New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
A MENAGERIE IN A BLIZZARD
THE COLD WAVE In CENTRAL PARK

When tho cold wave came down the city last
wednesday night and swept over Central Park, good
portion Of 1t caught In Dr. Diapers weather cups
which revolve the Arsenal and fingered there
longer than In other parts Of tho CITY, The Keepers
who get up sunrise look after the animals found
that everything outside the buildings that would freczo
had become solid rock on Thursday morning
Within the buildings where the tempera IS kept at
tropical figure, the lions and jackals shvored II an
outer door was left ajar for = moment Tho eagles
nodded on their pcrches, and the ducks and swans
rolled up like balls Of feathers coat
ing Of white several inches thick that would bear
the weight Of dozen men, had formed during tho
night tho pool In which the ducks swim There
two Bag round holes in tho Ice, and looking out
Of these holes two sleeklooking heads, with
brilliant black eyes that winked placIdly ct Keeper
Donahuo out Of the 10y framework
"what arc they doing therei Did they get frozen
In :" asked carly visitor,
ooh. no. they're all right" replied tho keeper
Thems Billy and Fan, tho lions. That's tho way
they 60 to bed at night when It's cold You SEQ,
when the thor nometer gets down to zebra'the keep
or evidently mistook for o geological term" the
sea lions can't stand 1t and they takes to the water
which is warmer than tho air and soft any feather
bed They lie there and sleep all night with Jest
thoir heads or noses sticking out"
Over the prairie dog Enclosure the snow had drifted
and filed tho of the burrows. The dogs
have boon sleeping snugly In their nests Of hay, six
feet below the surface, since the middle Of November
and will not wake up until April All but tho hardest
animals placed under shelter during the cold
weather The group Of buffalo awake this
cold morning the keepers, and alto their
breakfast cVmpacently though 1t . mild
spring morning
"1hey don't mind cold weather." remarked the
keeper You couldn't freeze em death any more'n
you could roast out Crowley, the chImpanzee Pve
xufth
at about 125 degrees, AN he wouldn't sweat much
as fly. lilo seemed to Like It. But III show you
tho animals that likes cold weather That's Tom and
jerry, the Polar bears up there In the bear pit A
good blizzard makes em risky pair Of kittens"
THE POLAR BEARS LIVELY.
Tho Polar bears appeared to DO In a frstrate humor
Their gray eyes sparhed with fire, and they tumbed
and tossed and boxed with each other II they had
been imbIblng early morning lnvigorator. They
had broken through the ice In their tank and every
lew minutes Tom or Jerry would himself In the
water and come out putting and steamng as If emery
Ing from Turkish bath, while tho water dripping
from his long white fur turned to drops Of Ice In the
cold In the adjoining section Of the bear pit
three black bears and young grizzly. The cold
weather had made them sleepy and they were packed
away in the OF the at the end Of the pit,
their heads concealed and tho looking like great
pack OF fur rugs. Tho Polar bears which Director
odd They are now about half grown and are thirty
ing vigorously
keeper, because It's ben warm, and they've got
diSgusted like with the weather Tom would sit up
on his hind legs for hours munchlng up clcle, and
looking sorrowfully at them weather fxn's top Of
tho Arse s ana , saying as plain as could be
On cold stormy si, they wouldn't go to bed at all,
but Jest stayed trisking and growing about In the
snow. When blizzard Is coming they tell
well as any barometer, and Jorry-sbe'n jump into
ho tank and splater the water all over the floor of
times"
"wel. We don't go up and pat em on the back
much All bears Is tricky and don't like fondln',
at distance, but II you close they're ugly. Them
Is CROWN big and he won't stand any fooing When
tho sun comes out good and strong they'll be up
tho rocks expect they'd go in and sleep through the
cold weather We don't let people get too close to
hem though the bears look very gentle when they're
playn'."
" Havo you had any accidents with thcmi'
THE BEARS HAD TENDER MEAL
"There was little accident couple Of weeks ago
when there was big crowd one warm day around the
pit. Ono woman standing above the cage dropped
down her baby. She gave awful yell 1t fell
down through the bars Into tho bear pit. The way
them bears skinned down tho rocks and slid down tho
polo caution. That big black jumped on
tho baby first, but the grizzly right onto him.
Ho stuck out his paw and pulled leg right off the
baby, and before 1t had time to squeal snapped her
| head right"
"You didn't let the bears eat the child right up
| before your eyes1'
| "What could you dol Before you could say Jack
Robinson they'd pulled her to pieces, and every TELLER
of them had piece OF the dress, an arm or an ear
| The woman Q screaming IS II she would have q
fit and tho crowd scared to deathbnt It was only
ono of them babies; though the woman said her
little girl had Just got It for her Christmas, believe
| President
The only inmate of the menagere who has not taken
kindly the cold weather IS the Demonstration This
| optlle is South American specimen, about fifteen
feet long, and has belonged to the menagerie
torpid state during the winter, eating little Last
winter tho boa kept up his meals regularly, but kind
OF spring fever took possession Of him when the win
ter over, and in May he stopped eating entirely
and he has not taken square meal since He con,
| timed lively until the cold weather set In ana since
| then has been getting torpid
ABATH TAKES THE PLACE OF DINNER.
On Thursday Mr.. Conkn filed q small tank with
| fresh warm mill: which had been boiled Two OF the
keepers then entered the cage and lifted the snake by
the back and placed him in tho warm milk The tank
was then covered in way to prevent the boa from
getting out and no was allowed to remain In the MILK
| for twenty four hours.
He Will probably swallow some OF it, remarked
Mr. Conbn and will absorb a considerable quantity
| through his body. l shall have the bath repeated
every few days for time and then II the boa wants
TO 20 to sleep he viii have something in his stomach
1t is likely, however. that he will get up an appetite
I'm tho course OF a week The largo snakes very often
60 without food for several months, even six months
but have never known before to fast as long as
nine months. and fear that may lose TINS one
smstenance from tho atmosphere during fast TO Keel
them alive Probably the system OF the snake !
adapted to this fast as that of many OK the mamma
"a. enabling them to hibernate during the wlnfe
months" -, ,.,..
All tho animals OF tho Menagsrlo are In good health
and 10 there were moro room for them TO move aDou
In Mr. COpklin Is confident that the height OK ANNA
| Hiss and crnientmont might be attained by them
now THEY TRANSLATED IT.
ntown Is Of using the quaint aborevs