LIONS, JAGUARS AND ELEPHANTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 1

LIONS, JAGUARS AND ELEPHANTS.

CIRCUS ANIMALS ESCAPE FROM BLAZING TRAIN. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Tel egraph—Copy ri gh t.) MEXICO CITY, November 27. Amazing scenes concerned with the escape of lions, elephants and jaguars from a blazing circus train followed a collision in which fourteen persons were killed and eighteen were so seriously injured as to need attention in hospital. The circus train struck another train loaded with petrol. When the locomotive of the circus train rammed the gasoline at the wayside station of Trapuato, there was an explosion and flaming spirit was spread in all directions, setting the cars on fire. The sixty members of the troupe were in their sleepers, and many of them were so badly burned that their recovery is extremely doubtful. The terrified animals made frantic efforts to escape, finally breaking from their cages. People attempting to rescue the passengers killed some of the beasts before they were able to make off into the wild, surrounding country, but two elephants, three lions and two jaguars escaped. The elephants made their way into the forest, wrecking everything before them. The lions, in their frantic efforts to escape, dashed into one of the coaches, so terrifying the passengers that some plunged through the windows. Finally soldiers drove off the maddened beasts. The inhabitants are terrified. In the meantime, posses of soldiers and civilians are scouring the neighbourhood for the escapees. One of the maddened elephants lumbered through a village five miles away, early this morning, giving the inhabitants a scare.