The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-14
A. LIVING CYCLONE.
How An Electrical Storm Affected an Flo
phRnt Herd.

a native brought in word carly In the
morning TINT tiger had killed and half
eaten u bullock at II spot two miles away,
and after breakfast couple of IFS rodo
over TO SEQ about making an ambush for
tho night. The tiger had dragged tho car
cass 200 feet from tho spot whore ho had
made his spring, and We found 1t lying
under u trcc. Tho ground for distance of
many rods was open, and constructing n
platform in tho tree wo could not fail to
sec tho tiger when he came at night to
finish his meal. During the day tho ma
tivcs completed this work, and mt shutdown
Colonel Fuller and 1 took up our stations.
The platform was Is feet from the ground
The day had been terribly hot and close,
and when darkness came we witnessed
curious phenomenon thunderstorm
without thunder, wind or rain. Had we
known what was coming wo should of
course have remained In camp. We had
been on the platform half an hour when
the first flash camo, and during tho next
three hours there was not IL period of
darkness lasting five seconds It was US If
the whole country was OH fire.
At 8 o'clock tho tiger emerged from a
thickot 40 rods away and advanced to
within 90 feet of us. 1t needed but one
glance to show that no was badly fright
cncd. He crouchcd and trcmblcd, looked
this way and TINT, ran to and fro and
finally sat up and howlcd like u dog He
was II fair mark, but neither of us moved
Il hand. We had tho rifles covered ur
with tho blankets and wore afraid to bring
them out. After u fow minutes the tiger
turned tail and boltcd for the forest and
SO still was tho night that we could hen,
Ia, l., ,I...l l
quarter of II milo away Fifteen minutes
later tho colonel touched my arm and
pointed downward without word
looked over the edge of tho platform and
counted five elephants standing in n group
below us. They had como up from the
north while we faced tho SOUTH but they
had madc no moro noise than so many
jacllals 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 the new
concrs wcro greeted with Il sort of moan.
ing sound, and the nine huddlcd together
like sheep corncrcd by dog. Ono of them
rubbed against the trunk of the tree now
and then with such weight that we every
instant expected the platform to be torn
apart, but fortunately for us the poles had
been we'll secured to the limbs by stout
crccpers. Half an hour after our first
count there was u herd of at least 30 clc-
plants below us. Not ono had been seer
in that locality for week, and these ami
mails must have been on the move across
the country when tho storm began.
Each and every one must have been
aware of our presence, but aside from lift.
ing their trunks and uttcrng II sort O!
growl they did not menace us. From tC
10 O'Clock not Il word was exchanged be
tween us on the platform. Soon after 10,
when the display seemed to grow even
more vivid, I leaned forward to ask the
colonel how long he thought it would last
a branch broke under me with II report
like Il 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 note of alarm, and with cir.
cling movement which made the earth
trcmblc they dashed away to the cast
''Wcll, wo arc rid of thcm,' 1 said tc
the colonel
But heaven preserve our camp' he
replied They are heading straight for
1t, and unless the men are wide awake not
ono OF them will escape"
1t was midnight before the storm ceased,
and it was broad daylight before we dared
climb down and make our way to camp.
The stampede of the elephants had covered
front of 10 rods. They had turned aside
Cor nothing but the largest trees Small
trees ard bushes had been broken down or
uprootcd, and tho path looked like that of
cyclone. We had II camp with four oil
GERS. 20 natives and 10 horses in it, with
wagon, team of bulocks and provision.
for il month. Two of the officers escaped
by lcaping into ravinc and four of the
natives were saved by tho trunks of large
trees Two horses We're found in the for.
est next day, but all else went. The Gle
plants had burst upon them like thun.
dcrbolt and charged right over the camp.
Tents, wagon, horses, bulloclls, provisions
all had been tramplcd into the soft
c"rih, and with them IS human beings
We found only fragments of them. The
elephants, mad with terror must have
seized some OF the poor Unfortunatcs ANA
whlrcd them about and dashed them
down. The six who had escaped with
their lives could tell us nothing except
that there was sudden rush, IA mighty
trembling of the Garth n cry here and
there. 1t WAS all over in 30 seconds There
were splintcrs and fragments here and
there, there Were broken guns and bits ui
tent cloth and blankets, but of the outfit
not so much as a water bottle or IL biscuit
escaped destruction. NJ. QUAD.
Picture of Webster.