The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-28
Wire TO The Tribune.

BY Leased Wire TO The Tribune.
NEW YORK, May 27.-Formcr Presi-
dent Roosevelt missed great oppor-
tunity this morning when Drcamland
the great amusement park at Coney
Island together with twelve acres of
that famous resort was burned, caus-
ing property loss of $5,000,000 or
more. There were no human lives lost.
AS a result Of the fire there was such
a lion hunt as has never been seen out
side of Africa. Nearly a score of
helpless animals were burned to death
tiger. leopard and baboon that cs.
capped from the building were killed out
side the enclosure, While the fire was
raging the trainers and attendants at
the animal show tried to save their
charges. The men succeeded in setting
loose twelve lions. two bears, wolf,
hyena, SIX ponies. four leopards and
several other animals. The imprisoned
animals added their howls and the
birds their screams 10 the din and roar
Of the fire
Chip an elephant, which was to
ton, could not be saved. despite the
desperate work of trainers. Hip
was prlze elephant and was expected
to attract much attention in London
during the festivities.
-Four deer, two water snakes and 8
sea lion were among the animals which
escaped 1t is believed they jumped
into the sea
Big Lion Gets Loose.
"Sultan,' a big lion, got loose dur,
ing the worst. of the fire, spreading
dismay among the firemen and police.
The lion was finally shot fifty times
and then dlsaptched with hatchet a
leopard and wolf also got loose in the
streets, but were quickly captured
Behind the row of cages Is narrow
runway broken by doors every twenty
feet or so. The passage is so narrow
that only one animal can pass at a
time Entering the cages of the brutes,
the trainers drove them one by one
through the passage and into the cages
trainers were having their hands full
handling some big bears when Sultan
got loose. A cage for him had been
backed up 10 the runway, when he
knocked down two of the attendants
with a slap of his paws and leaped
down the passage leading TO Surf ave
nuc. AS his tawney form flashed
through the smoke, the firemen and
police scattered for minute.
Sultan paid no attention to them,
Two leaps and he was across the street.
A score of policemen and animal at
tendants were after him. One fired,
If the shot went home, it only served
to anger the brute. He charged out
al
back. He stood on the sidewalk for a
minute lashing his tail. Then he
bounded along the sidewalk for few
feet into the front of the ride called
"The Rocky Road to Dublin Over
the front is tower forty feet high.
Up into this he sprang, with the police
close behind.
Finally Killed With Hatchet.
the leap down to the street, was cut
off as the police closed in. Twenty
men empticd their revolvers, but he
stood upright at bay. Seeing their re-
volvers were not heavy enough, Police
man o O'NciIl grabbed up hatchet. The
lion tried to spring on him as he ap-
preached, but his wounds had weakened
him too much, and O'Neill sank the
atchet in his skull
Meantime Black Prince. the wicked
est Of all the lions, came near getting
free. He was one of the haudsomest
and most valuable animals in the col
lection, and the trainer, with only the
flames to light the place, the fire hav-
ing reached the power house and
stopped the lights. made a determined
effort to save him. There was a slip
somewhere. and the. lion instead Of
getting in his cage got free. He spraug
at the trainer, but he stopped him with