An Elephant Stampede.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 140, 13 May 1884, Page 2

An Elephant Stampede.

Kentish to\^n, a northern district of London, was recently the scene of an exciting occurrence. Two large elephants belonging to the sir cus establishment of Messrs Sanger and Lone became frightened when being taken off the railway trucks, and, breaking loose from their keepers, one of whom was thrown and his shoulder dislocated, charged the iron gates of the station yards, which gave way like matchwood before the ponderous onslaught, and careered wildly down the main street contiguous. Turning" thence down a narrow lane they, at* tempted to scale the boundary wall of' a Baptist Chapel, but failing m. this the two great beabta charged down, another street which ended m a Citl de sac. Here they proceeded to • climb a flight of stone steps, which, not having been constructed to- bear such weight, gave way, and the two elephants ended their wild career byfalling through into a cellar, out of which they were enticed by braad, and led away again into captivity — a rather tame ending to so exciting an effoit for freedom. Two men and a child were knocked down by the beasts, but luckily were not seriously hurt. It is very fortunate no more serious accidents resulted from the vagaries of these great creatures m such crowded thoroughfares.