|
The
Death
of
Jumbo
Trying
to
Save
a
Baby
Elephant

New
York,
September
18th
A
"Sun"
special
from
Buffalo
of
17th
says:
A,
Haight,
representing
Barnum,
arrived
here
this
morning
on
the
way
to
London,
Ont.,
to
join
the
circus.
He
says
the
truth
about
the
killing
of
Jumbo
on
Tuesday
evening
had
not
been
published.
After
the
show
in
St.
Thomas,
Ont.,
that
evening
the
driver
started
down
the
track
with
Jumbo
and
the
baby
elephant,
Tom
Thumb
to
where
the
Grand
Trunk
Freight
train
was
standing.
There
are
a
great
many
tracks
at
that
point,
used
in
switching
cars
on
the
Grand
Trunk
Air-Line,
which
there
joins
the
main
track
was
a
train
and
on
the
other
a
steep
embankment.
As
the
train
came
around
the
curve
the
keeper
tried
to
induce
Jumbo
to
go
down
the
embankment,
but
he
would
not.
The
reason
at
first
was
not
apparent.
The
baby
elephant
was
in
the
rear,
and
as
the
train
approached
Jumbo
began
to
bellow
and
swing
his
trunk.
The
little
elephant
seemed
dazed,
but
did
not
get
out
of
the
way.
As
the
engine
was
closing
upon
them
Jumbo
raised
on
his
hind
legs
as
though
to
protect
the
baby,
and
then
quick
as
thought
dropped
down
and
grabbed
him
in
his
trunk
and
hurled
him
with
great
force
over
all
the
tracks
and
against
a
freight
car,
twenty
rods
away,
where
he
dropped
down,
whining
like
a
puppy
with
a
core
foot.
Jumbo
in
saving
the
life
of
his
protégé,
entirely
neglected
his
own
chance
to
escape.
The
locomotive
struck
him
will
force
in
the
side,
crowding
him
against
some
cars
on
the
siding
nearest
him
and
fairly
squeezing
the
life
out
of
him.
When
they
came
to
the
end
of
the
switch
the
engine
left
the
tract
with
five
freight
cars
that
stood
on
the
siding.
Then
there
was
a
scene
never
to
be
forgotten
by
those
who
witnessed
it.
The
mangled
beast
roared
with
pain,
and
the
little
elephant
roared
as
loud
as
he
could
in
sympathy.
The
crush
was
too
heavy
to
leave
any
chance
of
recovery
and
the
bystanders
could
only
wait
for
Jumbo's
death.
It
was
not
long
delayed.
In
three
minutes
he
turned
over
on
his
back
dead.
It
was
found
that
the
baby
elephant
sustained
a
broken
leg
and
as
there
was
no
help
for
him,
orders
were
given
that
he
be
put
out
of
his
misery,
which
order
was
carried
into
effect
yesterday
afternoon.

From an article in the Mariposa Gazette dated Sept 25, 1885
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