Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-14
A BABY ELEPHANT.
An EVENT OF INTEREST TO SCIENCE.

An EVENT OF INTEREST TO SCIENCE.
Birth OF Female Elephant Among the
Collection of the Great London Circus Up
Town Yesterday Morning-A Lively Scene
Among the Other Elephants.
Philadelphia Times, March IL.
A most important event in the geological
world occurred at the stables of Cooper IL
Bailey, the CIRCUS men, at Twenty-third
street and Ridge avenue, at an early hour
yesterday morning. This was nothing more
nor less than the birth of young elephant.
The Importance of the affair to the world of
science will be realized when it is stated that
it is the first instance of the kind that has
ever taken place, so far as is known, among
these animals in state of captivity. Here
tofore all ideas and theories, written or un-
written, on the subject of propa-
cation among this species of quad
ruped, duration of the period
of CESSATION and SO forth have been more or
less speculative. The one fact that seemed
well established was that the female elephant
would not bear young in her captive state,
although from time to time, both in Europe
and America, announcements have gone
forth from showmen and others to the effect
that they had reason to believe this theory
not we'll founded and expected to be able to
disprove it. Nothing ever came of this.
however, and the fact remained the birth of
| baby elephant was thing unknown to
| natural science outside the animals native
wilds, and the theory above mentioned con-
tinued in full force. The event of yesterday
morning upsets everything in this direction,
however, and affords occasion for scientists to
shift their position and look at the question
from new standpoint.
THE BABY's APPEARANCE.
A queer looking little black animal, not
much larger than Newfoundland deg, with
very diminutive specimen Of trunk, and
with disposition to run at things blindly
like young colt, fairly describes the appear
ance of the stranger as it waddled about in
the large brick stable known as the ele-
plant house, yesterday morning. The
mother, large black Asiatic elephant,
known by the attractive name of Hebe,
stood in the centre of the large stable
room, with both hind legs chained to two
posts. This precaution was absolutely neces-
sary, as will be shown. At the
upper end of the stable ROOM,
about a dozen yards from Hebe,
stood six other large elephants with their
heads turned toward her, likewise chained
to posts. 1t was a most exciting scene
among these elephants when the birth took
place. For months past Hebe, OH account
of her condition, had been chained on the
same spot where she stood yesterday away
from the other elephants, the room being al
ways in care of Waterman or keeper at
night. The Waterman was at his post yes
terday morning at half past two o'clock,
when the event by which Hebe distinguished
| herself occurred.
! SCENE AMONG TIE OTHER ELEPHANTS.
| The scene that followed he describes as
lively. Instantly all the other elephants set
up the most tremendous believing ever heard
of and threw their trunks about and wheeled
around and stood On their hind legs and
cavorted and danced in the highest glee, as
though they had gone mad. The excitement
communicated itself to Hebe and she
became almost frantic. With a
terrific plunge she broke the chains and
ropes which held her, and grasping up the
little baby elephant with her trunk, threw
it about twenty yards across the room,
letting it fall near large, hot Somewhere
q fire is always kept burning to keep the
place heated-then followed with a mad
rush, believing and lashing her trunk, as
though she would carry everything before
her. The keeper fled for his life, and not a
moment too soon. Around this stove was q
stout railing formed by heavy timber and
intended as protection for the stove in case
any of the elephants ever got loose and took
| it into their heads to be vicious. Against
this railing Hebe charged with such effect
that she reduced it to kindling wood in short
order. Not stopping here she struck the
stove and knocked it into the
position of the leaning tower of Pisa in
an instant and badly smashed the pipe.
The keeper meantime had given the alarm.
and three or four others coming to his as
sistance the animal was, after some trouble,
secured and chained to the post again.
Meantime the other elephants kept up their
believing and the lashing of their trunks as
though they could not make noise enough
and never would get through rejoicing. The
baby elephant, which at once showed dis
position to make friends with anybody or
everybody, was piloted back to its mother.
where the keepers and others who had now
been attracted by the general connection,
became at once interested in nursing it. 1t
would run about with its mouth open very
much like young colt. The old elephant
would not stand still long enough to suckle
it, being constantly swaying and swinging
about, so the keepers hit on the happy ex-
pedient of procuring funnel and rubber
tube about yard in length. Inserting one
end of the tube in the baby's mouth they
fed it by milking into the funnel at the
other end, the little newcomer taking its sus-
tenance with relish until it declared cit
could take no more by promptly jerking its
mouth away. During all the day it was nee
essary for two or three keepers to be present
to attend to it, their great fear being that it
might get entangled in the chains which
held its mother to the posts and get crushed.
The mother herself is fine specimen of the
Asiatic elephant, being twenty-three years
old and very large. The sire is Mandrie.
an elephant of about the same size as the
mother and two years older. The baby is
thirty-fve inches high and weighs PA
pounds. The period of CESSATION is put by
scientific authorities at twenty months and
a half. There will probably be a scientific
investigation of the case by Professor Leidy
and others.
The Saturday Night Robber.
To the Editor of the Globe.