"Searchlight"
Source: LAFD Photo Album
Collection
Chief Lips and Searchlight
Circa 1905
"Searchlight," the fire chief's horse, began his fifteenth
year of service in the fire department Wednesday. He has
just returned from a long vacation, having been allowed a large
alfalfa field all to himself for the last two months. He
came back to the service as playful as a colt, although he is 23
years old.
Several changes in "good for the
service" have occurred in Searchlight's time, but there has
been no thought of a successor for the horse. According to
Chief Lips it will be for "the good of the service" to
keep him for 10 years longer.
This horse knows the boxes and their location
as well, if not better than any of the drivers in the
department.
"He knows some of the shortest cuts
through the down town district," says the chief, "and
he puts his knowledge into use at night when there in no danger
of a blockade. We'll start at top speed for a box in the
middle of the night when it is as black as ink. Suddenly
he will swerve into an alley of his own accord, run down it and
come out blocks nearer the fire than if we had gone
around. When I first started to drive him we used to
differ in our ideas of which was the right way to go, but I have
learned that if the old boy is close enough to the gong to hear
the number that it is best to let him have his own way. He
seems to have remembered every drive and all the tricks of the
trade, and is ready to put all his past experience under the old
chief into service at a second's notice."
A couple of days ago Searchlight had a tryout
with the fire department dispatch automobile while making a run
down Main street. The auto was a block in the lead at the
start, but the old veteran "speeded up" a little and passed it
within six blocks |
SEARCHLIGHT
His name was Searchlight and he was a beast of burden, but
like so many fire horses of his day, he served his masters
with honor and distinction.
In October of 1905 he started his 15th
year with the LAFD. He had just returned from a
vacation, having been allowed a large alfalfa field all to
himself for two months. The 23 year old sorrel was
described as being, "as playful as a colt" when
he got back to his job at the engine house.
Searchlight's duty was to pull the
Chief's buggy. He served several Chief Engineers in
this capacity, earning him the reputation as, "the
horse that was never beaten to a fire in his life."
Chief Engineer Walter Lips said of him,
"He knows some of the shortest routes through the
downtown district and he puts his knowledge into use at
night when it is as black as ink. Suddenly he will
swerve into an alley of his own accord, run down it and
come out blocks nearer the fire than if we had gone
around."
"When I first started to drive
him," remarked the Chief, "we use to differ in
our ideas of which was the best way to go, but I have
learned that if the old boy is close enough to the gong to
hear the number that it is best to let him go his own
way."
Searchlight lived through the
development of the automobile, but to his last days was
able to overtake and pass them if challenged. What a
horse! He deserves to be remembered.
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