Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-07-26
Landing Wild Animals.
Curious Sight at a New Jersey
Wharf-Ostriches, Giraffes, and
Elephants Dangling in Mid Air.

Wharf-Ostriches, Giraffes, and
Elephants Dangling in Mid Air.
. New York Heraldl
A novel sight was witnessed at
the Bremen dock at Hoboken YES
terday afternoon, the occasion be.
ing the landing from the steam.
ship Main of half a dozen giraffes
and other animals, imported by
Reiche & Brother, for the Coney
Island Aquarium. The animals
were captured in the Nubian Des.
ert, and consisted, besides the
giraffes, of two young elephants,
two leopards, two large ostriches
and a 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 help
ing in their debarkation. The
lifting of the animals out from the
hold Of the ship was witnessed by
large number of people, but The
landing of the ostriches and the
eiraffes was the most interesting.
The large birds with 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 some thing mar.
velous, but the novelty of the sit
uation rather consisted in the tact
that they had to be landed with
rope and tackle aud with a band
around their bodies, as with the
leopards, elephants and giraffes.
The smaller birds we're first land.
ed, and these and the leopards
were sent to Coney Island early
in the afternoon. Then came
the elephants, two saucy fellows,
weighing, probably, six hundred
pounds each. They were KEEP!
on the pier during the greater
part of the afternoon, but seemed
anxious to investigate the wonders
of the great country where they
are to make their home. The
last of the animals to be landed
on the dock were the giraifes.
With their long neck and towering
heads swaying above the band
which held their bodies and their
legs spread out below, they pre-
sented very laughable picture
as they came in sight over the
deck of the vessel. With one
exception scarcely struggle was
perceptable, aud they seemed to
regard the whole operation as
mere matter of course. Up they
went from the hold until a suGi-
cieht height was obtained, and then
they swung gracefully over the
sides of the ship and patiently al.
lowed themselves to be placed pros
trate on some straw on the pier.
When the 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 pro.
cess of walking as unnatural and
unnecessary; but it was not long
until ease and grace replaced the
awkward attitudes: apd as the six
giraifes communed 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 natmed about the mat
ter. Two of the giraf1es 60 to
the Aquarium, in Thirty-ilth
street, and 'he others to Coney
Island. All Of them seem happy,
however, that their long journey
from Central Africa is ended, and
well they may be, Tor they were
forty.fve days in the Nubian Des
ert on the way to the coast, and
many weary weeks on tie Red
Sea, the Mediterranean and tue
Atlantic Ocean.