The morning call., 1892-05-28
AN ELEPHANT SWALLOWED.
Story of an Eyewitness Of Remark
able Incident in India.

able Incident in India.
New York Tribune.
"When I was in India" said the old
keeper, 4 learned good deal about ele-
plants never thinking that it would come
useful to me in Barnum's menagerIe IN
after years. Elephants are common beasts
of burden there, and on this day heavily
loaded one was crossing shallow put
| broad stream by wading. The sagacious
brute had refused to step on the badly con-
structed bridge which the natives had
erected: but MS instinct did not warn him
of dangerous quicksand which the water
concealed near the farther bank.
Il was attracted to tile scene by the
shouts of his owners. five Indian merchants,
whose wares he carried from one bazaar to
another. They did not know of the quick
sand and could not understand why their
elephant did not come out Of the stream
which he had almost crossed. When they
learned the predeament he was in their
hOWls of grief and despair were ear-split-
ting. | suggested that bundles of turf and
/ branches be thrown to the elephant and
this was done. The old fellow, seemingly
aware Of his danger, took each bundle with
| his trunk and thrust il under water. Then,
| with mighty effort, dragging up one foot
| out of the sucking sand, he would put II on
l
/ got a lot of them under him ia this way
with more skill and precision than YOU
would think possible; but the SOFT Sagd
! took them all in and still let him down
! farther into its depths.
His master procured a small boat and
/ poled il out 10 him. Then they took all his
! load Of goods of, put them in the boat and
brought Them ashore. This lessened his
/ weight good deal, but the sand was by
! that time up above his shoulders and soon
/ his entire back was covered by the water
! Only his head showed now and still the old
| fellow was the only calm and collected III
diyiGual in the crowd. | cannot help think
/ lng Of an elephant as person. No one can
! who has been with them and witnessed
/ their intelligence as much rs have.
COLLECTING some floating boards which had
/ been thrown out 10 him be made sort of raft
( OF them with his trunk, and rested his Big
/ head on them. 1t was no use, however. He
was doomed, and We knew it. Before long
the water covered his mouth. Then lie
/ lifted his long trunk and CURED il back
over his forehead. The water filed his
! ears ard be tapped them vigorously for a
time. Soon it reached his eyelaShes, and
! then his big burning eyes, just AZ the
/ waters edge, took on pitlable expression.
! They seemed to beSeech aid aud Succor
/ from those be had served so long and so
faithfully, and his masters fairly groyeled
In the dust as they yelled TO their gods and
/ way OF expressing sorrow. The tears came
! into nay own eyes as | looked at the old fei-
/ low and knew there was no help for him.
LAS the water covered his eyes his cUur-
/ age gave way at last and he uttered pierce
! ing shrek OF terror through the trunk and
repeated il several times. 1t made my
blood eurdIe l tell you. Have you heard
/ horses scream in a burning buiding2 It is
/ almost human. So was the old fellow S
death cry. The end was close at hand. His
! long trunk Sill waved wildly above the
] water, but nothing else of him was visible.
/ lis length grew less and less, and nIally the
water poured over the top Of it, One more
/ bubblng, choked, gaspiug scream threw
/ the water cut again into high jet but that
/ effort was the last The stream quickly
/ flied up bis only channel TO the air above,
! and the old elephant was buried before ne
/ was dead. l could have watched dozen
! natives swallowed up in the same way With
! out feeling half as bad about IT,"