The Washington times., 1917-02-26
Most Valued Member OF Har.
bor Squad Loses Hearing
and Sight.
HAS MADE MANY RESCUES
Once Swan He'll Gate With
Line in Teeth to Pull
Boat OFF Rocks.

NEW YORK. Feb. 2e.-Nero, mascot
OF the Station B harbor police for
twelve OF his sixteen years as a dog
the men insist he's a real man at
hearts no longer able to perform
service for the city. His hearing, once
most acute, is gone and the COM
mands which in the olden days he
loved so well to obey mean nothing
to him now. His eyesIght has almost
failed and the big forms that lean
over and pat his head are to him
simply dog memories.
The fact that the DAYS Of their faith
full companion and fellow worker are
numbered-Nero is slowly but surely
passing out-has filled the men Of
Harbor B with keenest sorrow and
they almost wish he had died, as
brave policemen sometimes die, while
showing the best that was in him
one of the many times when the odds
were against him.
Never MIssed q Roll Call:
Nero u the property Of Lieut.. Fred
erick ]. Mott. in charge of the boiler
squad at police headquarters, but all
the boys of Harbor 3 claim him. When
he was first taken to the station. then
on the Manhattan side OF the Harlem
it is now on RandaIrs Island
Nero fitted right into the scheme of
routine things. He seemed to know
there was serious business on hand
and the next day, found him stand
ing in lire at roll call with the men.
al II,
tail. He never missed a roll call un-
I'll his infirmities got the better OF
him. AS soon as this formal cere-
mony was over the dog invariably
made tour of the station, apparently
to see that everything was all right
and then took up position in front
of the desk. The regular harboI
corps called IL standing on guard.
Whenever in the early days the
squad was called out to stem disorder
among excursionists on steamboats,
that left East 12Oth street they al,
ways took Nero along with them. II
II was necessary to arrest trouble
some ones the offenders were lined
up in a row and the dog was told to
watch 'em." Woe be unto the fool
ish tough that attempted to wander
away! 1t Is said OF Nero that he new
tenant Mott,-"the dog on these occa-
sions could do the work OF four men,"
His Gallant Water Reteue.
A few years ago a launch went on
the rocks OF He'll Gate and a hurry
call was sent to Harbor B. The tide
was running fatt and the police boat
was unable to get nearer than 100
feet to the launch with ITS badly
frightened passengers. A small line
was placed in Nero's mouth and he
was dropped overheard with the in
junction to swim for it." He made
straight for the launch. and after buf-
feting the swift tide and swirling
currents for nearly half an hour SUE
.ceeded in reaching those in distress.
II was an easy matter then to sub
stitute a hawser for the rope and tow
the launch off the rocks.
On another occasion a drunken
man slipped off a pier at the foot OF
East 120th street and Nero. without
waiting for orders, jumped after him.
He was holding up the derelict by the
collar when some men on the pier
went to his aid and finished the job
OF pulling the .inebriste out. Nero
simply wagged his tail and scamper-
ed back to the station.
Dog with A Human Soul.
Before he began. to lose his eye
sight the faithful cop dog made
practice of swimming across the Har-
lem to Randalrs Island for his dinner
every noon, after which he would
swim back. One day he was seen TO
disappear under a barge in tow OF
tug, and the men on shore thought
he was gone. but a minute later he
came up on the other side OF the
barge as IL nothing unusual had hap
pened.
81 have known many dogs" Lieu
tenant wettlaufer said yesterday.
but Nero is the king Of them all.
] sometimes think he has human
soul. He could do everything but
talk. We all regret to see him 60"
The men OF Harbor B are doing all
they can for Nero, but everybody can
understand why Lieutenant Mott goes
over to Randalrs Island every Few
days to see II there isn't something
more he do for his friend.