The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-27
Eouasr AN ELRPaANr.
,,scx George Brown Held Frauchon
and Saved His Life.

From the NeE 10 Herald
ro,chon, the baby trick elephant, came
- silling herself and two men yesterday.
p-a5srs of the Herald remember how her
.n-ernrising spirit led her co climb upstairs
80 Coachman George Browns rooms over
-. stable at No. AZ East Fifty-seventh
street. ~
aid earth yesterday that her foot slipped,
~ she charged furiously and shot Herman
Reiche through the air.
Rnr for tae courage and steadiness of
George Brown, FanchOn would have killed
herself and him, and perhaps Herman
R7iche, too
An the morning carpenters had been
building two gangwAys three feet wide and
made chiefly OF heavy joists with cross
nisces of inch plank. The first gangway
% SWING from George Browns window
onward and downward to the top of
S-ick wall, ten feet high, which stood halt
cav between the stable and the sidewalk.
From here to the stable yard another and
similar gangway ran. Each was about
twentv feet long. These gaugways had no
side ratings They were braeed from the
ground by four upright and diagonally
placed beams.
o'clock the runways were firmly placed,
and George Brown sprinkled them with
resin which he had pounded fine with q
hammer. This was to keep Fauchon's feet
from slipping Both sashes had been taken
from the window TO make way for Fan
chon's outgoing.
AN EXCITED CROWD.
The crowd blocked Fifty Sc zenith street
from Third to Lexington avenue. 1t was
evenly divided in numbers between men,
bovs. girls aud women. Many of the wo-
-;od hah
carriages stood alongside the curb. Three
were private equipages, driven by luxu-
riously dressed coachmen. In the carriages
were women and children from over Fifth
avenue way. They had been waiting since
early breakfast time.
Every roof, every window and every
front stoop from which sight of the stable
front could be had was simply plastered
with people l suppose 1000 persons were
there for the free circus.
1t was not long past o'clock when man
walked down the upper gangplank and be-
sought the people to keep still when the
elephant came out.
';If you don't" said he, ''she is liable to
fall off and break ner neck" Then Rounds
man Bingham and four policemen drove
the crowd back from the outermost fence.
Once more the man begged for silence. He
got it,
Then came a nightmare down the plank.
The little gray elephant, rolling and weav-
ing, walked slowly down, but without
halting! moment. Leading her was Her
man Reiche. her owner, tall, fair-haired
young fellow, and George Brown, his
helper Brown is short, black negro,
maybe 35 or 40 years old and a very ordi-
nary looking man.
But after q moment there was seen in him
the kind of cool courage that makes heroes.
1t was an uncanny sight, that elephant walk
ing in the sky. Deiirium paints no welrder
&C ion. The men had short slaves, shod
with sharp steel hooks. These hooks were
thrust into Fanchon's ear and trnnk and
urged her along the narrow way, while
RelcAe and Bro n walked backward in ad-
va CO of her. The crowd scented danger
and made no sound.
FANCHoN'S BREAK.
Very slowly, but never pausing. the trio
approached the parting of the ways There
was little platform on the wall, perhaps
three feet square. Here Fanchon was ex>
pected to turn to the rightabout and con-
tinuet to the ground in the opposite direc-
ton.
The three reached the platform and
Reiohe tried to stop FanchoD. The little
elephant walked trife slower. Then she
saw the second gangway and tried to step
down to 1t without going so far as the plat
FORM Her left hind leg slipped and she
drew it up. Down it went again. She
trumpeted shrilly, and then her shrek
turned to thunderous roar as her leg
slipped once more.
With one wave Of her head she hurled big
young Herman Reiche far out off the wall.
As Reiche came to earth head first and with
an awful crash that those furthest off could
hear, the whole mass of people gasped in
sympathy.
May never hear such cry again The
crowd turned their heads-they were
already sick and swimming with horror-so
that they might not see the senseless man
crushed lifeleSs beneath the fallen beast
Twice have l come very near to losing my
life, but never have been so sickened with
panic. And that long drawn gasp of the
1000 people. 1t was desperate.
But right here is where the crowd forgot
to reckon on George Brown. He jabbed his
hook deep into Fanchon's trunk and tried to
and pain you might hear roars half a mile
away. She plunged twice, but Brown held
her fast. Here was a man in sore strait
On the fimsiest sort Of bridge thrown high
IN the air, struggling with fallen elephant,
maddened, crazed, Infatuated, believing and
thrashing wildly.
GEORGE BROWNS PLUCK.
Brown never lost his balance for an
instant. Steadily he held Fanchon's head
WIN That biting hook OF steel, regardless of
the fact that the next plunge might send
MN crashing on the tagged yard, with three
tons Of elephant on top Of him.
Beth her right legs slipped between the
gangways and the elephant was lying on
the lower one, holding fast with her left
legs, like boy Struggling fence Reiche
Jumped up, white faced and dazed by his
awful fail. Had he not landed on soft turf
MS neck must have cracked. So dazed was
ne that he ran about staring upward, like q
man all but knocked out in prize ring.
Then he put men to work rolling bales of
nay out OF the stable. Quickly they were
piled up under Fanchon, and when they
We're high enough George Brown drew out
his hook and she dropped down in safety.
Inc elephant was only little scratched
Herman Reiche was only little dazed, and
deorgs Brown was as cool and unruff1ed and
modest as if nothing had happened.
But was Hugo's man who fought the can
non any more of a hero than George Brown?