An anatomical account of the elephant accidentally burnt in Dublin

[essentialsaltes]

From the annals of improbable research, a link to the sad story of the elephant destroyed by fire in Dublin in 1681.

It may not require close and complete reading, but I was struck by the matter:

Moreover the Circumstances of time and place were unfortunate; for the Booth wherein the Elephant was kept, took fire about Three a Clock in the morning, on Fridat the 17th of June; upon this the City being alarm'd, multitudes were gathered about the place: And when the fire was extinguished every one endeavoured to procure some part of the Elephant, few of them having seen him living, by reason of the great rates put upon the sight of him. To prevent his being taken away by the multitude, the Manager, Mr. Wilkins, procured a File of Musqueteers to guard him, till he should build a shed where he might securely disjoint him, in order to the making of a Skeleton.

It was too pricy for most Dubliners to see the Elephant, so they were making away with chunks of burnt elephant as trophies. Humans. Typical.