Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1877 — A Paris Sensation. [ARTICLE]

A Paris Sensation.

Lucy Hooper writes from Paris, Feb. 2, to the Philadelphia TriegropA.* “ Considerable excitement was created at toe Jardin des Plantes yesterday by an accident which happened there to a little child not quite five years old. Hie nurse Who ■ had charge of the little fellow had placed him on the edge of the railing surrounding the bear-pit, still keeping him encircled with her arm. A sudden movement released the child from her clasp, and he fell headlong into the pit, then tenanted by two full-grown bean. A universal shriek from every one present greeted this accident, as it was of course thought that the bears would instantly seize the little intruder and tear him to pieces. But whether toe bears were tamed by long familiarity with toe public, or whether they were intimidated by the universal outcry, has not been decided, but at all events they made no attempt to molest the child. How to get him out was the next question. The Keeper happened at that moment to be absent, and it would never have, done to trust too long to the forbearance of the savage inmates of toe pit. In this emergency a workingman came forward, climbed down into the pit, picked up the child, and climbed out again, the bears seeming too much astonished at these summary proceedings to offer any objection to them. This done, the man placed the little creature in the nurse’s arms, and retired amid toe applause of toe crowd. The child was very slightly injured, a sprained wrist being toe only result of its fall. This morning M. Berthier, toe father of toe rescued infant, puts forth an aavertisement in the Figaro. begging to be informed of toe name and address of his child’s rescuer. Far more fortunate was the poor little creature than a child to whoin a similar accident happened at Berne some years ago, and who was instantly seized and strangled by one of the largest of the bears.”