ENCOUNTER BETWEEN AN ELEPHANT AND A LION.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1522, 12 March 1886, Page 3

ENCOUNTER BETWEEN AN ELEPHANT AND A LION.

A terrific encounter took place one i day lately at the winter quarters of Forepaugh'fl menagerie, in Philadelphia, between the elephant Bolivar and an untamed Nubian lion named Prince, resulting in the death of the death of tbe latter. The lion was a splendid specimen of his ppecieg. He had been imported only a few weeks before and was worth $2,000. He was confined in an unusually strong cice i:i the animal house and four weeks Bizo the course of training began. The lion was of too ferocious a disposition to permit of the entrance of the trainer into the until the animal had been sufficiently subdued with the prod and lash. In the afternoon the trainrr unlocked the door for the first time and entered. For a few minutes aU went well. Prince growled ominously, however, when the pistol was fired over his head, and the trainer kept himself on ihe alert anticipating an attack. At last he struck tbe lion with his whip, and the enraged beast raised his powerful paw and struck at him. The man jumped aside, and perhaps escaped disembowelment, but sustained a fearful laceration of the thigh and leg.

Then the lion prepared to spring at him and the trainer jumped backward with such force as to break the bars of the cage from their fastenings. He fell out backward on the tan-covered ground, and for a moment was stunned. This proved to be a fortunate accident, for the lion bounced through the open cage door, and alighting a considerable distance beyond whore the man lay, did not turn back, but rushed out of the building, lie pursued his way through the ring barn and entered the opon doo'- of the elephant house.

Bo'ivar stood nodding where he was chained to a stake near the door. Princo hesitated for a moment, and then lay back on his haunches. He crept slowly forward until he was within reach of the elephant. Then he raised his paw and struck at the supine trunk. The tough skin was somewhat torn and the pachyderm became instantly fully awake, and, raising his trunk, mado a blow at the lion; but the latter escaped it by springing backward.

Vainly did Bolivar endeavour to break away from his fastenings. AH his strength was insufficient to tear up the stake, and it was too short to break. He bellowed with rage, and his shrill shrieks were taken up by twenty of hi a fellows. The combined roar made it sound as though pandemonium had broken loose. Prince crouchedjjagain and prepared to spring. Quick as a lightning flash was the movement which landed him on the elephant's head. But he had to deal with a power greater than his own, over which his only advantage was bis agility*

Bolivar easily shook him off and tossed him to some distance. The excitement at this point became intense* Both the elephant and the lion were fearfully enraged. Bolivar trumpeted loudly and Prince roared like thunder in anger and pain. Again the twenty other elephants in the stable added to the excitement, and trumpeted in chorus.

The sound was terrible, an 1 it was this that first attracted the attention of the few men who were at the time around the grounds. Armed with pitchforks and such other weapons as they could find, they rushed to the elephant house, keeping a shsrp lookout, fearing lest a stampede oi' the elephants had taken place, or that one by some means had broken loose and was on a rampage. One man of greater temerity than the rest made bis way to the door. As if spellbound the wounded trainer, who had limped his way to the door, stood there watching the contest and unconscious of the danger to which his position had exposed him. The contest was quickly decided. The lion prepared for another pprin?. He lay back on his haunches, and with ears flattened t.j.ainst his head ai d eye 8 gleaming like balls of lire, crept forward ptealthily, cau-iously measuring the distance. With a suppressed growl the lithe, tawny form shot through the air. The elephant's trunk was then turned over his back, and his little eyes were snapping viciously. With a [motion so quick as to be almost imperceptible the proboscis was lowered and elevated twice, and then came down with terrific force, striking the Hon as he was in mid-air.

Before he could recover the elephant dealt him a terrific blow ou the side, and reaching forward the full length of his chain he drew the lion toward him, and lifting his free foot he leaued his whole weight on his fallen foe. Tbe effect was to crush in the ribs of the conquered monarch of the forest. In this manuer he trampled all over the lion and pierced him with his tusks until life was gone. Even then he did not cease, but continued to trample the body until it was crushed almost to a jelly. Then he raised it with his trunk and tossed it to the other end of the stable.

In half an hour all the elephants had become pac;fied. Their keepers had been sent for and succeeded in quieting them. The dead lion's body was lemoved. Bolivar sustained no serious injury, except a slight contusion on the head and Lbe trunk. He was unusually vicious that diy and had to be hobbled with a double chain. —tf. F. Bulletin,