A TOUCHING SCENE.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume VIII, Issue 469, 19 February 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TOUCHING SCENE.

A , very pathetic incident wa,s witnessed by citizens of Brooklin, N.Y. The horses of engine 5 swung into I'ierrepont-street ia full gallop on the way to a five, and ;the tender came close behind drawu by two big grays- Turning into Hicks-street, one of the grays slipped on the asphalt pavement and fell, dragging.the other one .with him against a lamppost. The firemen were ail thrown to the jground, but none of them were hurt ;iseriously. With a thought first ,for the horses all hands jumped to .the big grays .struggling on the jpavement. Oi'.e was unhurt and it required only a moment to relieve the waggon of its load, drag it away and bring the animal to his feet. Not so the other big fellow When he was cleared of the wreckage he lifted his head and tried to rise to his knees. The effort evidently caused the splendid animal excruciating pain, for back went his head on the pavement and a faint whimmer of agony told ofthe suffering. Driver Dunsworth, who had been straining every nerve to get the horses out of their predicament, seemed to realise then for the first time that the gray was mortally hurt. The bystanders saw his face blanch as he knelt over the horse,, patting him and speaking reassuringly. The animal evidently recognised his friend, for his eyes opened. Then the driver sat down on the pavement and took the big horse's head on his knees. For an hour and a half by the watch the fireman sat and held the big gray's head, while the animal lay throbbing in agony, the perspiration oozing from its glossy coat. A telltale bunch on his spine told the story; his back was broken. The suffering of the fireman seemed hardly less poignant than that of the horse, as-Duns-worth bent over the animal, patting his neck and talking to him. For an hour and a half a crowd of Sunday promenaders and curious persons of the neighbourhood stood about and gazed at the dying horse and his friend. Many were obliged to turn away to hide their, tears. For an hour and a half the/aninml must suffer because he could not be killed until the department veterinary said he was mortally hurt. At last the surgeon arrived, and at 2.53 the animal's society officer shot^the horse and..put him out of his misery.