire department for ten or
eleven years. His duty was to pull
the hose.wagon, and during tho last
few years of his life he was hard put
to it.
The hose.wagon follows the engine
to which it belongs, the engine leav-
ing the house first, and it is always .
point OF honor with the hose horse to
keep up with the engine horses. Now,
the engine which this old brown horse
followed-for he was seventeen years
OF age at the time-was drawn by a
remarkable pair of greys. They had
longer legs and longer necks than en-
gine horses usually have, showed more
breeding, and were great gallopers. To
keep up with them taxed the old
brown horse very severely, but he was
game to the core, and never fell be-
hind. Often when he pulled up at
the scene of the fire a few drops of
blood would trickle from his nostrils,
indicating the intense strain which he
had put upon himself.
At last, one cold day in Winter,
there came first, and then q second
alarm, but the fire was not within the
brown horses district, and SO he was
not compelled to 60 to it yet. Still,
in order TO be in readiness for the pos
sible third alarm, which calls out
every engine in the city, the brown
hOrse and his companions, the greys,
were harnessed to their respective ma
chimes, the drivers took their seats,
and the horses nervously champed
their bits, shook their neads and
paved the floor. Five minutes passed
thus, and the firemen were beginning
to feel easy, when the dreaded third
alarm rang out. The doors Of the
engine-house were thrown open and
out went the greys, furious at being
held 80 long in restraint. The streets
were comparatively clear, and the
engine horses struck a terrible pace.
They were young and strong, and
with their long necks and deep chests,
they we're able to maintain the gallop
without losing their wind. 1t was
hard task for the old brown horse,
struggling along behind them, they
were the tleetest pair in the whole de.
partment. But his spirit was so high
he would not give up. His ears were
laid back fiat on his head, his tail
quivered, gusts Of white breath like
steam came from his nostrils, which
we're as red as fire within, the sweat
started out all over him. The driver
endeavored to keep him back, seeing
that the horse was in great distress,