The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-06-27
An LNTSIYG ICrInENT-
4 Eenagerle Thrown from the Rails
Fun and Terror.

As the great Barnum's show WAS
leaving Erie on Saturday morning
going 10 Cory, says tine Titusviile
Courier, one of the trains drawn bv
two engines, was thrown from the
track, and both locomotives and sew
eral ears were preeipitated down the
bank, the two former imbedded in the
earth, while the latter were complete
ly wrecked, and the entire train re-
lceived a lively shaking up. The lions
rOared, the monkeys chartered, parrots
screamed, the great rhinOcerOs snort
ed and paled, while the less ferOcious
animals like the giraffe and Gland,
shrank tremblingly into corners, re-
/ fusiDg to recognize the careSses of
I their keepers. AcrObats and eqies-
I trians executed feats Of agility never
I before attempted in the saw dust ring,
I some of them going through the ear
I windows in their eagerness to escape.
I As the accident happened about
two O'Clock in the morning, and the
night being cloudy and dark, the con-
fusion that reigned must be imagined,
| for il cannot be described. IT was
/ speedily discovered that a cage con-
tanning two royal Asiatie lions Was
I
performers were net long in ascer-
tanning that these mOnarchs OF the
jungle We're loose and unharmed. |
This fact added to the terror of the
scene, and a stampede for safety i'm. [
mediately ensued. Professor Charles |
White, the celebrated lion tanner,
alone remained undismayed, aud i'm /
mediately began perfecting arrange /
ments TO secure his pets-a feat, as
may be supposed, not easily accom-
plished. Arming himself with an
ordinary rawhide, Professor White
advanced toward the spot where the
two unleashed brutes stood glancIng
ferOciOusly about them, but he had
not approached very near to them
when lie was greeted with a terrific
roar from the male, which broke the
stiffness OF the night in an awful and
startling manner. II ''meant busi-
ness" as the great beast stood erect
lashing his tawny sides with his tail,
ii was evident, that for a time at
least, he was "mOnareh of all he sur
veyed." The little "kitten" or baby
lion, partOOk of the general excite
ment and mewed piteOusly, At times
the lioness woul1 seize it in her
mouth and look furiOusiy about, as if
upon the point of leaping into the
darkness in search of a safe retreat,
and for time things looked squally.
The lion tanner, however was at work
and procuring stout rope he sue
ceeded in throwing it over the head
of the male lion and in a lew mo-
ments he was securely fastened to q
tree. The female, however, with a
perseverance peculiar to her sex, and
perhaps infurIated by the recent loss
OF two of her Kittens" was not so
tractable and showed fight, but
Professor Whites determined man
ner soon brought her to terms, and
the young one and slow
ly drawing it into an empty cage,
the mother was induced to follow,
and thus were both the ferOciOus
beasts secured, and all immediate I
danger from them was over.
The other animals We're captured
much trouble, and at about
ten o'clock the show arrived at CORY,
where an immense crowd of people {
were patiently awaiting theiF arrival
1t is at once singular and fortunate
that no One'was seriously injured, nor
were any very valuable animals hurt.
Four cars with contents were wreck ,
ed, and many animals were let loose,
but it is believed that most of them
have been reeaptured, the lions being ,
the most dangerous ones that were
let loose. Great credit is due to Prof.
White for his intrepidity, for had he
been less determined, serious loss OF
life might have occurred through the
ferOcity of the two brutes that had so
suddenly secured their freedom.
It was not known, until the train
Cory, that the cage contain
ing the tigers mad been harmed, but !
in the smash one end of the cage had /
been Knocked in, and when the train
stopped at the depot, both tigers quiz
city pOked their heads out, and were
on the point leaping into the crowd
when they were discovered and driv- .
EN- back. In consequence of the de-
lay only two exhibitions were given in
CORY, the first one taking place at
three o'clock in the afternoon.
The accident was caused by a switch
being out of place, and both the .
switchman and engineer are blamed.
1t is probable that whoever is to !
blame, the railroad company will
have a round bill of damages to pay.