Scientific American
260
emergency cord Mr. Steven!! !!tate!! that h. !!tarted on
peller is started or stopped by a friction clutch, oper­
ated by a lever;
the engine;
and an electric switch regulates the igni-'
The envelope is of English silk, heavily varnished,
when
inflated
is
75
feet
long.
Its
capacity
THE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING OF WILD ANIMALS.
his way back against the wind, and that when directly
another lever controls the speed of
tion devices.
and
OCTOBER 18, 1902.
is
BY HAROLD J. 8HEP8TONE.
There is no disputing the fact that the training ot
over the Brighton Beach race track, he turned again,
sailing directly to CQney Island.
On his way back to
wild beasts has developed into a science, and no man
Manhattan Beach he lost his sparking plug and had
has
to descend in a network of wire.
Mr. Carl Hagenbeck, the world-famous animal dealer,
Mr. Stevens claims
20,000 cubic feet.
T h e safety valve is placed directly
that the actual distance which he covered was about
of
over
may
seven miles,
his
the
car and
however,
worked
is
constructed
successfully
carried
on
the
be
opened
to
work
on
the
a
cord.
It
is,
automatically;
trial
aeronaut's
by
trip.
stand;
Sand
and
to
it
Mllli •• g
ballast
the buoyancy of the balloon, air may be forced into it
by a
�nall
hand
blower
placed
just in
which
celle,
in
outline
approaches
triangularly,
and
with steel wire stays.
feet below the bag.
rigidly
stayed
of
throughout
When suspended it is carried 10
The motor, which is carried on the
Simms-Bosch ignition-serves to
feet from
is
the
design
of
Sir
It
is
double-bladed,
built
of
pine, weighs 28
thin
strips of
pounds, is
The
drive
engine
is
communicated
shaft
by
means
to
of
t h e work
the
screw
doubly
Lake
submarine
boat,
mining
feet
from
universally­
for
it
is
nothing
the methods adopted at
ground, while in another a tiger was being taught to
it
ride an elephant.
The seals were being taught their
Long
tricks by an Englishman, and I was assured that they
New York Tribune,
had made excellent progress during the seven months
described
they had been under
instruction.
ones,
which
the trainer
every
now
One of the
affectionately
larger
patted
on
the
some
time
head
ago in the columns of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.
Two
small ball in his mouth, bounce it on the floor, catch
and
again,
could
already
take
a
boats-"wreck-finders" as they are called-are run out
it on
to the territory where the coal wrecks are supposed
air,
to be.
under 'Cover, the tiger displayed no small amount of
In each boat about a mile of inch rope is con­
As the
boats rua
alongside
each
other
the
his
nose, and
onto
his
waddle
perch.
In
was wanted of him.
more nervous of the two.
The wreck-finders then travel
During
The rope is paid out
over the stern.
passed
After sufficient rope has been reeled
300·pound
weights
are
run
down
the
was
the
If anything, the elephant was the
last
thirty
years
Mr.
Hagenbeck
told
sllch as lions, tigers, bears and elephants, while most
of
two
balanced in the
cage, which
me he had trained over seven hundred large animals;
through a ring in the end of an iron pole projecting
rope
the
lion-tamers
through
his
of
Europe
hands.
and
His
America
have
methods are unique;
he believes in individual training, and to him a new
Rapidly sinking to the
from the sterns of each boat.
other
intelligence, and seemed to perfectly understand what
continuous rope two miles long, and thereby lashing
off,
with it,
the
ends of the ropes of each boat are spliced, making a
upon run parallel to each other.
carefully
nearly nine
According to the
of
that
in opposite directions for about half a mile and therp.­
long over all, and a full four feet at its broadest part.
the
begin
the two boats together.
Hiram
Maxim, who is an enthusiastic follower of aeronautics.
selected
the
tained.
drive the pro­
peller.
itself
Sound.
to
company decided
The wreck of a coal barge is first located by means
The engine-a 6.8 horse power Simms petrol motor,
propeller
time
When coal began selling at $10 a
wrecking
Island
the escape valve.
The
Bridgeport
the method of water mining is quite simple.
forward half of the keel, being placed 20
with
a
,�as about
well­
emporium,
discover
At the time of my visit a group of twelve seals were
that
a
animal
this unique training establishment.
Coal.
The keel, or na­
of
When in that city recently I called at
interesting
undergoing stage tuition in a large cage, in the open
formed tipcat, is made entirely in skeleton of bamboo,
trussed
for
serious consideration as
by reason of the coal strike have given birth to a most
ton
The weight, with netting and gear for supporting
Hamburg.
such
New York city has been put
curious occupation.
front of the
stand.
the keel, or nacelle, is 290 pounds.
Water
The straits to which
the subject
else, and sought to
... I.
decrease
given
lion is a beast endowed with distinct characteristics,
an
bottom, these weights hold the rope a short distance
and therefore
adjustable ball bearing slung by four wires from the
from the ground, so that it forms a sweep half a mile
"Like
angles of the keel frame.
long and is bound to catch anything that may come
business of animal training has considerably advanced
ill its way.
during the last quarter of a century;
jointed
steel
propeller
pinion,
shaft, steadied in its center
which
by
The engine shaft carries a
meshes
with
a
gun-metal
spur
When the sweep rope catches the boats
demands separate study and attention.
everything
else,"
said
Mr.
Hagenbeck,
"the
and whereas it
wheel ten times the diameter of the
was
pinion, this spur wheel being car­
animal, say a lion, to perform cer­
considered
wonderful
an
for
ried on a shaft attached to the rear·
tain tricks, it is now almost essen­
ward
pro­
tial for the would-be trainer to go
Thus the propeller re­
through a series of evolutions with
universal
peller shaft.
joint
of
the
volves at one-tenth of the speed ot
quite
the
mals.
of
engine shaft,
which
is
minute.
the
1,500
The
normal
rate
revolutions
usual
coned
per
number
a
of
different
to train one animal is an entirely
friction
different
clutch forms part of the engine fly­
group
matter
of
from
say
training
twenty
wheel, and a free-wheel clutch with
beasts.
the
engine
mals to perform together.
Cords
from
the
clutch and starting clutch mechan­
I was the first to conceive
idea
animals
car, which consists of a platform on
training
bamboo
various
ani·
which
to
I
succeeded
perform
in
the
in
arena
the
together, after many weary months,
was exhibited at the Crystal Palace,
The engine can therefore be started
London,
and disconnected from the propeller
ances
shaft,
time, and thousands came daily to
sparking
by
the
by
is
similar
advanced
aeronaut
at
in
training
center of the rear half of the keel.
and
situated
of
"The first group of various wild
ism are led back to the aeronaut's
supports
a
different
starting band is also fitted to the
shaft.
ani­
It is not difficult to see that
means
or
the
retarded
will.
At
in
see them.
the
1891.
caused
a
Their
perform­
sensation
at
the
After a few months the
animals became very sick, so I took
stern of the keel is placed the rud­
them
der,
six weeks after my return they aU
with
which
trail
lines
also
rope.
to
the
car,
depends the
Just
from
Taking the Hurdle3 Between the Lions' and Tigers.
balancing
forward
of
the
is placed a blower, connected by silken pipe with the
interior of
the
gas
by the aeronaut
bag,
and
which
can
be
when it is necessary to
operated
control the
distension and equilibrium of the balloon.
To avoid the
danger
died.
of explosion
the valve
them
boats
travel
toward
each
wire
gauze,
somewhat
after
the
other
until
they
Spencer airship
is about three-quarters the size of the Santos-Dumont
NO. 6.
When fully inflated with hydrogen
(at a cost
of $250) it has a gross lifting power of 1,000 pounds.
The envelope weighs 360 pounds, and the C'lr with all
the
machinery
weighs
300
pounds.
This
leaves
a
margin of 340 pounds to be divided between the aero­
naut and the net lifting power.
I
saw
Mr.
Spencer
almost
immediateiy
after
his
trip, and found him enthusiastic that the construction
of his ship was on right
building a much
lines.
larger one, of
He has
which
commenced
the only
par­
ticulars as yet obtainable are that it will carry four
or five persons, and will embody all the principles of
his No. 1.
A sounding is taken, and the lead carefully
American gentlemen offered me $50,000 for the group.
examined for traces of coal.
the
sweep rope
Sometimes the lead tells
•
A
{'OI.. 1I11l .. h"atlo..
from
Leo
Steve .. ".
has received
from
Leo
Stevens a brief account of his recent ascent at Man­
hattan Beach, which was commented upon in the SCI­
A�IEIlKAX.
Mr.
Stevens assures us that the
Santos-Dumont balloon steered by Mr. Boyce traveler!
directly northeast and landed about a mile and a half
from the
starting point.
Mr.
Stevens states that he
was traveling above this ship on the same line, that
when reaching Sheepshead Bay
he turned
two
com­
plete circles and that he then ventured on the trail of
the Santos-Dumont.
If
the
harpoon
is
pulled
is now sent down to explore the find.
If
After Mr. Boyce had
pulled his
I
soon
A diver
He estimates
got
another
group ready, however,
took over to Chicago, to the World's
which
I
Fair, and they
proved a great success.
"I have been busy lately making very extensive ar­
up with its
end blunted, iron or rock may be expected.
rangements
for
America.
have
I
exhibiting
my
already sent
trained
one
animals
group
over
in
con­
the quantity and quality of the coal discovered, and
sisting of sixteen various animals, while by the middle
decides whether it should be taken out by buckets or
of
by
burg for New York, containing a sufficient number of
suction
pump.
Sometimes
the
diver
fastens
a
September another
three
distinct
groups.
ing at all the principal cities, and I am sure they will
have sunk.
Now comes the turn of the lighters.
By means of
excite no little interest."
They will be managed by a
to the
concern known as the Hagenbeck Trained Animal Com­
Not infrequently a coal wreck is found where
pany, an organization composed of four gentlemen, in­
derricks or suction pumps the coal is raised
the lighter can be pumped full of coal in half a day.
a
wreck
that
will
not
fill
the
hold
of the
lighter in a day is not considered much of a find.
A
day's
work.
When
it
is
considered
that
a
cluding
that
made up
decidedly
storm on Long Island Sound, it will be readily seen
South
that
four
is
profitable
even
in
times
when
of
large
interesting
Bengal
tigers,
Nubian
American
boarhounds.
beast,
two
pumas,
lions, one
of
which
more
large
Indian
leopards,
two
Incredible
this one set of animals.
... I.
The island of Guam was recently visited by many
Some
of two
large
anon­
two
large
polar
bears,
and
as
may
sound,
Mr.
it
Hagenbeck assured me that it took four years to train
there is no coal famine.
earthquakes.
Hagenbeck.
cross-breed of a lion and a tiger-an entirely new and
three
business
Mr.
The most interesting of these groups, probably, is
number of coal barges are sunk during every heavy
the
up
Ham·
These will travel all over the United States, perform­
fair
make
leave
trained
Indeed,
to
will
ceed on their way, looking for more coal cargoes that
surface.
beasts
consignment
floating buoy to the wreck, and the sweep boats pro­
a
•••
The Editor of this journal
E"TIF1('
A harpoon is then sent down the rope.
hundred tons of coal recovered in this way is deemed
London, England.
It was a great loss to
me, for they had not been exhibited long before two
in the water.
With a capacity of 20,000 feet, the
Such anI-
is
over the point where
it sticks there is probably wood to be found far down
in
London.
loek or sheep is slaughtered.
The
almost
pipe
incased
while in
up.
are
nothing.
is
I found it extremely difficult
mals as lions and tigers like meat soon after the bul·
is opened and hydrogen emitted, the motor's exhaust
fashion of a miner's safety lamp.
Within
Hamburg.
are stopped, the drums reversed and the rope wound
caught.
when
to
to get good meat on which to feed
THE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING OF WILD ANIMALS.
car, on the top of tte keel frame,
back
the
shocks
were
violent;
in­
a.nd partially trained before the desired number was
deed, so violent that the government buildings have
obtained.
been badly damaged.
ing
A tidal wave destroyed a large
Although the group is made
up of only sixteen beasts, over sixty were purchased
The
point
of
others were useless
view.
This
is
part of the crops and caused much suffering among
seores over his competitors.
the islanders.
animals,
Commander Seaton Schroeder has tele­
where
from
a perform·
Mr.
Hagenbeck
Being a dealer in
as well as a trainer,
those beasts that
wild
are
graphed that the total damage amounted tQ .45,000 to
unfit for the stage are sold to zoological gardens and
jl;overnment Drollerw,
mena&eries.
© 1902 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.
Scientific American.
OCTOBER 18, 1902.
A wild
adult animal is of no use whatever to the
rarer
animals.
Thirty
years
trainer, but a young forest-bred beast can be trained
African
as well as those born in captivity.
ciety,
which was the first
since
the
animals
in
the
group mentioned
So well are the
above trained that
rhinoceros
days
for
of the
the
ago
he
London
rhinoceros
Romiln
obtained
an
Zoological
So­
seen in Europe
Amphitheater. . Seven
and a tiger.
The peculiarity of this beast is that it
has a tiger's body and a lion's head.
It weighs nearly
five hundredweight, and measures ten feet from the
tip of his tail. to the tip of his nose, and stands about
they will come out into the arena, one at a time, at the
y<'ars ago he imported a Siberian tiger, and four years
crack of the whip, and take up their positions on the
four feet high up to the top of his shoulder.
ago a Persian tiger.
Four years ago, too, he landed in
stools
are
Hamburg two
from
Hagenbeck has also crossed zebras with horses, at th<;
or
pyramids.
According
to
Mr.
Hagenbeck,
anyone may become a wild beast trainer, provided he
Siberia,
is
stan.
prepared
dowed
to
with
judgment.
give the
patience,
necessary time, and
tact,
and
is
en­
and
lions
a
couple
Balkash
Lake,
of tigers from
These beasts created
in
Central
Russia
Turke­
quite a sensation in zoo-
good
five
other
advice of
Prof.
secured.
The
is often necessary
II
the
Scotland.
He
ordinary
European
obtained.
blood
of
The
whole
course,
and
a
is to
stronger
idea
of
secure a
breed.
In
by
crossing
pheasants
from
Central Asia with the European variety.
early
They
are
stronger
larger
on
marked.
quarreling.
and
the
heavier
wing
and
birds,
prettily
In conclusion I would add that
the great dealer is now busy building a
interesting
here
to
$50,000 has frequently been
these
be
pheasants,
cages all night to prevent the beasts from
is
with
crossing,
better
stages of the training to keep men in the
It
Mr.
this way he has secured a better breed of
Keeping it
during
deer
could
this
would only mean continual fighting, and
it
There
Hamburg.
deer, so that a bigger and stronger deer
an animal is n o t liked by i t s fellows, an­
other one must be
at
Hewitt, of Edinburgh,
fallow
great worry in getting mixed groups to­
gether is to get the beasts to agree.
animals
recently helped the Duke of Bedford to cross Persian
He must have a love for ani­
mals and never treat them harshly.
similar
groups
of
trained
note
that
zoo at Stelling en, a suburb of Hamburg,
for
which, when completed, will be the most
refused
beasts.
Mr.
singular garden of its kind.
It will
be
Hagenbeck told me that they often cost
unique in the manner in which it is laid
him that to
out.
tiger,
for
would
be
after
a
worth
train.
at
say
A
$500
of
years
Mr.
of
Dr.
side
of
his
business,
His
principal
income
is
menageries
and
private
ago the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN called atten-
A Group Trained After Eightec:n Months of Teaching.
but
tion to the fact that Dr. Woodbury, Com­
derived
parks.
Bacteria.
It will be remembered that a few weeks
from
the
selling of all kinds of rare and wild animals to public
zoos,
Collection of lUetro­
poll tan
rather regards it as a good advertising
medium.
Woodbury'"
does
receive a large profit from
training
England.
-------...� ..
---------
training.
Hagenbeck
It is to be opened next May.
London,
times that amount
enough,
not look to
and
valued
ten
couple
Curiously
the
get together
instance,
For
this
pur·
logical circles, as they were the first species of their
missioner of
kind
depot
determined to carry out a series of experiments for
it stud of twenty-eight wild horses
the purpose of ascertaining the bacteriological condi­
At the time of my visit he had the following ani­
seen
was enriched by
from
pose he keeps a large stock of animals on hand.
ever
MongolIa.
in
Europe.
They
Last
were
district some twelve days'
October
caught,
as
march beyond
his
foals,
in
a
Pekin, and
Street Cleaning of
New
tion of the air of New York city.
the experiments have been
York city, had
The first results of
given to the public.
To
after much trouble shipped to Hamburg, at a cost, all
one who is not a bacteriologist, the conditions which
seventeen pumas, black panthers and jaguars, twenty­
told,
have been found to prevail are startling.
one
up by the leading zoos, many of them being sold at
mals in his depot:
bears,
eighteen
camels,
Sixteen lions, eight Bengal tigers,
hyenas
wild
six
and
pigs
of
wolves,
different
dromedaries,
eight
eleven
sorts,
elephants,
twenty-seven
various
llamas,
six
$2,500
Mr.
of
over
$25,000.
They
were
quickly
snatched
apiece.
At various points, selected to give strong contrasts,
gelatine-coated plates were exposed for one-half hour
Hagenbeck has
conducted
recently in the
some interesting ex·
zebras, three wild asses, four Mongolian wild horses,
periments
cross-breeding of
animals.
eight American bison-buffalo, eighteen yaks and vari·
Mention was made above of a cross-breed of a
lion
at curb level and six feet above the curb.
culture
medium
and
allowed
to
varieties, nine various wild sheep and goats,
definitely
ascertained;
twelve ostriches, sixty-one cranes and storks,
enormous
numbers
one
without
and
seventy-two
swan,
propagate.
Exactly
what the germ colonies contain has not been
ous antelopes, thirty-three deer of different
hundred
The micro­
organisms thus collected were transferred to the usual
geese
saying.
that
of
But
they
disease
it
carry
germli
got'll
has at least
been
and ducks, lots of monkeys, reptiles, pheas­
established that the air near the curb leYel
ants, vultures, eagles and different varieties
is much more
of small animals.
grimly called "rich bacterial flora" than that
six
This of course, gives the trainers at Ham­
burg a varied and large stock to piCk from,
is
feet
are
the world
dren.
interesting
tableaux.
All
the
more
therefore
and explains the reason why no menagerie
over can hope to turn out such
or
most
heavily laden with what is
above
evident
unsafe
the
that
sidewalk.
unclean
playgrounds
It
streets
for
chil­
For th03e who consider municipal cleanli­
principal
groups of trained wild animals which haY'l
ness
been
India
tained
Ham­
mend the useful object lesson that a plate
exhibited
and
in
Australia
burg.
In
America,
Europe,
were
first
trained
addition to the
there
is
America.
three
another
in
groups
in
performing
at
rather more
would
costly
seem to
than
the
warrant,
end
we
at­
recom­
exposed for one-half hour in clean, residen­
tial
streets
with
well-swept
asphalt
pave·
ments shows five isolated pinhead colonies
Blackpool, England, and another at Nice, on
after
an
twenty-one animals, between three and four
while
one
years of age, and the other of sixteen ani­
time under precisely the same conditions of
the
Riviera.
The former is
made
up
of
enlargement
exposed
of
hour and weather, in an
mals.
flanked with
Mr. Hagenbeck has won considerable fame
700
diameters;
for the same length of
crowded
East
Side
street
tenements-from the
as an animal importer, and now chims the
windows of which tons of refus'e are daily
distinction
thrown-shows nearly 10,000 colonies, some
wild
of
animals
world.
being the
and
largest
curious
He has made some
dealer
beasts
in
in
as large as a thumbnail.
the
A
decided hits at
different times in securing specimens of the
On the See-Saw.
more
striking
Dinner Time at the Training Quarters.
THE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING OF WILD ANIJrlALS.
© 1902 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.
argument
in
favor
clean streets could hardly be found.
A Trained Walrus.
of