Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-11-09
AMAD ELEPHANT LOOSE IN THE STREETS

Great excitement was caused in Williamsburg, n Y
Friday morning by the escape OF enraged elephant
the largest exhibited Ia this country-irom Van
Amburghs menagerie The animal while In mad
&C. escaped once before at Harlem n y creating sad
havoc before he could be recapurd aud for some
past L keeper had been looking for retarn of the st
tack The SeR York Herald describes the unusual scene
~ follows
A man had been employed to bring some shayings to
the menagere, which were brought in awagon The
drove into the tent and while unloading his wagon the
elephant observed to grow restss the sight Of the
horse which had white blanket The aaaa was ad.
ssed to take hs horse away but before he could do
the elephant adgsncai few steps, and knocked the man
down with blow Oi hs trunk He seized the horse
by of his trunk and injured him seriously lie then
seized the wagon throsing il up 10 the air and breaking
il to pieces His anger fully aroused and pro-
ceedng the cage Of the prairie wolf he smssed with
his trunk. and released him. Next in his way the
cage of black bear. This cage demolished but the
bear wss chained up and could not cscape.
The cage of the zebra being in his way he push.
ed il through the tent and clear through the wall OF
small shsniy at the back of the Then leaving the
tent he got into the street. pursued by his keepers and
hundreds Of people, none OF whom we're able TO cone
with the enraged elephant He did moest psssers
by but seemed TO have great aversion horses which
he would pursue rapidly he able being hobbed
With chain connecting his tnsks with of his fore
legs. he finally driven by the crowd into the stone
yard, Of South Fourth aud Tenth streets Here
number OF ~orkmen were engaged iE dressing stone
and had just placed upon wooden horses q huge atone
weighing about fifteen hundred tons In attempting to
get OF the stone yard the elephant caught by his
chain to this stone which checked him. The keepers
gradually approached him with chains asten his legs
but it until he had received several severe blow
with spears that his attention could be diverted so AZ TO
render il possible TO further secure him.
Finally he was thrown down upon his side where he
lay for some time helowing and thrashiug about him
with his trunk. Application made to members of
Hook and Ladder companies Nos aud 9, who furnish.
ed the keepers with long hooks One these was run
through one of his and twisted around until the
poor animal could his head from pain Of the
wound When he perfectly subdued he was heavily
bound with chains and taken back TO the msnagerie =
tie Il almost covered with wounds received tiom ih.
hooks and spears aud il il deemed safe 10 exhibit
TO approach within sight Of him.
This eiephsnt brought TO America In the year
1874, by Ar Van AmbpFgh aud is Of the largest Of
his speces His height is ~ feet inches He Is claim.
ed to be onethrd larger than sny other elephant ever
brought to this country Baysd Taylor tes6es that lie
Is considerably larger than the majority Of elephants
he had met with either in Asia Africa When Han
ibsl was imported in 1884, thought that he zas
ready old but a. Ike has been growing ever Stree the
showmen have concluded that he l. still young-he nat
ura term Of life OF the species being from 500 to $50
years.
This animals reputation formerly unparalleled for
yiciousness but during the last i've he had appa-
renty reformed and became doce in character Before
that time he had frequenily broken loose and had killed
different occa-ionsss persons The last
exploit Of the Kind which Hannibal undertook previous 10
the present one 10 1885, when he sprung open the
door Of HE cage and after eecing pretty general de-
| moition Of the Companys cages and transportation
wagons, swsy nine miles into the country before he
VAS captured