The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-01-26
The STEAM
How 1t Terrified the Elephants and Broke
Up the Procession.

On the occasion of the famous CEN
tennial fete at Munich in 1888 Carl
Hagenbeck had with him a large
number of his pets" and on the day
of the grand procession was march
ing in it with eight elephants, walk
ing two and two. All went we'll until
the elephants came to Il point where
some one had been allowed to set up
an enormous sheet iron dragon, hide
ously painted, which at that moment
emitted a wild, brazen shrek and
began to belch forth flames and
sparks.
The four leading elephants took
fright and ran away headlong
through the procession and along the
crowded street. In vain Mr.. Hagen
beck called to them. The yells of the
dragon drowned his voice. The Gle
plants, too, were trumpeting almost
as loudly a. the steam dragon itself,
and the cutlery of all combined was
Immediately swallowed up by the
still greater uproar of the multitude
as the panic spread right and left.
IF ever / ran in my life" says
Mr. Hagenbeck, Il ran after those
elephants, for the four in the rear
had also taken alarm and made a
dash after their comrades. l was
more agile then than at present and
ran like a hound through, and, I
must add, over numbers of the good
people.
II actually caught up with the
runaway elephants as they plowed
through the throng. The two fore
most were chained together, and
running in between them as they
forged ahead I caught hold of the
chain and shouted then to each by
name, ordering them to stop. 1t was
useless. They were too panic stricken
to heed me In vain l entreated and
commanded them. On they ran,
trumpeting shrilly.
"At every instant I was in the ut
most danger of being trodden on or
crushed to death betwixt them as
they swayed together. Still l kept
hold of the chain, talking to them,
trying to calm them, for I knew that
1t was a very serious matter and that
many persons had been already in
jured.
For a mile or more we rushed on.
My breath vas nearly exhausted. At
length, at the turn Of the street, I
contrived to halt them in front of
the walls of a house, against which l
was nearly crushed to death. Here
l should have gained the ascendancy
over my charges but for the sense
less shouts Of the crowd and the
shrieks of women from the windows
over our heads. The cutlery started
them off again faster than before.
"At last, utterly exhausted, I lost
my hold on the two leaders and fell
out behind them, but fortunately
escaped being trodden on. l was
quite spent and more dead than alive.
"a few hundred yards farther on
the two leading elephants, now
worse terrified than ever, rushed
boldly into a public house beside the
street, the double doors of which
stood wide open and very lofty. The
house was full of people, most of
whom had no opportunity to escape.
1.-THE two elephants ran in among
them, crushing several unfortunates
under their feet, and to complete the
tragedy two others of the eight
crowded blindly in after them. Then
the floor gave way, precipitating ele-
plants and people into the cellar
Ach, that was a dreadful sight!
MANY were hurt, and some were
killed outright. l lost two of my
elephants. AS was natural, a great
hue and cry was raised against me,
and a long winded police investiga-
ton followed. After a great deal of
testimony had been taken, the blame
was finally placed where it belonged,
on the fiery dragon, and I was &C.
quilted.
"They have erected a new public
house on the site of tho old one and
given it the name of the Four Wild
Elephants. "-Philadelphia Times.