The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-01-05
THE E DRAGON.
Now 1t Terrified the Elephants and Broke
w the Procession.

Up the Procession.
On the occasion of the famous Gen.
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 a 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 MI. Hagen
beck called to them. The yells of the
dragon drowned his voice. The ele-
plants, too, were trumpeting almost
as loudly as the steam dragon itself,
and the outcry of all combined was
Immediately swallowed up by the
still greater uproar of the multitude
as the panic spread right and left.
"If ever 1 ran in my life," says
Mr.. Hagenbeck, II 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,
Il 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 l 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,
t%rumpeting shrilly.
"At every instant l 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 | knew that
it was a very serious matter and that
many persons had been already in.
jured.
For a mile or more we rushed on,
My breath was nearly exhausted. Al
length, at the turn of the street,
contrived to halt them in front o.
the walls of a house, against which
was nearly crushed to death. Her,
l should have gained the a%scendancy
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
f them off again faster than before.
r AT last, utterly exhausted, l lost
my hold on the two leaders and fel
. out behind them, but fortunately
escaped being trodden on. l wa.
quite spent and more dead than alive
"A few hundred yards farther OF
the two leading elephants, nov
' worse terrified than ever, rushed
c boldly into a public house beside thu
street, the double doors of which
, stood wide open and very lofty. Thu
t house was full of people, most 0
whom had no opportunity to escape
1.-The two elephants ran in anon!
them, crushing several unfortunate
under their feet, and to complete tn
5 tragedy two others of the eigh
crowded blindly in after them. Thel
< the floor gave way, precipitating ele
$ plants and people into the cellar
Ach, that was a dreadful sight!
Many were hurt, and some wer,
killed outright. l lost two of m,
elephants. AS was natural, a grea
hue and cry was raised against me
and a long winded police investiga
' ton followed. After a great deal o
i testimony had been taken, the blam
r was finally placed where it belonged
d or the fiery dragon, and l was &C
quilted.
"They have erected a new publ
house on the site of the old one an
y given it the name of the Four Viii
Elephants. "-Philadelphia Times,