The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-31
WAYS OF THE EPHANTS.
q Very Small Eater for such . Large AMI

WAYS OF THE ELEPHANTS.
Z Very Small Eater for Such . Large AMI.
Considering the enormous strength
IN elephant is able TO exert for hours
1T q time, and the small amount OF
food necessary to maintain his i'm
mense energy, one realizes that in this
curious animal nature has provided a
most economical machine. y hundred
pounds of hay every twenty-four hours
Is all that en- elephant eats, with the
exception Of twenty-five pounds OF
bran every Sunday. Four horses eat
one hundred pounds of hay every day,
and require large quantity of oats
besides But one elephant will do
more work than twenty horses.
Many time in the history of tho
Barnum show it has happened in rainy
weather that the big rhinoceros
wagon, weighing seven tons, has sunk
| 30 deep in the mud that four teams OF
| eight horses each have strained vainly
| IN their harness trying to extricate it.
Then word has been sent to George
Conklin, the elephant trainer. and
Babe or Mandy has come shuffling up,
and with a single push from the base
of its trunk lifted the stranded wagon
out Of the mire. An elephant will do
| the work of a steam engine at a cost OF
| two dollars q day for fuel in the shape
of hay and all the water he wants to
drink
Although small eaters, elephants are
great drinkers, requiring about fifty
buckets of water each day. They are
usually watered at half-past seven
o'clock in the morning and two in the
afternoon. Three or four Of them are
led out at the same time and allowed
to drink from . large tub, into which
a hose discharges from a big water
cart. 1t Is a strange sight TO see them
drink. Tho long trunks are first low
cred into the water, which is sucked
up until they are full. Then the trunk
is curved back into the mouth, and the
water, amounting 10 about bucket
full is discharged into the big pink
cavern, usually without spilling drop.
Elephants are not only great water
drinkers, but they love 10 be In the
water, and can swim all day without
fatigue. When a circus is on the road
it is customary, whenever water Is
available, to let the herd enjoy wash
and a swim, the only trouble being
that IL is not always easy to get them
to leave the water. The keepers allow
ouly a few Of the animals TO swim at
one time, and adopt the precaution OF
keeping a chain fastened 20 one of the
legs, so that in case Of rebellion the
end Of this chain can be made fast 20
another elephant on the bank and the
sruant animal dragged ashore whether
he will or not
Although the elephant. are regular
water dogs, and can swim for many
miles without fatiRue, cold water
chills them very quickly and seems 20
overcome their powers An untortu-
nate instance of this sort occurred in
1857, when the winter quarters Of the
Barnum show at Bridgeport were de-
stroyed By FIRE
A great many Of the animals were
burned TO death. while others escaped |
into the surrounding country. among !
these latter being the elephant Rachel, |
who ran trumpeting down 20 tae 1
beach Wild with terror So frightened 1
was she tina. she plunged into The bay,
regardless OF the bitter season. and Be-
gan swimming straight out 70 sea
The lighthouse people saw her
plunginz along. q mile and a half out. I
but she soon bezan 20 swim feebly. 4
and presently her efforts relaxed. aud /,
sbe went down, overcome by The cold 4
Ire next morning her body drifted 4
ashore. and il still preserved IN TIE 4
Bridgeport museum
Wheu in TIE water elephants swim /
very low. s1d frequently ls. them .
seive. sink down entirely beneath the Z
surface They are toad OF spiAshinz
about with their trunks and blowing
CD great streams % water Ike fo1E-
tain4 A big elephant swim ming ous
~ sea might easily &c EaIstakea fer .
whale.
There Is more danger In taxing cArs
of elephants THAI - generally SUP
posed Strangers are especially liable
20 rnishsps. largely because they tkirx
the elephant Il much easier 20 uCcer-
stand than 10 really the car The dag
before Bs-nun's circus appeared II
New York last spring cue o! toe b.
elephants caught Dew land n La
trunk tvsis;e4 ans body between hls
huge :zs.s. snapps1g ia !eg. aud vita
a. easy toss hurled him sys-Es. TIE
<Al. of tie buii1iaz with s1eh violsEee
shs. the man Lag n Eos p.;@i .or t~o
taanths sfteruzrs-
"A experienced keeper rsrer '-usts
"a elephant or allows himself q &c
taken OF. as guard More tAs1 one
poor fellow. ns~ a. ,he buslEsss. hAs
paused in his WORK % feeding o. esran-
ing for chat with ; eozHpassoa- osly
% hare ,ks ,a-s o. zs-.->< .rs-s-.