Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-01
Atiseeltanruus Reaaing
ELEPHANT AND TRAIN IN DUEL
A Fight to the Death on Railway In
India,

| p Fight to the Death on railway W
l.. India.
LONDON. Feb. 2O.-A visitor in the
London offices of the Chota- Nagpul
railroad of India the other day motto
ed big framed picture in an obscure
corner. 1t seemed different from 9TH
ers on the walls, which were mere de-
signs Of bridges and locomotives, with
! plans and gradients on blue linen.
He walked over and beheld six pho
tographs, seeming to tell an interest
ing story. They were mounted togeth-
er in one large frame. The visitor
could see an elephant and a train of
the track.
Here" he thought, "is something
worth investigating. I'll ask one OF
the directors about It."
He did so and this is the story the
director told:
1--WE are humdrum people," he said
"and care little for matters outside oul
freight Of sugar and cotton, silk and
timber and pilgrims. But those pho
tographs record an unusual event.
zone September night the up mai
left Chakardharpore for Nagpur al
500. There is a big railroad commu'
nifty here, and the train was we'll found
in every respect.
There were three or four passen.
ger coaches, and some freight cars full
of grain, oilseeds, stone, lime, lac
hides, silk, cocoons and sabhoi grass
There were also a few pilgrims or
their way to Puri, the city Of Jugger,
naut-chiefy fighting Khols.
"All went we'll until Goilkera sta
ton was passed at 9.15. This Is one
of our principal timber exporting COM
munities, especially for railroad sleep
ers.
Between Goilkera and Manharpul
stations our line enters a district
known as Saranda Of the Seven Hun.
dred Hills. These hills form the wa
tershed between the rivers Brahminee
and Subanrika.
"They are heavily timbered and the
whole country is as wild as 1t can be
It is, in fact. one vast mass of jungle
which extends almost continuously
from the southern portions of the
state of Koonghur on the south to the
edge Of the Ranchi plateau on the
north.
-Four miles from Goilkera the line
as you can see on that map over there
passes through the Saranda tunnel
and beyond this It is a paradise Of big
game-elephant, tiger, bear bison
spotted deer and sambhur. From the
tunnel the grade is in 100 downward
to the Karo river, on the opposite side
Of which is a high. approach bank
ending in a cutting. Now I am going
to get you our engineers report"
so saying the director produced II
from his desk and read:
1T was proceeding steadily down the
grade. at 81 miles an hour. 1t was
pitch dark night as ran through the
Saranda jungles.
Immediately after I had crossed
the Karo bridge I felt violent OBJ.
structive shock. tried to reverse and
put on my brakes. My engine kept
the rails at first, but few seconds la
ter she was ploughing her way
through the loose granite, and provi-
dentially stopped short on the very
lin Of q hank AZ feet high
ut was most fortunate that heavy
rains had been falling and the way
was very soft. So my engine had nc
sooner left the track than she was
plunged up to her axles in soft earth
and loose stones.
'I got down and CROPPED my way
back to see what damage had beer
done. Four cars, including that OF
Mr.. Faulds, the deputy locomotive
superintendent, were also derailed
and our brake van was badly smash
ed, as also was one Of the third class
cars containing pilgrims
"Mr. Faulds Joined me, and so did
our guard. We thought at first there
must be cattle on the line, but we could
see nothing. We procured lanterns
and carefully examined the engine
Suddenly I heard Mr.. Faulds cry:
"Why what's this?"
| He held In his hand strip Of ele'
phant skin. We piled our lanterns
this way and that, and soon saw the
| lc
we found the spot where our enemy
had rolled over the bank after the
tremendous impact.
"These heavy jungles are full Of wild
elephants, and the big tusker who at
tackled us was evidently an outcas
rogue, a fellow Of bad temper, such
as those that terrorize the villages
lying up in dense jungle by day anc
coming out only by night to feed ant
destroy houses and human life.
1T did not take much search to fine
him. He lay, a monstrous inert mass
among the tangled wet underground
and his mighty weight-perhaps si'
tons-falling nearly fifty feet, hat
driven a vast hole in the soft earth
One hind leg had been cut off, anc
there were three severe injuries tc
the head and shoulders.
II judged that the big tusker, an
gered by our approaching lights anc
the general uproar Of the train, had
stood full in the track, and had in
deed, charged down upon US, only
| to secure a terrific stroke, which
struck him dead. He punished Us
| pretty severely however, for he had
done damage to the extent Of 14.OOC
rupees at least.
Il sent word back to Goilkera, SIX
miles away, and we soon had a gane
| Of recruits at work on the damaged
train. We chopped out the fallen
monsters tusks and made over the
carcass to the semi-savage Khols."
Such was the directors story of the
photographs.
Lincoln Tumbled His Hair.
| Stories about Abe Lincoln are plen-
| ty and doubtful but here is one thai