Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-03-25
ABABY ELEPHANT.
The First Cine Ever Born i'm Cap.
tfvify I'm America.

PHILADELPHIA, March 10.-A most
important event in the geological world
occurred at the stables of Cooper & Bal
ley, the circus men, at Twenty-third
street and Ridge avenue, at an early
hour this morning nothing more or
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 in these animals in a
state of captivity. Heretofore all ideas
and theories written or unwritten Oh
tie subject of propagation among this
species of quadruped, duration of the
period of CESSATION, etc., have been more
or less speculative. The one fact that
seemed well established was that the fe-
male elephant would not hear young in
her captive state.
The event this morning upsets every
thing in this direction, however, and af.
f0rds occasion for scientists to shift
their position and look at the question
from . new standpoint. A queer look
ing little black animal, not much larger
than Newfoundland dog, with a very
dininutive specimen of a trunk, and
with disposition to run at things
blindly like a young colt, fairly de-
seribes the appearance of the stranger
asit waddled about in the large brick
stable known as the elephant house, this
morning
The mother, a large, black Asiatie ele-
phant, known by the name of Hebe,
stood at the center of the large stable
room with both hind legs chained to two
posts. This precaution was absolutely
necessary, as will be shown. At the up
per end Of the stable room, all 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
those elephants when the birth took
place. For months past. Hebe, on ac-
count of her condition, had been chain
ed on the same spot where she stood
this morning, away from the other ele-
plants, the room being always in care
of watchman or keeper at night. This
watchman was at his post at half past 2
O'Clock, when the event by which she
distinguished herself occurred.
The baby elephant, which at once
showed a disposition ito make friends
with any and everybody, was piloted
back to its mother, where the keepers
and others who had been attracted the
the general commotion, 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 that the keepers hit
ON the happy expedient of procuring a
funnel and rubber tube about yard
length. Inserting one end of the tube
in the baby's mouth, they feed it by
milking into the funnel at the other
end, the little newcomer taking its sus-
tenance with relish until it declared
itcould take no more by promptly jerk
ing its mouth away. During all the
day 1t was necessary 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 only
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-five
inches high, and weighs 214 pounds.
Tie period of CESSATION is put by scien-
tific authorities at twenty months and a
halt. There will probably be scientific
investigation of the case by Professor
Leidy and others.