Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1913 — Mare Tries Suicide; Fire Tug Has Narrow Escape [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mare Tries Suicide; Fire Tug Has Narrow Escape

CLEVELAND, O. —A small, black, untamed mare, fresh from the •wilds of Arkansas, jumped in the river across from the life-saving station, after being unloaded from a box car at the foot of W. 9th street early the other morning. > In effecting the horse’s rescue the flretug Clevelander, struck a log which etove in a hole about a foot square on the starboard side below the water line, and the boat nearly sank before it could be tied up In a shallow spot in the Sycamore slip. ’ Hugh O’Neil, to whom the consignment of wild horses was made, received a kick in the stomach when he, together with Captain James Nimmo, of the Clevelander, three of his crew and Captain Hansen of the life-saving crew, attempted to lead the animal over the concrete plere to shore. When released from the car the animal broke away from the others and ran through the railroad yards, out past the freight houses on the river front to a point near the customs office and opposite the life saving station. Hesitating only a moment, she lumped to the ice and skated about ten or fifteen minutes, apparently enjoying the experience. The mare’s unfamiliarity with so large an ex-

panse of ice proved her undoing. She got near the edge and it broke, throwing her into the water. • The men on shore called for the firetug, which steamed down the river and broke a channel through the lee, from the horse to a concrete runway leading up to the life saving station. For an hour and fifteen minutes she swam about in the cold water, resting her nose on cakes of ice when tired. Considering that it was probably her first swimming lesson, and that under untoward conditions, she proved herself an Annette Kellerman among horses. She displayed an unreasonable desire to swim in the general direction of ’Canada. Having opened up a channel the crew of the tug lassoed her and towed her across. She walked up the runway and shook herself, seemingly grateful for being saved.