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When A Herd Of Baby Elephants Destroyed The Inside Of A Philadelphia House
In the 1920s, a group of scared juvenile elephants broke loose from their exhibit and made their way inside the house of a terrified family
Just when we think we’ve heard it all, there’s always a new story that suspends our disbelief. It’s so fantastical and unthinkable, except it’s actually true. That was the case a century ago when a group of baby elephants made headlines by destroying a Philadelphia house.
Don Darrah ran a show on the vaudeville circuit where he showed elephants. It was a time where audiences craved seeing things they had never seen before. Among his charges were three juvenile jumbos, who were always a hit with the crowd.
In 1924, the show was in Philadelphia, and the babies were kept in a garage when they weren’t performing or on display. That was usually enough to keep them secure, but that was until something happened that indicated these youngsters were growing and needed to have their security measures rethought.
One morning, a passing car backfired. The boom was enough to startle the animals to the point that they snapped their chains in terror and broke through the flimsy garage door. Tearing down the street, they headed straight for the home of Anna Dammore, who was in her kitchen making breakfast for her family, which included three children. As the poor woman looked out her window, she saw the elephants making a beeline straight for her. Frightened, she ran from the house with her children, leaving the door wide open.
In hindsight, leaving the home was a poor idea, as the elephants took the opening they were given and charged into the kitchen. Breakfast was still on the stove, and Babe, one of the pachyderms, unfortunately burned his trunk on the hot surface. Enraged, he grabbed the appliance by the feet and roughly turned it over — destroying the appliance and the simmering breakfast. The animals next tossed the ice box into wooden furniture, smashing it into pieces, before heading back outside.
The police were able to track down Darrah who came and brought his animals back and secured them once again at the garage. However, order was restored only…
