The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-19
They Took a Bath
ELEPHANTS ARE CERTAINLY
GREAT SWIMMERS.
viii Be Here Next Wednesday
The Narrow Escape Had by the Sells
Floto Herd In Snake River at
Idaho Falls, Ida,

well-known travelling man tells the
following interesting story in Helena,
Montana, paper of recent date.
"'The arrival in Helena today of the
Sells-Floto circus reminds me of one of
the most spectacular events | have ever
seen said Bennie *. Loeb, the we'll
known travelling man. who makes his
headquarters In this city.
NV itinerary took me TO Idaho
Falls. Idaho, last week, on the same day
that the circus was scheduled for that
city. The day was windy-in fact, so
great WAS the velocity of the wind that
the tent was almost blown down And |
am coming 10 the point of the story
now. | have read accounts that the
wind was responsible for the stampede
of the elephants, but this was not the
case,
1.-The elephants were being taken out
for d bath in "a canal near by, and so
thoroughly had they been trained that
only one man accompanied them, The
elephants waded across the canal. and
there being no one to turn them. they
proceeded TO the banks of the Snake
river. The river at this point is very
swift, and runs between solid walls Of
rock which stand twenty-five feet above
the water level
The elephants saw the water below,
and, evidently seized with desire for
swimming, jumped over the cliffs The
current is said to be the swiftest TO be
found in existence, and there is no way
oil escaping once in the water between
the walls, Not few persons, cows and
horses have fallen over these walls. and
not one of them has ever escaped with
his life.
The town was crowded with visitors.
and the whole community was quite ma
turally much interested In the outcome
The animals were very valua BILE, being
held at $4,000 by the owners, and the
fact that no person or animals had ever
escaped death after falling in the swift,
deep stream, made the situation A tense
one.
Along with the others, | rushed to
the top of the precipice, and could see
but little of the hounderiug animals. At
one moment 1T would be a foot, then n
back, and then n trunk. That an ele-
phant is a powerful swimmer was dem
onstrated beyond all doubt, however, as
al escaped through the channel to the
flats below. and crawled out safely.
After emerging from the waters the
animals were greatly excited. They were
finally captured the tents were packed
and the circus left the town none the
worse for wear, but rich in experience.
The circus manager told ME that the
animals were worth $4,000, but that
/ WHcn ne SdW WHeTc JneN naQ 1allon and
INTO such turbulent stream. he would
not have given one dollar apiece for
them
This entire herd of Sells -Floto per
forming elephants are doing their regu-
lar work daily with the big show, and
seem to feel no worse after their most
remarkable adventure Herr Christopeh
Zeitz, their trainer, will be pleased TO
| tell you all about this wonderful picnic
in the water, for he says truly:
Elephants are certainly great
swimmers.
The big show, entire, complete in
every detail, with monster morning
parade, Will exhibit at Salt Lake City
next Wednesday.
Better arrange your plans to 90, as it
will be the only large circus that will
visit here this year, and none better will
come any time.
A downtown office for the sale of
tickets and seats will be open show dav
at Smith s drug store, and prices will
he the same as charged on the show
grounds.