The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-06-23
ELEPHANT AND ENGINE.
The Fate of n Big TuSker That Tried
to Push n Locomotive
backward.

It is not only in South Africa. and by
Statesmen who ought to know better,
that the march of civilization is opposed
and obstinacy 0itted against progress.
The elephant mas many human quail.
ties, and if the story that comes to us
from Perak, one of the Straits settle.
ments. be well founded, occasionally
shares with politicians hardly less in
telligent their prejudice against the
spirit of the age. 1t appears that a big
tusker which had long been an object
of pursuit to the sportsmen of hat re.
mote district wandered on to the rail.
way line and tried conclusions with the
engine of q goods train. charging it re.
peatedly and keeping up the contest
for nearly an hour. The engine was
reversed in the hope that the beast
would quit the field and allow the
train to proceed; but just as soon as
there was any attempt to renew the
journey the elephant returned 10 the
encounter and resumed its obstructive
tactics. The driver was afraid TO charge
'"S 80 nv i"ih shOuit W
thrown off the metals; and the contest
might have gone on much longer haG
o the elephant backed into the en-
CINE. and. setting its fore feet firmly be-
tween the rails, endeavored to shove
the train backward with its hind quar-
tiers.
The driver took advantage of the op
portunity and put IN steam, gradually
forcing the beast off the line. In this
maneuver II of the wheels of the en-
CINE went over the hind legs of the ami,
NAL, which was put'ou of its misery
By the guard of a following passenger
train. This is not the first time that
the engine in question has encountered
ar elephant on the line. Just about five
years ago. while it was drawing a pas.
senger train on a dark night through
the heavy tropical forest. a sudden
shock was felt and the train came to 6
standstill. The engine and tender were
thrown off the metals and half way
down the embankment, though fortu.
nately they did not drag the carriages
after them. When the driver, who ha6
been pitched off, went back to ascertain
the cause OF the accident he saw a large
bull elephant at the bottom of the EN-.
bankment at the other side of the line.
1t died a few moments after the COLI
sion from the violent shock and loss of
blood. its off fore leg having been shat.
tered and a piece of the trunk torn off
Beyond the fright and shock caused by
the sudden stopping of the train. which.
luckily, was travelling at only Is miles
an hour, no injury resulted to any Of
the passengers. In the same month OF
the same year a similar accident oc-
Cured on the Bengal-Nagpur railway
in India.
On a pitch-Gark night a mail train
was running at the rate of 81 miles an
through a very thick jungle which
was known 10 hold wild elephants. The
driver felt an obstruction and at.
tempted to reverse. but tie engine lef.
the metals. dragging with it a brake
van. the carriage of the locomotive SUI
perintendent and some other carriages.
but without causing injury to any of
the passengers or officials. At first it
was thought hat the accident had been
brought about by cattle straying on the
line. but the officials soon found n dead
elephant. Apparently the animal had
been crossing the line just as the train
up and had been struck by the |
and hurled down the bank. The
agent of the company sent home one of
the tusks to be put up in the board
room as a memorial of the occurrence.
These instances of a train be.ug thrown
off the line through collision with an
elephant show that. while such acct
dents are pretty ure 10 be bad for the
they are also attended with
danger to rolling stock.
and even to human life. The latter con-
completes the analogy we
have already drawn.-Lordop Stand.
ard.