The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1894-10-10
A LIVING CYCLONE.
How An Electrical Storm Affected an Eie-
phant Herd

y native Drought In word early In the
morning that II tiger had killed and half
eaten bullock Mt spot two miles away,
and after breakfast couple of us rode
over to sec about making an ambush for
thc night. The tiger had dragged the car
sass 200 feet from the spot where he had
madc his spring, and we found it lying
under tree. The ground for.'n distance Of
many rods was open, and constructing o
Platform in the tree we could not fail TO
scc tho tiger when ho came at night to
lnish his meal. During tho day the M
tivcs completed this work, and at sundowa
Colonel Fuller and took up our stations.
Tho platform was 16 feet from the ground.
Tho day had been terribly hot and close
ind when darkness came VIC witnessed n
clrious phenomenon "A Thunderstorm
Without thunder, wind or rain. Had we.
known what was coming we should of
course have remained In camp. We had
been ON the platform half an hour when
the first flash came, and during tho next
thrce hours thero was not period of
darkness lasting Il lve seconds 1t was as II
the whole country was on fro.
At . o'clock tho tiger emerged from d
thickct 40 rods away and advanced TO
within 30 feet of us. 1t needed but one
glance to show that he was badly fright
cncd. Ho crouchcd and trembled, looked
this way and that, ran TO and fro and
finally sat up and howled like dog He
was a fair mark, but neither of us moved
hand. We had the rifles covered up
with the blankets and were afraid to bring
them out. After fcw minutes the tiger
turned tail and bolted for tho Forest and
SO still was tho night that we could hear
him as he crashed through tho bushes d
quarter Of mile away Fifteen minutes
later tho colonel touched my arm and
pointed downward without a word.
looked over the edge of the platform and
counted five elephants standing In group
below us They had come up from the
north while VIC faced the south. but they
had made no more noise than SO many
jackals gliding about, and we knew they
were terribly frightened by tho electrical
display.
Five minutes after my first look four
moro elephants came UP, and tho new
comers were greeted with a sort Of moan
ing sound, and tho nine huddled together
like sheep cornered by dog. Ono of them
rubbed against tho trunk of the tree now
and then with such weight that we every
instant expected tho platform 10 be torn
apart, but fortunately for us the poles had
been well secured to the limbs by stout
crccpers Half an hour after our flrst
count there was herd of mt least 80 ele-
plants below us. Not one had been seen
In that locality for week, and these ami
mails must have been ON the move across
the country when the storm began.
Each and every one must have been
aware of our presence, but aside from lift
ing their trunks and uttering q sort OF
growl they did not menace us. From o to
10 o'clock not q word WAS exchanged be-
tween us on the platform. Soon after 10,
when the display seemed to grow even
more vivid, leaned forward to ask the
colonel how long he Thought 1t would last
A branch broke under me with q report
like u pistol, and then we witnessed some-
thing few men have ever had opportunity
to bchold-a stampede of elephants. At
the crack Of the limb every one of them
sounded o note Of alarm, and with cir
cling movement which made the earth
tremble they dashed away to the east.
We'll, we arc rid Of them" said to
the colonel
But heaven preserve our camp'' he
replied. They arc heading straight for
1t. and unless the men are wide awake not
one Of them will escape
1t was midnight before the storm ceased,
and 1t was broad daylight before we dared
climb down and make our way to camp.
The stampede of the elcphan had covered
front of 1b rods. They had turned aside
for nothing but the largest trees Small
trees ard bushes had been broken down or
uprOoted, and the path looked like that of
Cyclone. We had camp with four Off
GERS, 90 natives and 10 horses in 1t, with
wagon, a team of bullocks and provisions
for month. Two of the officers escaped
by leaping into ravine, and four of the
natives were saved by the trunks of large
trees. Two horses were found in the for
est next day, but all else went The ele-
plants had burst upon them like thun-
derbolt and charged right over the camp.
Tents, wagon, horses, bullocks, provisions
all had been trampled into the soft
earth, and with them 1S human beings.
We'found only fragments of them. The
elephants, mad with terror, must have
seized some of tho poor unfortunates and
whirled them about and dashed them
down. The six who had escaped with
their lives could tell us nothing except
that there was a sudden rush, mighty
trembling OF the earth, cry here and
there. 1t was all over in 30 seconds There
were splinters and fragments hero and
there, there were broken guns and bits OF
tent cloth and blankets, but of the outfit
not so much as water bottle or biscuit
escaped destruction. M. QUAD.