The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-11-08
A Mad Elephat Loose i'm the
Street

SCFeeCS.
Great excitement was caused in Williams
burg, N. Y, Friday morning by the escape
of an enraged elephant-the largest ever ex-
hibited in this country-from Van Am
burgh's menagarie. The same ANNA, while
in mad fit, escaped once before at Harlem,
New York, creating sad havoc before he
could be recaptured, and for some days past
his keeper had been looking for a return of
the attack. The N. Y. Herald describes the
unusual scene as follows
A man had been employed to bring SOM
shavings to the menagerie, which were
brought in wagon. The man drove into
the tent, and while unloading his wagon the
elephant was observed to grow restless at
the site OF the horse, which had white
+ blanket on. The man was advised to take
his horse away, but before he could do so
the elephant advanced few steps and knock
ed the man down with blow OF his trunk.
He next seized the horse by means OF his
trunk ad injured him seriously. he then
and breaking 1t to pieces His anger was
now fully aroused land proceeding 80 the cage
of the prarie volt he smashed it with his
trunk and released him. Next in his way
was the cage of black bear. This cage was
demolished but the bear was chained up and
could not escape
The cage of the zebra being mex. in bis
way he pushed it through the tent and
clear through the wall OF small shanty at
the back of the tent. Then leaving the tent
he got into the street pursued oy MS keep
ers and hundreds of people, none OF whom
were able to cope with the enraged elephant.
He did not modest passers by, but seemed to
have great aversion to horses, which he
would pursue as rapidly as he was able, be-
ing hoppled with chain connecting his
tusks with one of his fore legs. DE was f.
nally driven by the crowd into the stone
ward, corner of South Fourth and Tenth
streets Here Number of workiAen were
engaged in dressing stone, ana mad just
placed upon wooden horses huge stone
weighing about fifteen hundred tons. In at
tempting to get out OF the stone yard the
elephant caught by his chain to this stone,
which checked him. The keepers gradually
approached him with chains to tasten his
legs, but it was not until he had received
several severe blows with spears his atten-
ton could be diverted so as to render it pos
sible to further secure him.
Finally he was thrown down upon his side,
where he lay tor seine time believing and
thrashing about him with his trunk. Appli
cation was made to the members OF Hook and
Ladder companies Nos. l and 8, who furnish
ed the keepers with long hooks, One of
these was run through one OF his ears and
twisted round until the poor animal could
not move his head from pain OF the wound.
When he was perfectly subdued, he was
heavily bound with chains and taken back
to the menagerie. He is almost covered
with wounds received from the hooks and
spears, and it is not deemed safe to exhibit
him for few days, nor would it be safe for
his'keepers to approach within sight Of him.
This elephant was brought to America in
the year 1874, by Mr.. Van Amourgh, and is
one of the largest of his species. His height
is Is feet inches. He is claimed to be one
third larger than any other elephant ever
brought to this country. Bayard Taylor ties.
titles that he is considerably larger than the
majority of elephants which he had met with
either In Asia or Africa. When Hannibal
was imported, in 1874, it was thought that
ing ever since, the tshowmen have conclu-
ded that be is still young-the natural term
OF life of the species being from 800 to $50
years.
This animals reputation was formerly un-
paralleled for viciousness, but during the
last five years he had apparently reformed,
and became docile in character. Before
that time he had repeatedly broken loose,
and had killed, on different occasions, as
many as seven persons. The last exploit of
the kind which Hannibal undertook, pre-
vious to the present one, was in 1855, when
be sprung open the door OF his cage, and, at
ter etfecting pretty general demolition OF
the Company's cages and transportation
wagons, ran away nine miles into the coan-
try before he was captured.