Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-22
TOOK CHARGE OFTHE SHIP.

TOOK CHARGE OF THE SHIP.
A Royp Bengal Tiger Kept Everyone
ON Board ut Bay.
An English noblemaH was the own.
er OF superb royal Bengal tiger, of
size aid appearance really majestic.
Not caring to keep the creature long.
er, he Iold him for large price to the
famous geological gardens at ANT.
werp. Some time afterward the di.
rector pf the 200" received a frantic
messaH from the captain Of 6 shin
which had just come into the harbor,
saying that he had on board a tige,
consiglhd to the director, but that the
animal haG several days before es.
capped from his cage and was at large
on the deck. The captain had sue
ceeded in getting sort Of barricade
erected across the deck. SO that the
sailors could go aloft and do other
necessary work. But the whole ships
company was under the terror of the
animal.
The Director. went with all haste to
the wafer side, and saw in the dis
lance the ship. which was, indeed,
bringing to him the splendid tiger of
the British lord. But the tiger was in
charge II the ship rather than the re-
verse. He could be seen pacing the
deck in a superb and lordly way that
indicated the consciousness of posses.
sion. Not q man was to be seen on
board
The director had the ship brought
up to the wharf. The tide was low
and the deck was so far below the
level Of the wharf that there seemed
to be no danger Of the tiger escaping
to land. The director got into COM
municatlon with the captain through
a port hole, and was informed by him
that men had been regularly sent aloft
to let down meat to the tiger by u
rope SO that the beast was actually
gorged with food. Nothing but over
feeding had kept the tiger from fall
Ing on some horses which were stabbed
on the deck, but the poor horses were
in place where no one dared to go
to tnen. and had neither food nor
water for several days.
The director and his assistants rig
ged sort of cage or box with drop
door held up by II string. which they
lowered to the deck Of the ship, huv-
ing first furnished it with tempting
bits OF fresh meat. But the tiger,
after shifting at these from the out
side of the trap, walked contempt
uously nwuy. He did not want any
thing to eat
Meantime the director said to the
captain: why didn't you shoot the
tiger rather than endanger the lives Of
your menu"
The captain laughed 1--WE should
have been glad enough to shoot him,"
he said, but we have no firearms on
board"
The director was determined now to
get the tiger off alive if he could. He
drew up the trap and baited it with
other sorts OF provisions, but the tiger
refused to go near them. A long time
was spent in Intellectual attempts to
coax the tiger into the trap. Mean
time the tide rose. bringing the deck
Of the vessel almost up to the level Of
the wharf. The crowd took to fight.
In Il few minutes the beast could
easily leap ashore. The prospect of
having a royal Bengal tiger loose in
the streets of Antwerp caused the
police to warn the director that the
animal must very soon be shot.
The director was Mt his wits end,
but small street boy helped him out
Of the emergency by very simple
suggestion. This boy. who had not
taken fight With the rest, said:
THE tiger isn't hungry, but per-
haps he might be thirsty" ....
The suggestion was acted on in
stantly. n tub Of water was placed
in the cage and lowered to the deck.
No sooner did the tiger, who had had
no water for some time, see the tub
than he rushed into the trap and be-
gan drinking eagerly. Then the door
was dropped and he was q prisoner.