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Show AX f.VRUl.Y KLEPHAXT. Th6 Jilg Beast of a Circus Frighten the i'eoiile of Nephl. NErin, Juiy 15. -Special correspondence. correspond-ence. Yesterday was a real holiday for hundreds of Ivephites, and the farmers, farm-ers, their sous and daughters and the .toting man and his girl, all of whom had journeyed far to . see McMahon's great circus, hipodrome and caravan and to sip tho seductive red lemonade sold, by tho persuasive vender. When the parade of a baud wagon, two elephauts and six horses led single lilo so that they would make a long string, passed through the principle part of tho toau, the streets were througed; and when the afternoon performance began the hut and dust-tilled dust-tilled tents wore packed by a perspiring jam of men,, women and children. The performance proceeded without incident until near the conclusion of the act of the trained elephants, when for some unrulitiess of one of the beasts, the trainer struck it a violent blow with a gaff. This so enraged or frightened his elephantship, that he charged into the crowds on the lower tier of seats, bellowing bel-lowing the while iu very bass tones that shook the entire tent from stake to centerpole aud made the seats dance tremolo. In au instant there was the wildest panic. The other elephatit iu sheer fright bolted through the horse and dressing tents, causing the horses to break their fastenings in the greatest of terror, and flee from the tents. The cause of all the fright w as in the main tent, tho elephant stamping and bellowing bel-lowing in his iinpote.it rage, and tearing tear-ing up the soil, throwing it to the top of the canvass, in a cloud of dust. It was only a moment until the people were wild and uncontrollable. Children Chil-dren screamed, women shrieked, and men rushed madly over them both, lleeiug as if teu thousand tiends were pursuing them. Attaches of the circus and passengers standing on the platform plat-form waiting to lake the northbound train rushed to the scene and begged, coaxed and threatened the people in au almost hopeless endeavor to calm tlicni and allay their fears. One of the can-vassmeu can-vassmeu stood outside with a pike pole and held it like a bayonet bay-onet compelling women to resume re-sume their seats. After all danger of the elephants doing damage, had passed, the only fear was that the crow d would trample each other to death in their mail fright. Children trembled and pushed fell over aud stepped over each other, trying to get out under tho canvas, while women climbed to the top of the seats and jumped over the canvas into the arms of men on the outside, like athletes from a springboard, and would not bo stayed, though there was imminent risk of broken limbs. With a presence of mind which resulted re-sulted in allaying the terror of the people, the band began to play a lively air, and things were soon calm, although al-though the blanched faces of women showed plainly how badly they had been frightened. One woman was so ularnied and beside herself that she left her 4 mon'hs' old baby on one of the seats, and when it was all over gho uid not know what she had done with it. One of tho elephants, which had caused no trouble, struck pell-mell out of tho tents and into a private yard, where in his fright he rushed into an old cabin, and being unable to turn around or get out, stuck his head through a window and lifted the roof up on his back- and struck across the fields for a mile or more before he could bo recovered. recov-ered. In a short time the people were induced to go back into the tent, and a crowd win were on the outside and had not been in at all witnessed the remainder re-mainder of the performance. Ho serious injuries were sustained as a result of the panic other than shaken nerves, sprained limbs and sore heads; but it was rather good fortune than anything else that several were not killed. The keeper boldly stuck his gaff into the elephaut's tough hide, beat him into submission and chained him to a post as quick as possible, lhose : who were in it will never want another such experience. |
