The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-12-08
ELEPHANT AND ENGINE.

| II is not only in south Africa, ana by
| statesmen who ought 10 know better,
| that the march OF civilization is op-
posed and obstinacy pettsd aga nst pro-
| gress. The elephant has many human
| qualities. and If tho story that comes
| TO Us from Perak one OF the Straits
| Settlements. be well founded, occasion
| ally shares with politicians hardly less
intelligent their prejudice against the
spirit OF the age, remarks the London
Scientist. 1t appears that big tuskcr,
which had long been an objact OF pur-
suit to the sportsmen OF that remote
district. wandered onto the railway line
and tried conclusions with the engine
OF a COOS train, charging it repeatedly,
and keeping mp the contest for nearly
an hour. Ine engine was reversed IN
lne-noDe lnaL-Ine Ladst would alloM
LnG tram to proceed. Dut as soon as
there was any attempt TO renew the
journey the elephant returne1 TO the
encounter and resumed lis obstructive
tactics. The driver was afraid TO
charge the brute, lest the train should
be thrown off the metals, and the con-
TEST might have gone on much longer
had not the elephant backed into the
engine and, setting its fore feet firmly
between the rails, endeayored 70 shove
the train backward with its hindquar-
ters.
lhe driver took advantage of the OPP
portunity and put on steam, gradually
forcing the beast OF the line In this
naneu uver one of The wheels of tne en-
gine went over the hind legs of the ami
NAL, whiCm Was put out OF It's misery
by the guand of a following passenger
train. This is not the first time that
the engine in question has encountered
an elephant on the line. Just about
five years ago, while Ii was drawing a
passenger train on dark night
through the heavy tropical forest, a
sudden a.ock was felt and the train
came to standstlll The engine and
tenGer were thrown off the metals and
half way down the embankment.
though, fortunately. they did not drag
the carriage after them. When the
driver, who had been pitched OF, went
back TO ascertain the cause Of the ac-
cident, he saw large bull elephant at
the bottom of the embankmsn mt on the
other side of the line. it died in
few minutes after the collision from the
violenr shock and loss of biood,its fore
leg having been shattered and a piece
of the trunk torn off. Beyond the fright
and the shock caused by the sud len
stopping OF the train. which, luckily,
was travelling at only fifteen miles an
hour. no injury resulted 10 any OF the
passengers. In the same month OF The
same year a similar accident occurred
on the Bengal -Nagpur railway In In
dia.
on "a pitch dark night n mail train
was running a the rate Of tr'enty-sev
miles an hour through cry thick
Jungle, which was known 10 hold wild
elephants The driver felt an obstruc-
ton. and attempted to reverse. but the
engine left the metals, dragging with II
brake van, the carriage OF the loco
motive superintendent and some other
carriages, but without causing injury
TO any OF the passengers or officials. At /
first IN was thought that the accident |
had been brought about by cattle /
straying on the line, but the officials /
soon found a dead elephant. Apparent 1
ly the animal had been crossing the
line Just as the train came up and had /
been struck by the enuine and hurled
down the bank. The agent Of the COM
pany sent nome one OF the tusks 10 b.
nut I'M i'm the board room az "A memorial
of the occurrence Thes instances OF
train being thrown of the line through
collision with an elephant show that.
while such accidents are pretty sure Ia |
be bad for the elephant" they are also
attended with considerable danger to
rolling stock. and even to human life
The latter consideration completes tho
analogy we have already drawn.