The Washington herald., 1908-03-08

New York, March lit does seem as
if misfortunes come not simgly but in
battalions TO the FIRE department.
Engine 80. the largest and the most
powerful steamer in the world, an
ll.ooo-Pound monster. was put out Of
commission this morning in collision
with an elevated railroad pillar Two
OF her fine bay horses. the pride Of the
entire department. were so badly in
Jured that IL was necessary 70 shoot
them. and Michael Corbett, the driver, is
IN Bellevue Hospital with a broken leg
and foot crushed all out Of shape
Corbett was in great pain to-day, but
thoughts OF his own misery were swaI-
lowed up in grief over The death Of his
TWO pet charges. Dick and Charlie. AID
the injury Of Big 80, which was among
engines in the fire department like
hipiins's 007 among locomotives. Only
tho other day man whom business
had taken To the headquarters Of 80. in
Great Jones street. found Corbett go
ing over the big polished stack on the
monster with clean rag as tenderly
as handling living thing.
Pond Of your engine asked the
visitor.
Fond OF her" replied the driver, as
he made the nickel shine; there never
was an engineer who thought more Of
his locomotive than 1 do Of 80 You
should see her ar work She's
wonder when il comes 10 pumping
She Just huns along without any ap-
parent effort. and is as good as three
OF the ordinary engines.
Bays DoEing in Their stalls.
The house Of % is also Chief Croker's
Headquarters in Great Jones street just
west Of the BOwery- Charlie. Dick. and
GeOrge~ the three bays. were doing IN
their stalls this morning and 80 was
doing nothing except exhibiting its
brilliantly polished face like dandy
posing, when the alarm tapped in from
q box at Eleventh street and Third
avenue The horses trotted out Of their
stalls to take their places in the shafts.
the men slid down the brass poles,
hustling into their coats as they took
their places, Capt John Rush started
rp Croker's automobile, the doors
swung open. and away went SO, with
the tender following close behind and
the chiefs red automobile little IN
advance
With COrbett strapped TO the seat.
Dick. George. and Charlie filling their
collars CALAMITY and Lieut. Conway on
the fire box with Engineer George
Trefser, SO swung into Bowery under
the elevated railroad structure. II was
the way they had often taken before
without accident They knew every
foot or IL Everything went well until
the triple hitch reached Seventh street.
where Charlie who was on the east
turned as II 10 go down that street
Corbett gave a strong pull on the
reins TO keep him In the beaten path
Charlie answered il, but in doing so
crashed head-0n into an elevated rail-
road pillar The big bulk OF the
engine. which had gained momentum in
the run. rolled against him in the rear.
Down went the horse with a thuup
and the fall broke the traces. The
accident 90 their mate. together with
the force Of the engine pushing behind.
set George and Dick rearing and pIung-
ing.
Plunge Into Iron Pillar.
COrbett is as clever a reinsman as
any driver in the department or he
would not have been selected 10 pilot
3S. but ne could do nothing with the
frightened animals. They pulled the
engine about thirty feet farther and
then Dick slammed into a pillar. This
time the driver was wedged fast be-
tween the seat and the pillar and S3's
brilliant cOuntenance was torn and
bruised
The second collision brought George
and Dick 10 their knees and more traces
were broken. Croker saw what had
happened and turned back in his auto
So did Battalion Chief Worth in his
buggy. They found that the lieutenant
and the engineer had been thrown OF.
but escaped injury. They We're at the
horses heads. speaking soothing words
TO them and trying 10 still them in the
way that all fremen employ toward
their horses
Corbett was unable 10 move. Fire
men and bystanders seized hold Of SIS
wheels until scores OF men were tug
ging ar her 10 back her from the pillar.
but the monster was too heavy
Croker got out OF his automobile TO
direct the work
For nsteen minutes vain efforts were
made 10 move 80 Then a northbound
Third avenue car appeared. A heavy
rope was passed from this 10 the
engine. and reversing his key the
motorman put on ali power. Slowly
90 yielded. and 1T length went grudg-
insiy along to a point from which Il
was possible 10 tow her back to head
quarters. All the time that he was
wedged fast COrbett never uttered a
word of complaint When he was
released an ambulance was called from
Bellevue Hospital and DR.. AIcNabe re-
moved him. He said he did rot think
il would be necessary to amputate Cor
Eetts leg.
Charlie was found struggling and
PROSTATE on the cObbIestones. Croker
examined him and found that he could
not be saved, so with much sorrow. for
he had known the three horses a long
time. he ordered Sergt Fogarty Of tbs
Fifth street station 10 shoot him.
FOgarty stood off a little way and
fred two shots Then Dick went The
same way and 33 engine company was
bereft