Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
CONEY ISLAND TOBE SURPRISED
Monster Elephant, 122 Feet High, to
be Built on the Sands.

James V. Lafferty, OiiPhiladelphia, pur-
chased 240 acres of lanG at Atlantic City,
n. j., April 10, 1881. People said, "He's
got an elephant on his hands" Mr.
Latferty said, ''Why nOt?" and he built
upon his property structure in the shape
OF such an animal, from the hOwdah on the
back of which intending purchasers of
lots might overlook all his property.
This idea expanded, "Why not make the
structure a bazaar and a hotel? Why
not patent the idea?" and the result was
the taking out of letters patent on all
buildings in the form of birds, animals or
fish, and the construction of the celc-
brated elephant at Atlantic City, 81 feet
long by IS feet high, the architect and
builder Of which is Mr.. J. Mason Kirby.
The enterprise has been successful.
Everybody who has visited Atlantic City
has gone to see the elephant, admission to
which has been fixed to 10 cents Der
visitor, and during the last season the
Pennsylvania Railroad ran twenty-five
trains per day to this place.
Mr.. Latferty now proposes 10 erect a
much larger beast. veritable Jumbo, on
COney Island, ana NJ. Kirby, who con-
structed the first elephant, will begin
work on the second in about ten DAYS and
has contracted to finish bin by the 10Th of
June.
The location of the proposed animal is
to be adjoining and Immediately west of
the Sea Beach Palace at COney Island.
His height is 20 be 10 feet to the top
OF the dome covering the hOwdah. The
animal is to be $50 feet long. His body is
to be so feet IN length and 16S feet in cir
conference; the head is to be 40 feet long.
1872 feet in circumference; the neck. 10
feet long, los feet circumference: the ele-
plants legs are to be 40 feet long and 90
feet in circumference; the ears of the ami
nal are to be "a feet long and 20 feet wide:
his tail is to be 80 feet long, varying in
diameter from II feet to IS inches. The ele-
plants trunk is 81 feet long, with a
diameter tapering from IA feet to 3 feet 4
inches. The tusks are to be 80 feet long.
6 feet in diameter tapering to 1 inch. The
eyes of the beast are to be 4 feet in dame
ter and to be made of glass.
The entrance and exit to the mammoth
animal are to be through the rear limbs
up one hind leg and down the other. The
front legs and trough, from which the
elephant is represented as feeding, are to
be occupied as stores.
The. main hall-in the body of
the brute-is to be 50 feet long
by 30 feet 4 inches wide, and this is
to be used as bazaar. The room in the
elephants head is triangular in shape, 40
feet by 30 feet. The two side-body rooms
are Al feet long by 10 feet wide: the two
thigh rooms y feet long by 10 feet wide.
and the two shoulder rooms %
feet long by 10 feet wide.
There is to be a gallery about go feet
long on the second story, extending out
from the body ten feet around the main
hall. In the gallery there will be two
side rooms, each AZ feet by 10 feet; two
hip rooms % feet by 10 feet, two shoulder
rooms - feet by 7 feet inches, two cheek
rooms 80 feet by 10 feet. There will also
be one trough room, circular in shape. II
feet in diameter and II feet high. The
materials of construction are wood, iron
and tin. and his cost is to be about $780,
0C0. He is to be built by a stock company
with capital stock Of $780, 900 in %, 900
shares of $40 each, of which, Mr.. Lafferty
says, all except $4,000 is taken.