Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-11-15
NO. 27l.
Dom Pedro in Chains.
CoNoUERlNG Vicious ELEPHANT AT THE
PHILApELruIA Zoo.

fHlLApELrulA zoo.
1t is more than probable that if Dom Pedro,
vicious and case-hardened an elephant as he
is, had fully appreciated the punishment his
general depravity WAS leading him to. he
would have reformed and become a model of
elephantine docility He didn't appreciate
that fact until yesterday, when q dozen men.
armed with block snd tackle, ropes, chains
and harpoons after three hours work
succeeded in convincing him that he was
wrong. Dom is nine years old, and, al
though seven feet high and weighing some
thing like FIVE TONS is the smallest elephant
in the Zoo. He was added to the collection
in 1876. but it WAS not until a year or so
ago that he demonstrated that he could
conceive and carry out more wickedness
than all the proboscidians IN the Garden.
The vigorous way in which he slapped and
banged and jammed and kicked the keepers
around made him a terror On Thursday
last he charged on and came very near kill
ing a man who ventured into the pen to
feed him. The frightened man escaped bv
taking a leap through the pen door at the in
stant Dom's tusks went crashing through the
two-inch oak plank wall that backs the spot
on which the keeper had stood.
SO enraged was Dom at the keepers es-
cape that for several hours he charged Wild
his head and lashing himself with trunk and
tail. He cooled down some on FRIDAY and
Manager Brown decided to have him thrown
and hobblei pair OF heavy iron bands
were fastened around his front ankles on
Friday, and yesterday morning a dozen or
more keepers, loaded down with ropes and
chains and pulleys, filed into the elephant
house and stopped before Doms pen, on the
right of which is another apartment occupied
by two LARGE female elephants. Dom eyed
the preparations complacently for few
minutes, then, with his trunk, tossed a lot of
water on his back and trumpeted shrilly.
The other animals Joined in and for some
time the din was friyhtul.
When the keepers invaded the pen Dom
| backed into the corner and his little eyes
| twinked viciousy. The men, supposing
that he was about to charge them,
hestated. but as the elephant did not bulge
they regained their courage and surrounded
him. Dom, persuaded by a combination
harpoon and hook in the hands of the
keepers, advanced to the front bars of the
cage. Men on the outside fastened heavy
chains to the bands on his ankles and draw
ing the chains taut fastened them to posts in
the corridor. A chain from the ankle bands
to Dom's tusks acted like a martingale and
prevented him from owing the forward part
of his body. The moment the chains tighten
ed Dom drew back on his launches and pull
ed in "A wav that threatened to uproot the
post he was tied to.
The head keeper at last managed to fix his
iron hook in the tender part of DOms right
foot and the big beast, roaring with pain,
lifted the foot and moose was passed over it.
The left foot was next lassoed, after which
the hawser was passed through pulleys and
dragged out in the corridor to be hauled taut
by half a dozen stout men, Inch by inch the
rope was taken up, and then Dom's legs be-
gan to stretch out in opposite directions until
he was "spread- eagled."
A fence six feet high separates the pens,
and at one time it looked as though the fe-
males would break through the barrier and
join Dom. who, with tears tricklIng down his
cheeks, looked as wretched an elephant as
any one ever saw. The keepers wanted to
throw him on his side, but their united efforts
were not strong enough to push him over.
Then they divided their force. and with half
on each side rocked Dom from side to side,
With the vain hope of making him lose his
equilibrium and topple over one way or the
other. As last resort rope was fastened
around hi. right fore leg and passed over his
back to half dozen keepers on the other
side, who. after stout pulling, finally succeed
ed in bringing Dom down. As he fell he gave
one despairing scream that was heard all over
the garden, and one Of the men came very
near being caught between the falling ele-
phant and the wall. Four or five men clam
hered on his side, two others stood on his
head to keep it down, and another held his
trunk in a twist with one hand, while with
the other he covered Dom's eye. In his fits
of rage Dom broke his tusks, until they are
now mere stubs, neither of which is more
than Is inches long, and one of the objects in
throwing HIM was to fasten an iron band on
each tusk, so that chains passing from there
to his fore feet would hobble him completely.
While he was held down two men with ham
mers and wrenches pounded and fitted the
bands to the groaning elephants tusks. While
this work was going on Dom struggled vio-
lenily and made things decidedly lively for
the keeper who held his trunk. When the
bands were fixed Dom was hobbled and when
the hawser was taken off his hind legs he
staggered to his feet and looked around in 4
dazed way. The elephants in the adjoining
pen perched their trunks over the fence and
fondled the now sulky but submissive Dom
as long as the keepers remained in the build
ing g.-Ihiiadeiphia Times.
The King of Denmark is truly paternal
monarch. Finding that during the recent
severe weather the royal foot guards were
suffering greatly from Colds and Coughs.
this good old gentlemen ordered supply of
DR.. Bulls Cough Syrup for them and now
the sentries are happy.