Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-23
TOSSED BY AN ELEPHANT.
The Misfortune That RefeI Prof.
D0remus az BrIdgepOrG, OOnn.
Ne1o Hnveu Reoisfe.

Neto Haven Register.
| In bne Interests of science, Prof. r. Og-
| den DoTemus, of New York, spent several
days in Bridgeport recently observing the
| conditions and actions of the elephant
| Queen, the mother OF the 5000, 900 baby.
The professor became much interested in
the OBJECT of his visit and passed several
/ hours day for a number of d2ys watching
| Queen aud the other occupants OF the ele-
phant room. He is dgnited, kindly old
gentleman, wearing tall hat and gold spec
tacles, and George Arstngstall, the trainer.
look much pleasure in answering his cues
tions aud making him more or less ac-
| qualnted with the animals under his
| charge. He took special pains to point
out the two or three vicious animals
| of the herd In order that the professor
might not endauger bis personal safety by
| going too near them. He also was careful
10 explain that there are two kinds of ele-
plants, those which are tractable. dociIe
and kind, and thosethat are the other wav.
1t takes an elephant a day or two to get
thoroughly mad, In which condition thew
are about as dangerous and as easy to han
die as tornado, or as an unclaimed loco
motive with full head of steam on aud no
| engineer Ia charge. A trainer who knows
his business takes good care TO commence
the treatment OF the fit while It is In its in
cipient stages. The usual course Is a vigor-
Gus application Of pitchfOrks or some sharp
instrument to the refractory beast although
some have prejudice in favor of q red hot
iron. Ihese doses are repeated until the
animal acknowledges defeat by a pecu-
liar b2lloW, a sound that has as dis
tlnctlve meaning IS token of Surrender
as does the lowering of colols by a vessel
In naval action. But there is a less serious
form OF viciOusness which an elephant Is ant
to display, simply passing freak of ugli-
ness, which may fnd expression in selling
the human victim with its trunk. and after
throwing him down, tramo oliEg him to death
with its feet, and crushing him with the
hesd All OF this was fully set forth by Mr..
Arstingstall to The professors instruction
and edi1cati0n. Through the trainers off,
css the professor got upon quite friendly
and familiar terms with a number of the
more docile beasts Of ths Baraum, Bailey q
Hutchinson elephant herd, having no fears
like pets.
1t is one OF the peculiarities OF an ell 1nhant
that the sight OF mouse or ret and. to
lesser degree, kitten throws him into A
great fright. In india there is & small ami
NAL about the size OF 9 mouse, which has
propensity for crawling into elephsntsI
trunks and making 1t very uncomfortable
Ior tneIn, fact which Is thought to account
Tor the terror with which the sight of a
mouse inFpires the animals after thew leave
their native haunis. This the trainer also
explained TO the professor, and, to give an
illustration OF the elephant peculiaritv re-
rerred to, stepped TO the door OF the ele-
phant room to call ia q pet kitten. The
professor was then standing in the opposite
slde OF the room, close to Mandril, the
father OF the fret baby elephant. Suddenly
an ominOUs below filed the room. and
Arstingstsl, looking around, saw a
sight which thrilled him with terror. Man
dril had seized the unobseryaut and
unsuspecting professor around the waist
with his trunk and swung him violentIv
around against the side of the room. Then
the elephant, turning as far sronad as tha
chains which tethered him would hermit
iunged furiouslv at the hapless professor
with his head. Fortunately, however, Do
remus had fallen at full length close against
the sill and In this IositiOn Maudril eouId
not get at him with his head. although he
strove desperately to do so, and in his efforts
Knocked big hole out of the side of the
building. By this time Arsuugstau was
upon MandFil with ptchfoik: and with A.
distracted his attention, until the professor
could crawl out and collect himself His
hat aud spectacles were Ia ruins. his clothes
We're covered with dirt, aud blood was com
ing from wound in his head. Luckily
though ne was not hurt dangerously or
even seriously. Except for his good
luck and the trainers interference he
must have been killed Mandril's outbreak
was great surpriseNto his trainer, as the
| ooast had always been one Of the most ouieS
| and reliable Of the herd. A close inspection
OF Mandrtl's trunk at the present time viii
| show lot OF punctures and scars that look
as If they might be due to pitchfork prones.
Mr.. Arstingstall will soon have another
monster to orGuer and train. There viii
soon arrive In New York for the shou the
largest elephant ever set in this coun-
try. It's eleven and one-balf feet in height.
while the tallest elephant now In the show
Is only nine and one~half feet. The new
Importation owes his tallDess principally TO
the phenf Iainal length OF his legs, which
extend out of proportion to the rest of his
physical dimeDsions