Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-03
A TUMULT OF ELEPHANTS.
THE HERD REBELLIOUS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE SHOW.

Stand on Her Head and Screams
to Hebe, Her Mother - Hebe
Charges Across the Garden, and
all Hands Go on a Strike.
From the NetO York Sun.
Barnum's season in New York closed
last night, and it wound up with boom.
The wonders OF the greatest show on earth
were unfurled at the proper time before
the eyes of the biggest crowd that has
squeezed into Madison Square Garden
yet. The band unlmbered its melody,
the clowns made efforts to be funny, and
everything proceeded calmly and gently
until at the close of the circus perform
ance the huge drove of elephants came in.
Twenty-Five of them went stumbling
through the narrow passage that leads
from their quarters, and divided into TWO
groups, each group filling a separate
ring. The biggest elephants, the mothers
and fathers, were in the ring nearest
| Fourth avenue, IN charge of the principal
keeper. The smaller ones, many of them
sons and daughters of the giants, were in
the Madison avenue ring. At the same
| time Tom Thumb, the little trick ele-
plant who wears dude trousers, climbed
upon the raised platform and prepared TO
show his sense OF humOr in company with
! Conrad, his keeper, who acts as end man
| for him. The relocated band struck up
| the regulation tunes with which il night
| ly celebrates the victory of man over ele-
| plants, and all the big giants went hum
! bly, through the series of tricks that had
been taught them, until the exhibition
/ was almost over.
Then it came to the turn of Columbia,
the smallest performing elephant, to throw
her not very diminutive heels into the air
and stand on her head. Something hap
| pened to anger Column bia. Either her
keepers prod was plunged too far under
| her delicate skin, or else neighbOring
elephant must have whispered something
! cutting, for she absolutely refused to
stand on her head. When Callahan. the
assistant keeper, pricked her still more
sharply she threw her trunk up over her
back and uttered a sharp cry of rage and
| pain.
| Itrang through the circus, and pierced
through the thick ears of Hebe, the big le-
male elephant, who, at the time, was sub
/ mlssiyely standing on her head in the
other ring. Now, Hebe is Columbia's
/ mother, and Columbia is Hebe's first
| ch Id. 1t was all right to force Hebe to
stand upon her head-she was willing
but when she heard her baby cry she gave
a squeal that made the circus people
! jump, and, quickly getting down off her
head, made charge for the ring in which
her baby was being abused.
| Alter that there was a circus. Hebe did
| not stop TO go out of the ring in the usual
way, but wenllrighJ across lots, pushing
! down ropes and stakes, in bee line. The
! youthful and abused Columbia heard her
Mothers answering squeal, saw her CON-
! ing, and dashed to meet ber.
Ii the ELEPHANTS of the Empire AssOcia-
] finn had OrdnFnd u unnnFQi Gfr.fEa
elephants could not have quit work in d
| bigger hurry. All broke ranks, and, throw
ing up their trunks and tails, ran squeal-
| ing hither and thitheT. Nothing was to
| be seen in circus so much like the
picture books about African jungles or
so true TO the signs that the show puts
up.
Callahan, the keeper, was dashed to the
| ground, and women screamed, thinking
that be would be crushed under the feet
of the furious beasts. Luckily he scram.
bled out in some mysterious manner, and
did everything to quiet his charges. But
they would not be duieted, and Newman,
the principal keeper, was Just as power.
less to control the big ones under his care.
Fortunately, Hebe, the enraged mother,
got calmed down little when she found
that Columbia was all right and started
believing along the track instead OF
seemed anxious to do.
The common elephant keepers came
swarming IN from the stables with their
sharp g0ads in their hands, aud struggled
desperately to get the elephants back in
to their quarters, but they would not GO.
! Finally hebe, al er slashIng arOnnd with
her trunk for awhile, dashed around TO
the exit which leads TO that section OF the
). circus containing the giants, fat women.
! q nd Nv Efanh Mt L
sheep, or men in following leader, and
the entire herd followed squealIng after
her. 1t was tine sight, butnOt cheerful.
| There never was a more scared crowd
| than that in the circus, and panic must
have broken loose had 1t not been that the
thousands of people were packed up on
rows OF hign seats. Up there they felt
safe from the careering beast and were
| afraid 70 come down. But the women
screamed and two or three hundred OF
the most timid men dashed out at speed
that was very creditable.
When the elephants finally disappeared
from the ring the Gro wd thought il was all
right. But in two seconds there was a
roaring right under the seats, and people
became more frightened than ever and be-
gan to break for the door, and all the
lungs and entreaties of the attendants
were needed to prevent panic.
The elephants were rushing around
among the animals: the circus horses and
all toe actors came flying in to escape
them, and the noise set up blythe animals
which wanted to join the fun was stun
ming. But the elephant tanners were
working like beavers. and after an inter-
ruption which seemed about a week long.
but which really did not last more than
fifteen minutes, The band, which had mar
rowly missed being walked over, started
up, and tile show went on again and fin
ish d all right.
After that the long string OF elephants
were seen chained in their stalls, with
blood Oozing out OF little prcks in their
skins, and still believing and shaking
their heads with rage. Atmidnight, with
fifty extra men 10 guard them. they were
taken over 10 Jersey City and loaded on
the cars for their trip West.
The beasts set out from Madison Square
Garden to Jersey City az midnight. AL
ice, as usual, was chained 10 two Others.
This trio. with the trick elephant Tommy,
! brought up the rear. The eleThants In
| awkward procession, wabhied along
1 Twenty-seventh street to Seventh avenue
and thence along Twenty-third street TO
the ferry. After soaring the wits out Of
several milk-cart horses that had Just
come over, they cautiously felt their way
on to the ferry-bOat. Once safely on,
| Alice became ObstreperOus. and it looked
as II there was going TO be a row. but she
| quieted down almost Immediately. and
! thn uaagnOa ia Tnraav Cffv uaa UuuHa la