The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-08-29
A FIGHT BETWEEN MONSTERS.
desperate Battle Between the EIe-
phant and the Alligator at the
Aquarium.

At late hour Mr.. Frank J, Howe
formerly Of Howe 4 CusbiupIs cIreus
VINO was asleep in his apartments il
tue aquarium was awakened by I
ioud believing which seemed to come
rom the elephants quarters. Mr.
move has charge OF the animals, IN
uerstands their customs thoroughly
ana knew st once that somethine
must be wrong. He immediately
arose, but before he had dressed the
Warming noise was augmented by the
ensVerlng OF monkeys, the Kissing OF
alllgatofs, and other unearthiy sounds
OF the many animals confined in the
pace. Hdrriedly slipping on his gar
ments he obtained 8 stout whIp. and
without waiting to obtained q light be
CROPPED his wsy to the scene OF the dis
turDance, Imagining the while that
pandemonium had been let loose. On
arriving on the ground floor, or what
Is known as the menRgerie Of the
building, he at once perceived the
cause OF the disturbance. The alliga-
tor's tank is situated in one corner Of
the place. and to the young mans
surprise he found one Of the elephants
IN IL. His elephantship had evident
~ broken loose, and during his peregrI-
nations had infringed upon the do
main OF his alligatorship. This mid
night trespass had not pleased the lat
ter, and he had determined upon re-
seDting Ii.
When Mr.. Howe arrived the two
were engaged in deadly conflict. The
elephant had succeeded in getting its
trunk under the alligator, and had
wound 1t tightly around its body. It
was evidently the intention OF the
nuge monster to squeeze the life out
of its more fragile COMPANION, or toss
1t Into the air. The alligator is large
one OF It's Kind, and Is no mean adver-
sary. This the elephant appeared to
understand, and had sscertained that
he had dropped into the wrong pew.
The alligator was all the while make
ing the most desperate and vicious
snaps with his enormous jaws at his
assailant.
Arming himself with 8 stout club
and jumping into the tank, which
had only about two feet of water in it, !
Mr.. Howe rained blow after blow up |
on the two exasperated animals. They |
both turned upon him, and, had he |
not known their natures so well, the |
result might have been disastrous to |
him. He knew too much about ami
mails, however, to retreat, and contin-
led TO beat numerically. This was
the only thing that saved his life.
The brutes finally desisted, and after
alternate eoaxing and
beating he succeeded In drawing the
elephant back to its quarters. He
was not so fortunate. however, with
The saurian monster, for before he
could get out OF the tank himself the
a species usually slow in its
was upon him, made q
map at Mr., Howe, and closed its
avs upon his right hand and took it
n, club and all.
The keepers cries brought to his as
distance others Of the attaches Of the
aquarium, and with their aid he sue
seeded in extrlcating himself from
What would certainly have been q
'rlghtful death. His hand Was badly
aearated, and had 1t not been for the
Hub nothing could have saved his arm
I0m being torn of.
1t was found on examination that
he cause of fight had been that the
elephant had been left without water
md had gone in search of it. Coming
IpOn the alligatOr's tank, the animal
lad tried to quench Its thirst with q
zig drink, and the occupant Objecting
he encounter resulted.-M Y. Star.