The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-06

Washington has several fire horses that
are not only urged on by the smell Of
smoke when responding to an alarm, but
have sense Of smell 50 delicate that
they give warnings to the fremen about
the station when a blaze is smouldering
and hasn't been discovered, according to
the fremen. These animals-seven OF
them-are tie horses at Truck House No.
3. Fourteenth street and Ohio avenue
northwest
A dispatch from London states that the
horses OF the departments in that city
are attracted By the glare from the fir
and when responding 10 an alarm, follow
the scent Of smoke like a hound fol-
lows the trail Of Il rabbit. English horses
are wonderfully well trained and have a
wonderful sense Of smell. Washington
/ horses, so claim their drivers. 90 them
one better by seeming the fire before it
breaks into "a big blaze and before the
alarm is sounded.
The horses at Truck House No.
sound the warnings by kicking against
/ their stalls. When the animals become
restless and do a good deal Of kicking the
/ firemen know that "A fire is smoldering
/ somewhere The blaze may never be dis
/ covered. L may be the starting Of a fire
] in some kitchen stove, but the horses are
never wrong, say the firemeu. Old jim
/ at No. s. is always the first 10 scent
/ smoke and trouble. He is known as the
/ fire barometer Of the Washington depart
ment. When he gets 10 kicking there is
I something doing, sure.
Tom Scents Smoke on the Way.
Tom, the middle horse in the team that
pulls the water tower Of No. 8. scents
/ smoke when going 10 q fire Frequently
/ when he catches the first Whit. even
when on the dead run. he throws his head
/ high IN the air whinnies and seems 70
/ tell his other two companions 20 work
harder than before.
Smoke does not attract some horses.
/ There are many in the department who
run to the fires simply because Of their
training. Others are urged on By the
/ changing Of the gongs, the commands OF
/ their masters, and the usual excitement
I which accompanies the sounding Of an
/ alarm of FIRE. Only a few are made am
( bilious by the smell of smoke. and as in
/ London, apparently trail the scent 10 the
scene OF the IRE. Old Tom is one OF the
/ latter class.
Chief Belt believes that the usual en-
/ ergy shown by the horses Of the fire de-
partment is due 10 their rigid training
and the ringing Of the bells behind them.
All Horses Acute SmeIlers.
/ Horses have wonderful sense Of smell
/ whether in the city OF country. WHers
/ bears are common a horse VIII smell one
\ for many rods. Unless he has been train
/ ed. he will become unmanageable and re-
/ fuse 10 be goaded toward the bear.
/ Fire and smoke. for some unexplained
! reason, have ii fascination for horses OF
/ all kinds often when stables are fred
/ the horses taken outside and liberated,
( they return 10 the blaze and are ere
mated as they stand in their stalls.
To prove that horses are able 20 dis
T tinguish the smell OF smoke, drivers OF
/ engines and trucks in Washington
say that frequently when responding
/ 10 alarms. they have noticed the horses
I lag. Many times il is because the alarm
[ was a false one. Similar examples are
I cited when the fires were small and did
not give out much smoke.