The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-01-20
A Circus Reminiscence.

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Thirty wears ago, on the 3lst Of De-
cember, 1889, the famous rampage of the
elephant Columbus occurred near New
Orleans, and as the only living witnesses
of the affair are residents of Cincinnati
at present, we will give short account OF
the elephantine tare.
Raymond l. Warnings Circus and Me-
nageric, which had been showing sepa-
rately in the centre of Louisiana, were
ordered by the proprietors to rendezvous
at point three miles above Algiers-
which town is directly opposite New Or
leans-on the last day of the year, in Or
der that the combination, which was the
largest that has ever appeared in the
South, might march into the Crescent
City on New Years Day. With one
branch of the show was the elephant Co.
lumbus, and with tho other Hannibal
both of which achieved national fame at
terwards The junction had been formed,
and the procession was nearly in readi-
ness to move, when, unfortunately, tho
two elephants were brought together, and
they Immediately proceeded 10 test their
pugilistic plishments. Their keep
ers interferod and succeeded in parting
them, and Hannibal queted down, but
Columbus was not to be so easily satisfied.
He stood glaring around for few min
utes, and then struck his keepers horse
fearful blow with his trunk, and followed
it up by thrusting his immense tusks lover
six feet long) through the animals body.
The keeper, VIM. Crum, fell with his
horse, and the elephant next attacked
him, picking him up in his trunk and
dashng him against the ground with such
force as to break half tho bones in bis
body and cause instant death. Columbus
then marched along the line until he
reached the lama cage, which he upset
and demolished, killing the lama. His
next movement was to make dive for
John Robinson and Arthur Crippen, both
of this city, who were connected with the
service, but these gentlemen being horse,
back, succeeded, although with great
trouble and danger in escaping. Colum-
bus now passed the caravan at run, and
soon met drayman driving two mules,
both of which fell victims to bis rage, as
did also the driver, who attempted to es-
cape by running, but was overtaken.-
Passing through Algiers, tho elephant
soon came across negro man sitting on
fence, and tore down the fenco to get
at him, and then tore him piecemcal.-
The negro was slave. and Columbus
owners were required to pay $1,000 for
killing him. Further on, about nine miles
from his starting point, he met French
man and party Of negroes, whom be at
tempted to demoralizc also, but here he
met his match, and after combat of
nearly an hour, he gave up, and was
chained, having first received three bull
lets from rifle, just below the right eye.
The wounds occasioned noinconvenience,
however, beyond producing running sores,
which lasted until Columbus death, which
was caused by falling through bridge at
North Adams, Massachusetts, in 1854, and
breaking his neck. In the rampage the
elephant killed nearly dozen horses,
mules, COWS and calves, for which his
owners were compelled to pay about $2O,-
900. The circus and mcnagerio company
was composed of ono hundred and eight
men, of whom but three are known to be
living at present, they being John Robin
son, circusman, and Arthur P. Crippon,
watchman at the 1. & G. depot in this
city, and Louis Lipman, dry goods mer-
chant at Laurel, Indiana, all three of
whom witnessed the disaster, and were
compelled to observe extreme caution to
preserve their own lives. Mr.. Crippen
subsequently had both his arms broken by
Columbus while assisting in shipping him
to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Chronicle.