The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-09
ELEPHANT AND ENGINE.
Fate Of the Beast Which Tried to Push
Locomotive Backward.

1t is not oaly in South Africa, aud
by statesmen wto ought to know
better ,tnat the n arch OF evil cation ls
opposed snd obstinacy ptted against
progress. The elephant has many
human qualities, and, if the story
that comes to Us from Perak, one Of
the Straits Settlements, be well
founded, occasionally shares with
politicians hardly less intelligent
their Pre- cjndce against the spirit Of
the age. ltappears that a big tus-
ker, which had long been al OBJ CT
of pursuit TO the sportsmen OF that
rem ote district, wandered on to the
railway line and tried conclusions
with the engine of goods train,
charging it repeatedly, and keeping
up the contest for nearly an hour.
The engine was reversed IN the hope
that the beast would quit the field
ard allow the train to proceed, but as
soon as there was any att mp to re.
new the journey the elephant return6 d
70 the encounter and resumed It's OBJ
struotive tactics. The driver was
atraip TO charge the brute, lest the
train shoul I be thrown IF the metals
and the contest might have gone on
much longer had cot the elephant
backed into the engine and setting It's
forefeet firmly between the rails, en-
desvored to shove the train back
nth hid
The driver took advantage of the
opportunity and put on steam, grad
ually forcing the beast off the line.
10 this msneuver one OF the wheels
Of the engine went over the hind legs
Of the animal, which WAS put out of
its misery by the guard Of \ following
passengers train. This is not the first
time that the engine IN question has
encountered An elephant on the line
Just obout five years ago, while 1t
was drawing passenger train on a
dark night through the heavy tropI-
csl forest. a sudden shock was felt,
and the train came TO standsull
The engine and tender were thrown
of the metals and hslf way down the
embsnkment, though fortunately,
hey did not drag the carriages after
them. When the driver. who had
been pitched eff, went back to ascer.
tain the cause of the accident, he
saw large bull elephant at the bot
tom Of the embankment on the other
side of the line. 1t died few min.
utes after the collision from the vic.
lent shook and loss of blood, its of
foreIeg having been shattered and a
piece of the trunk torn eff
10 the same month of the same
year a similar accident occurred on
the Bengal Nsgpur Railway in India
On pitch dark night mail train
was running at the rate OF q miles
an hour through very thick jungle
which was known to hold wild ele'
plants. The driver felt an obstruc
tion and attempted to reverse, bat the
engine left the metals dragging with
ii brake van, the carriage Of the
locomotive superintendent and some
other carriages, but without causing
injury to any of the passengers or Of
icials. At first it was thought that
the accident had been brought about
by cattle strsying on the line, but the
officials soon found dead elephant.
Apparently the animal had been
crossing the line just as the
train came up, Ind had been
struck by the engine and buried
down the bsnk. The agent of the
company sent home one of the tusks
to be put up in the board room as a
mem orial Of the occurrence.