The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-08-03
ELEPHANTS IN CAPTIVITY.
Easy to Keep In Health, But Hard to
Handle.

Although small eaters, elephants are
great drinkers, requiring about so buckets
of water each day. They are usually wat
cred at 730 o'clock in the afternoon
Three or four of then are led out at the
same time, and allowed to drink from a
large tub into which hose discharges from
a big water cart. 1t is a strange sight to
see them drink. The long trunks are first
lowered into the water, which is sucked up
until they alc full. Then the trunk is
cur, ed back into the mouth, and the water,
amounting to about bucketful is dis
charged into the big pink cavern, usually
without splitting drop.
Elephants are not only great water
drinkers, but they love to he in the water
and can swim all day without fatigue.
When a circus is on the road it is GUS
tomary, whenever water is available, to let
the herd enjoy a wash and swim, the
only trouble being that it is not always
easy to get them to leave the water. The
keepers allow orly few of the animals to
swim at one time, and adopt the precaution
legs so that in case of rebellion the end of
this chain can be made fast to another ele-
plant on the bank and the truant animal
dragged ashore whether he will or no.
Although elephants are regular water
dogs and can swim for many miles without
fatigue, cold water chills them very quickly
and seems to overcome their powers. An
unfortunate instance of this sort occurred
in 1887, when the winter quarters of the
Barnum show at Bridgeport were destroyed
by fire. A great many of the animals were
burned to death, while others escaped into
the surrounding country, among these lat
ter being the elephant Rachael, who ran
lrumpeting down to the beach wild with
terror. So frightened was she that she
! plunged into the bay, regardless of the bit
ter season, and began swimming straight to
Sea.
The lighthouse people saw her plunging
along II mile and half ont, but she soon
/ began to swim freely and presently her
efforts relaxed and she went down, over
come by the cold. The next morning her
body drilt"d ashore, and is still preserved
il the Bridgeport museum.
When in the water elephants swim very
low and frequently let themselves sink
down entirely beneath the surface. They
are fond of splashing about with their
Trunks and blowing up great streams of
water like fountains. A big elephant
swimming out at sea might easily be mis-
taken for whale.
There is more danger in taking care of
elephants than is generally supposed.
Strangers are especially liable to misllaps,
largely because they think the elephant is
much easier to understand than is really
the case. The day before Barnums circus
opened in New York last spring, one of the
big elephants caught new hand in his
trunk, twisted his body between his huge
tusks, snapped his ley, and with an easy
toss hurled him against the wall of the
building with such violence that the man
lay in a hospital for two months afterward.
An experienced keeper never trusts an
elephant or allow himselfs to be taken off
his guard. More than one poor fellow new
at the business has paused in his work of
feeding or cleaning for chat with com
panion only to have his talk or laughter
interrupted by "A sudden seizure in the
powerful trunk, an experience no man ever
forgets if he survives it.
Old trainers say that the attendants
sometimes make the mistake of being too
kind to elephants. 1t is always dangerous
for keeper to give dainties to his elc-
plants, and even the general public in do
ing so are fortunate in having a railing
between themselves and the formidable
trunks. The elephants have retcntivc
memories, and having once received an
apple or handful of peanuts from person,
they expect the same attention when that
person passes again. And not receiving it,
they are apt to reach out their trunks in
well-meant but dangerous reminder.
\ new keeper, for instance, having been
in the:habit of giving an elephant some
tidbit, passes.by huniedly, intent on some
thing else, and forgets his usual attention.
But the elephant does not forget. Out
shoots the ponderous trunk. The animal
means no harm, perhaps, but the result is
that the. keeper has several ribs broken, his
spine fractured Or his internal organs de-
ranged. There is much similarity be
tween an elephants well-meant caress and
the blow of a pile-driver.