New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
&c ypDvr,s NEW STORY.

Sex.York: Charles seT1bnePs sons
In this new story of scientific wonders IuleS
verne is not ut his best steam eiephah. ""
.'sssad 20 double villa OF pagoda ON wheels, Is an
:s'.su,ors mechanical wonder, and the clever do
scr;ntions of its construction and adventures APP
neal one vould think more strongly to the reauerS
~ AN inventive nation, like ours than 10 INC
French. It is continuance, however, tna' IT,
s.rcts the action of the authors audaclous IanoS'
and does not work in. harmoniously and aftstic'
ally with the main plot. THIS has TO 90 Win 'he
leader of the Sepoy revolt Of 1857, Mana oahio anu
~. -.nnnoseJ reappearance and plottlngs III 1861
tne date Of the story. The second volume Of " Inc
Steam House, may bring the ingenious elepnanV
more effectively into the action OF the STORY ouV
in thu first part there is little connection between
the stirring descriptions of the terrible uthy WIN
is massacres and retributions, and the tour
India of the steam elephant Nevertheless, there Is
scorcsl, dull paqe in the book So far as it deals
with the most exciting chapter in the history Oh
india il depicts English cruelty in heavy lines lts
olmnses of Indian life are picturesque but super
fetal. Curiosity turns most eagerly to tho chapter
describing the steam elephant, and the ioloWlhS
extract satisfies it:
First and apparently drawing the caravan, camp
A gigantic elephant. The monstrons anihai'
twenty feet in height and thirty IN lehglh, an
yanced deliberately steadily. and with n certain
mysteTy of movement which struck the gazer with
thrill Of awe His Trunk curYea k Isd .nsss pro-
ieotipq from behind the massive jaws, reseh,oieu
Ioair OF hinge scythes. On his back was Wgnly
ornanented howdah which iook dOmHl s roof
and furnished with lensshaped glasses u ser'e ioi
windows. -. .f,or him train consisting
NJ two enormous cars, actual houses, moving
bungalows in fact each mounted on ionr wnre ar
The wheels WnGn se%puPeG in every part Their
lowest norton only could be seen, as they moved
inside sort of case, like paddlebox, which con
Sealed the enormous ioGG ths two esrrages.
How could single elephant, however strong
manage to drag these two enormous
animal did sol His hinge feet were raised and set
down with mechanical regularity, and he changed l
nls pace &C. band of Taa aaHont being apparent
The spectators were at first so ast0nlShed by All
this that they kept at respectful distance out
when they ve2tuied nearer, their surprise gave
Thew cond hear roar, very similar to the cry ut
tered by these giants of the Indian forests MOTE
over at intervals there issued from the Trunk
And vet it was an elephants! .,-,.,
The rugged greeny black skin evidently covered
,be hony Framework Of one that must he called the
king Of the pachyderms; Ills eyes were hlSIlIAe;
all his members were endowed Win movement!
Av! But if some inquisitye person had ehanced
IN Law his hand Oh the animal all would have been
explained. IL was but marvellous deception, a
Gigantic imitation, having as nearly as poSsloie
Tn fact this elephant was really encasod in steel
aud an actual steam engine was concealed withIn
its sides. - 49,. D.. ,,ro ;. 10 ,,ost
suitable namc, was the travelling dwelling prom
ised by the engineer, Ill;
tation of Colonel Munro Captain Hood, Dahks' anu
myself c. ,,N.n , .ho
servants of the expedition.
Ranks had kept his promise, Colonel Munro bad
kept his; and that was the reason whv on TINS May
morning, We we're setting OUT IN Ids
vehicle with the intention 81 visiting the AOfeheih
regions of the Indian peninsula. ,
Rut what was tho good of this artificial elephant
Why have this faucifui apparatus so mike ,T The
usual practical inventions Of the English I'LL
then no one had ever thought OF giving To "a loco
motive destined to travel either over macadam
highways or lion rails the shape anu i9rm Oh
Quadruped .,
must say. tho first time we were admitted to
view the machine we We're all lost IN anazemeht
Questions about the why and wherefore fell timex
and fast upon our friend Banks. We knew that
This traction-engne had been constructed from his
plans aud under his directions What, then, had
rIyen him tie idea Of hiding it within the iron sides
of a eehaIicai elephant
any friends" answered Bangs Seriously 90
you know the llalah Of BliOoia r ,
" know him" replied Captain Hood or rather
did know him. fol he died two lnlnths ago"
Nell before dying" returned tI" enginccT, the
Roiah of Bhooran not only lived, but lived differ
eitly to anyone else. He loved ponp ana us
playel 1t in every possible manuel nc ~ yer GG
came into his head. His brain imagined the most
,rnossible things ana had not his purse been III
esaustible it would SI%s haEe etiV was .Io
niously rich had Golfers hed WIN iacs 9l rupees.
Now one DAY an idea occurred TO him. winch TOOK
such possession of bis mind AZ 10 Keep INN ilOln
s!eeDlng--an idea which solomon might have been
proud OF, and would certainly have realized iad lie
'cen acquainted with steam: TINS ldoa was 10 aHei
/ reriectly new fa ,lon, and To have an e9uIpage
.Ich as no ono had before drcamt OF. nc Knew me,
and sent for Iue to his court and himself drcw inc
plan Of his locomotive. II sou imagine. ny lruus'
4 iytn
ton YOU are mistaken. j perfectly UNDERSTOOD
that this grandiOac idea sp-ung naturally from Tie
lrain of a IlindoO sovereign, ana llad but one
desire the subcct-to realize ~ as soon as pos.
sibIe and in way tn satisfy beth my pOetlc ceht
and myself. a bard working engineer hasht an
onportunity every day tO exercise his talents III
this fantastic way. and add an annual OF TINS ue;
seription Ia the creations Of the AIaolap Nighis
In short saw it possible to realize the Ralahs
whim All that has been done. that can be DONE
will be done in machinery ] set to work, ana IN
this iron plated case in the shape oi an elephant, |
managed to incl0sc the boiler, the machinery, and
the tender of a traction engine With all It's aces
sories The flexible trunk. which can be raised and
lowered at will, is the chimney; the legs oil my
animal are connected with the wneels OF the appa-
ratus; arranged his eyes so rs TO Dart ont Two tts
OF electric light, ana the artificial elephant was
complete But as il was not my own spontaneous
creation, met With numerous dllhcultles which
delayed me. Tho gigantic paythng. as you may
call il, cost me many sleeDless night; so many,
indeed that my raiah who was wild with impa-
tience and passed the best part OF MS time IN my
workshops. died before the finishing touches were
given that would allow the elephant to set fortn ON
bis travels. The poor fellow had no time even TO
make one trial Of his inycntion. His heirs, how
ever less faDciful than he. viewed the appaI atus
with the terror of superstition and the work OF
nladinan They weIo only eager to get rid Of 1t at
any price, therefore bought it up on the colonePs
account Now you know all the why and where
fore of the matter, and how 1t is that in all the
world we alone are tho proprictors Of steam Gle
rhant. with the strength Of eighty horses not to
mention eighty elephants"
Bravo. Banks! we'll done~ exclaimed Captain
Rood. "A lirst-class engineer tho Is an artist,
infn fhp
amongst usp =, ,,,- H.,
his apparatus being in nv p0ssessOn' had nor tlIo
heart to destroy my elephant, aud give the loco
m0flyc its ordinary FORM"