The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-07-14
LANDING WILD ANIMALS.
Curious Sight at New Jersey Wharf
0striches, Giraffes and Elephants
Dangling in Mid Air.

A novel sight was witnessed at the
Bremen dock at Hoboken yesterday
afternoon, the occasion being the
landing from the steamship Maine of
half dozen giraffes and other animals,
imported by Reiche & Brother, for the
Coney Island Aquarium. The animals
were captured in the Nubian Desert,
and consisted besides the giraffes, of
two young elephants, two leopards, two
large oStriches and great variety of
birds. They were accompanied from
their African haunts, all the way to
New York, by Mr.. Paul Lube, who
assisted in their capture, and who was
on hand yesterday helping in their de-
barkation. The lifting of the animals
out from the hold of the ship was wit
messed by large number of people, but
the landing of the ostriches and of the
giraffes was the most interesting. The
large birds, with their thin necks and
small heads towering above their great
bodies, struggled and tried to escape as
they swung in the air while being raised
from the ship and let down on the pier.
Their strength is somewhat marvellous,
but the novelty of the situation rather
consisted in the fact that they had to
be landed with rope and tackle and
a band around their bodies, as with the
leopards, elephants and giraffes. The
smaller birds were first landed, and
these and the leopards were sent to
Coney Island early in the afternoon.
Then came the elephants, two saucy
fellows, weighing, probably, six hun
dred pounds each. They were kept on
the pier during the greater part of the
afternoon, but seemed anxious to inves-
tigate in the wonders of the new coun-
try where they are to make their home.
The last of the animals to be landed on
the dock were the giraffes. With their
long necks and towering heads swaying
above the band which held their bodies
and legs spread out below, they pres
ented very laughable picture as they
came in sight over the deck of the
vessel, with one exception scarcely a
struggle was perceptible, and they
seemed to regard the whole operation
as matter of course. Up they went
from the hold until sufficient height
was obtained, and then they swung
gracefully over the sides of the ship
and patiently allowed themselves to be
placed prostrate on some straw on the
pier. When tho band was removed
they were required to rise, but nothing
could be more awkward than their
first attempt to walk after the voyage.
Every step was a stride. The poor
animals seemed to regard the whole
process of walking as unnatural and
unnecessary; but it was not long until
ease and grace replaced the awkward
attitudes; and, as the six giraffes COM
muned together on the pier, after the
thing was over, they seemed to be Of
opinion that the only course to pursue
was to be good-natured about the
Aquarium, in Thirty-fifth street. and
the others to Coney Island. All ofthem
seem happy, however, that their long
journey from Central Africa is ended;
and well they may be, for they were
forty-five days in the Nubian Desert on
the way to the coast, and many weary
weeks on the Red Sea, the Mediterra-
mean and the Atlantic Ocean. New
York Herald.