The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-03-04
Brula Takes a Ride.

As The Warrtn accommodation train
o. the Eldred & Southeast Branch rail-
road was passing through Wilder's cut,
a deep aud narrow passage through the
rocks ten miles east Of this station, En-.
gineer Dan Elwood saw bear come into
the cut at the western end. only twenty
yards away. The bear appeared sudden
" around the edge Of the rocks, and
stopped on the track facing the engine.
1t seemed to be paralyzed at the sight of
the locomotive rushing toward it, and he
stood motionless until the engine was
almost upon il. when it arose on its hind
feet. The train was running at the rate
of fifteen miles an hour. Instantly on
seeing the bear on the track the engineer
shut down steam, but the distance was
too short for the speed of the train to be
reduced much, and the pilot plowed its
way under the bear, the. sharp point
passing between the animal 8 widespread
legs.
Elwood turned on full force Of steam
and the fireman climbed out of the cab
window and ran along the guard rail to
the front If the engine for 3 peep at old
bruin. He was then lying on his belly
on the cowcatcher, his head almost
touching the headlight. Both hind feet
were firmly planted bet Seen the lower
bars Of the pilot, one on each side of the
tip, and his forelegs were tightly hug
ging the bars at the top. The collision
had evidently left the bear uniDjured.
II Was plain tina, he did not Intend to
take any chances by voluntarily getting
of the engine while it was in motion,
and the engineer concluded to run into
Olcut and trust TO good luck for the 6nal
capture of the bear.
Station Agent Dick Jacobs stood in the
depot door at this place when the train
came rolling in, and the sight Of a bear
chnging TO a COW catcher WAS such sin
gulsr spectacle that he stood in amaze
ment with mouth and eyes wide open,
unable to move or speak. When the
train came TO full stop the bear saw its
opportunity to escape from its perilous
position and it took advantage of the cir
cumstances. The engineer at this time
was directly opposite the door of the
station, and only the sight of bruin max
ing tracks for liberty awakened Jones
from his mute-like and motionless con-
diiun. The engineer called loudly for
some body to get gun. The station
agent became thoroughly aroused and be
started down Dorr street shouting at the
top Of his voice: "Bear Bear Bear"
The engineer and his fireman Joined
in the chase to capture the bear, which
ran to Longs Hotel, jumped up on the
piazza, and, after giving several of the
guests good fright, started off toward
CAdy creek. A crowd quickly gathered
and pursued the bear and pelted him
with stones as they ran. On Cady street
John Cameron's big shepherd dog
b nnded out of the yard and attacked
brIin with much tierceness. The battle
between dog and bear continued about
one minute. The dog was an easy vic
tin, and his death followed. The bear
continued, and was not far from the
creek when Lawyer Giles Beers appeared
or the roadway with a double barreled
rife. He headed eff bruin, and the ami
NAL attempted to eseape by turning off
into a small alley eadir g to Gully's stable.
The alley stopped there and bruin was
caught He made q bold attempt TO
fight his way back, however, and raised
up on his hind paws, ready to attack any
person who interfered. But Beers had
arrived at the entrance of the alley, and
ne promptly emptied the contents of
both barrels into bruins breast. He
dropped on all fOurs. The crowd push
ed near the dying bear, but the sight of
the people at short range stirred up his
anger, and with desperate effort he
turned upon them for last attack. The
crowd turned, and a rush was made for
Aitt SltiahtC W bhC dtiSg. III buto SOCuc
of excitement and confusion John Car
mody, twelve years old, was thrown
down, and his leg was broken. Beers
was the coolest man in the crown. He
slipped another cartridge into his rifle,
and before the bear could do any damage,
had sent a third bullet into bruin. 1t
crashed through his head, and he fell
over dead. He weighed three hundred
pounds.
1t was not until the bear had been
killed that Engineer Elwood and his
fireman remembered that train load of
Passengers we're at the depot waiting for
the train to continue its journey. 1t was
then twenty minutes late, and it is prob
ably that the bear hunt will be an ex-
pensiye one to the engineer and fire.
man.-N. I. Sun.