On December 13, 1902, a press release from Luna Park issued a statement in newspapers that Topsy would be euthanized within a few days through electrocution. Wikipedia Article claims that Topsy killed an abusive trainer. She was later smuggled into America by Adam Forepaugh, the owner of Forepaugh and Sells Circus, who dishonestly used to bill her as the first elephant born in America. However, writes Rutgers, it’s unlikely that Edison was a direct part of Topsy’s execution or even saw it. Jun 29, 2013 at 10:01 PM Topsy the elephant is electrocuted at the new Luna Park at Coney Island in 1903. The current application was switched off after 10 seconds. Atlantic Monthly Press, 369 pages, $27. She had killed 3 men in as many years although it was undoubtedly because she was severely abused by her trainers. Topsy, the elephant Thomas Edison killed, got her death sentence after killing three people, including her very abusive trainer. Topsy was about 35 years old at the time of her death, which is about half the expected life span for an elephant with a decent life in the wild. What Daly argues, she writes, is that the War of the Currents was well over by that time, and what had been proven is that Edison’s direct current was effective at killing animals. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Topsy the elephant was innocent! (www.metrolic.com / Wikimedia Commons). It is arguably the most famous animal execution ever—the killing of Topsy the elephant at Luna Park on Coney Island in January 1903. According to a rumour, an entire part of the persistent propaganda to devalue AC and foster Edison’s own predilection, direct current. BY Namrata Naha • November 2, 2018 Topsy the elephant being electrocuted in Luna Park. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison. Topsy was an elephant that belonged to the herd of performers in the Forepaugh Circus for a major part of her life. After several incidents at Luna Park … Luna Park originally had plans to hang Topsy for her disruptive behaviour. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected]. Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-Tailed Elephant, P.T. And for Topsy, a member of a deeply intelligent and emotive species who was kept in captivity for so much of her life, Edison's feud couldn't have mattered less. After this her reputation worsened, partly because of her alcoholic handler and the decision of her owners Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy to exploit her for PR purposes. Notes. Topsy was fed carrots laced with potassium cyanide, and her feet were placed in conductive copper sandals so she could be electrocuted. The film was believed to be an opportunity for Edison to bespeak the pernicious nature of the abhorrent alternate current on a mammoth animal. As indicated by different sources, she supposedly killed by trampling two circus workers in Texas. In those days, like other circus animals, Topsy was a victim of human-inflicted brutality and abuse. Some people deviate, stating that Topsy, in many ways, was doomed to die. She was deemed a threat to people by her owners and they discussed several means of execution. Enjoyed this article? An Asian elephant called Topsy was electrocuted in front of 1500 spectators by Thomas Edison in New York on January 4, 1903. She performed at the Forepaugh Circus for 25 years, and after killing a spectator in 1902, she wound up at Coney Island. Vote Now! Edison eventually lost the War of the Currents to his opponent Nikola Tesla. These cookies do not store any personal information. After killing a spectator in 1902, she was sold to Coney Island. The Wright brothers achieved their first powered flight, pointing the way to a … Many believe Topsy was a victim of the so-called War of the Currents, the battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison over alternating and direct current. Topsy the elephant was electrocuted at Luna Park Zoo on Coney Island in 1903. Based on information from prior instances of electrocutions of animals using alternating current, Luna Park officials decided on electrocution as the preferred and more humane alternative to killing Topsy the elephant. And even, the War of the Currents drew to a close in the 1890s, while Topsy’s execution came much later. “Topsy had,  in fact, killed a man, but her execution was ordered only later, after she proved unmanageable at the hands of a trainer who savaged her with a pitchfork,” writes Vicki Constantine Croke in a review of Daly’s book for The New York Times. The film was Edison's "opportunity to demonstrate the deadliness of the damnable current on the largest of land animals,” he writes, “a creature so much bigger than any mere man, big enough to vent a great man’s fury and frustration at being bested, to show who is truly boss.” But it didn't matter. The film was Edison's "opportunity to demonstrate the deadliness of the damnable current on the largest of land animals,” he writes, “a creature so much bigger than any mere man, big enough to vent a great man’s fury and frustration at being bested, to show who is truly boss.” But it didn't matter. Topsy elephant death electrocution at luna park 1903 Are elephants executed still today? Acknowledgements. Her body violently underwent a tremor before tumbling to the ground. He was trying hard to uphold the direct current theory in the United States as the ideal standard of electricity provision. Their ranks include Michael Daly, the author of Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked Tailed Elephant, P.T. She had a reputation for … The fire also destroyed Lorenzo Shaw’s Channel Chute, a wooden roller coaster built in 1895 that encircled the hotel and was often called the Elephant … It was produced by the Edison film company (part of the Edison Manufacturing Company) and is believed to have been shot by Edwin S. Porter or Jacob Blair Smith. In his endeavours to prevent and dissuade the general public from using AC owing to its increased potential dangers, Edison had been orchestrating numerous public demonstrations by electrocuting stray animals. It received national coverage in the newspapers, and the Edison Manufacturing Co. sent a film crew to document it. An illustration of Topsy, a female Asian elephant killed at a Coney Island, New York park by electrocution on January 4, 1903. To write the biography of any animal who lived more than 100 years ago is a challenge. Relying on information from previous animal electrocutions using alternating current, they decided electrocution would be a more humane way to kill Topsy. On this day the the circus elephant Topsy was killed by electrocution. This is the story of an elephant, electrocuted 100 years ago. And on January 4, 1903, Topsy was to be executed by due to be strangled with a crane at Luna Park in New York. The elephant had recently been acquired from Forepaugh Circus, where she had a reputation as a "bad" elephant, having killed a drunken spectator the previous year who burnt the tip of her trunk with a lit cigar. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The War of the Currents had been lost, and Edison's opponents, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, had won. Instead, he decided to cash in on the Elephant’s notoriety one last time by arranging a public execution. Naturally, Topsy was turned over to her new owners. Keywords Elephant Topsy Circus Electricity Edison New York This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access. Today, in any case, people introspect and consider this event as an absolutely deplorable and unforgivable moment that went down the chronicles as an extreme act of heinous crime and outrage against animal well-being. 24.107.181.169 (talk) 04:06, 17 March 2013 (UTC) Memorial; Photos ; Flowers ; Topsy (circa 1875-January 4, 1903), was a circus elephant killed by electrocution on January 4, 1903. The cost of admission was 25 cents. Then they strapped on metal shoes and hit her with 6,600 volts of pure death. A lot of people have heard of Topsy, though maybe don't know her name. (www.timetoast.com / Wikimedia Commons) Topsy was an elephant that belonged to the herd of performers in the Forepaugh Circus for a major part of her life. Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-Tailed Elephant, P.T. Privacy Statement (www.timetoast.com / Wikimedia Commons). With American society becoming increasingly sensitive to the affliction towards animals, Topsy’s execution has been portrayed as a quintessential example of indescribable cruelty to animals. She was sold to Sea Lion Park in 1902 which was then sold to new owners who turned it into Luna Park. The fire also destroyed Lorenzo Shaw’s Channel Chute, a wooden roller coaster built in 1895 that encircled the hotel and was often called the Elephant … Save to Suggest Edits. Topsy was a domesticated elephant with the Forepaugh Circus at Coney Island's Luna Park. Apparently, he couldn’t forgo the opportunity to electrocute Topsy and prove the heightened perils of AC once more. While there, the elephant, which was turned into a circus animal, was involved in several incidents, one of which killed a… His presence isn’t mentioned in newspaper accounts of the execution, and none of Edison’s correspondence that can be found now mentions Topsy in any way. Topsy was fed poisoned carrots with her feet being strapped into copper sandals to apply the electric shock. By this time, Topsy had been characterized in the press like a convicted killer condemned to death, and so the people came to watch. Elephant deaths in the entertainment industry weren’t that unusual back then. The tragic story of Topsy began sometimes around 1875. Today, 1903-Topsy the elephant is electrocuted by her owners at Luna Park, Coney Island and filmed by Edison Manufacturing movie company. On January 4, 1903 Topsy the elephant was executed through a combination of strangulation, poison, and a liberal application of the new technology of electric current. He was then in strong contention with the alternating current strategy of Nikola Tesla. Topsy’s passing away ended up being stale news decently not long after the episode, however, on the grounds that a video documentation of her demise still exists today, she has returned into the public appearance as an exemplary image of how to show care and respect to animals. Also, check out “Anti Tank Dog: The Soviet ‘Masterplan’ that Backfired to Disastrous Effects“. Finally, the elephant was executed on January 4, 1903, at the Luna Park construction area in Coney Island. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In 1902, she killed James Fielding Blount, a spectator from Brooklyn, in utter anguish, who instigated to extremely trouble her by throwing a lit cigar into her mouth. Her name was Topsy, and she was famous at a time when people were still amazed by an elephant. A baby elephant from Southeast Asia was brought secretly to America. Abstract. Sadly, they’re not rare today either. The electrocution of Topsy on Coney Island in 1903 was provoked by a series of incidents that gained for her an unenviable reputation as a “bad” elephant. or A site called The Oatmeal accused him of kidnapping household pets and shocking them to death. California Do Not Sell My Info “Captured on film by Thomas Edison, the event was one of a string of animal electrocutions Edison staged to discredit a new form of electricity: alternating current,”, But some disagree, saying that Topsy was destined to die anyways, and Edison’s electrocution was merely seen to be a convenient and humane way of accomplishing her death. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison. A baby elephant from Southeast Asia was brought secretly to America. Topsy details the ill-fated elephant's death and a life blighted by struggles between historic giants of the human herd. The Luna Park Zoo at Coney Island decided that Topsy the Elephant was a danger to visitors after the 10-foot-high Indian elephant killed three trainers in three years. Sources like Rutgers University are of the impression that a film crew which represented the Edison Electric Illuminating Co shot the video in all likelihood. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The idea of an elephantine hanging was opposed by animal-rights activists (though another homicidal elephant… Fact Analysis: STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. “Captured on film by Thomas Edison, the event was one of a string of animal electrocutions Edison staged to discredit a new form of electricity: alternating current,” writes Tony Long for Wired. But after a number of other near-death incidents caused by Topsy’s drunk handlers, Topsy’s owner realized he couldn’t keep her. A sad part of history. A few assessments report that nearly 1,500 onlookers and 100 photographers attended Topsy’s electrocution. She is probably best known for her sad and untimely death by execution on Coney Island by Thomas Edison. Topsy the elephant, here as well, was embroiled in several widely reported error incidents, mainly attributed to the inhuman actions meted out by either her unruly drunken handler or the park’s public attention-grabbing owners. The fact that any of the extant correspondence of Edison doesn’t mention about Topsy or an electrocution incident of an elephant at Luna Park is also worth noting. A year later, when the park was distressed with bankruptcy, its proprietor Paul Boyton leased it out to Frederic Thompson and Elmer Dundy who were then developing the Luna Park. It’s no secret to my friends and family that I’ve become obsessed with elephants of late. She used to be tormented no ends during the course of her training and performances. But it hardly made any impact. On this day in 1903, Topsy the elephant died of electrocution on Coney Island. 1903 was a landmark year for the inventive folk of the USA. For whatever was left of her short-lived and pitiful life, she continued pulling massive building materials for construction and development. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. The death of zoo or circus animals takes place behind the scenes, without spectators. A terrifying film made the event infamous, leading to confusion over whether this was part of the epic battle between Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla known as the "War of the Currents" . This film documents the publicly announced killing of Topsy the elephant at the unfinished Luna Park on Coney Island, New York City on January 4, 1903. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Her death, which was filmed, was truly grotesque. According to them, Edison’s involvement is mostly dubious with newspaper accounts having no mention of it. She was killed on January 4, 1903, with the whole thing filmed by Edison, which you can view here if you for some odd reason have a hankering to watch an elephant … Animal Figure. Kat Eschner is a freelance science and culture journalist based in Toronto. Namely, the elephant killed three people in the last three years, including her abusive coach who allegedly tried to give her a lit cigarette to eat. As the electrocution of an elephant was hitherto unknown, Topsy’s executioners made sure to complete the act successfully through a technique that combined all; electrocution, poisoning and strangulation. Topsy had to go. After all, the War of the Currents, “Luna Park originally planned to hang Topsy,”, Relying on information from previous animal electrocutions using alternating current, they decided electrocution would be a more humane way to kill Topsy. During the War of the Currents, Edison supporters—desperate to show that alternating current was much more dangerous than direct current—had electrocuted a number of animals: dogs, calves, even a horse. A century later, at the Coney Island Museum, a memorial was unveiled, not only to commemorate the life and death of Topsy the elephant but also pay heartfelt tribute to a soul that contributed significantly to the scientific advancements in that period. As the story goes, Edison found his target in Topsy, a murderous circus elephant that was slated for death. Frederic and Elmer termed it as her atonement pursuit for being so audacious and belligerent. There was a huge blaze of fire and stench of burning flesh. Continue It has been conjectured that Topsy the elephant was not a pawn of the war of the currents, but of the “elephant wars” among the circus proprietors. Topsy the Elephant gained notoriety in America as part of the Forepaugh Circus when she killed a spectator in 1902 and was subsequently sold off to Luna Park. There is also no evidence that Thomas Edison was in attendance during the course of the action. Edison’s electrocution was simply observed as a conducive and compassionate way to accomplish her death. However, there is a lack of corroboration in this matter and contemporary historians have put this information away as a grossly fallacious one. “Luna Park originally planned to hang Topsy,” according to the Rutgers University introduction to the Edison papers. After this much-hyped incident, Topsy was disposed of Coney Island’s Sea Lion Park. Atlantic Monthly Press, 369 pages, $27. Source linked specifically says it was a visitor to Coney Island that fed a lit cigarette to the elephant that was killed. And, if she was really a ferocious, unmanageable beast, Topsy unquestionably didn’t demonstrate it on her last day. They pre-gamed Topsy’s execution by feeding her carrots laced with 460 grams (a little more than a solid pound) of potassium cyanide. It’s no secret to my friends and family that I’ve become obsessed with elephants of late. Around then, an occasion like this generated a lot of buzz and curiosity among the general public. Topsy being escorted to cross the bridge for her execution. Topsy was about 35 years old at the time of her death, which is about half the expected life span for an elephant with a decent life in the wild. If there’s one thing you can say/About Mankind/There’s nothing kind about man — Tom Waits. His hope was that a widely reported spectacle might stop AC from spreading and instead make DC the current of the future. The electrocution of Topsy on Coney Island in 1903 was provoked by a series of incidents that gained for her an unenviable reputation as a “bad” elephant. Dead Topsy. And for Topsy, who was a member of a species with profound intelligence and emotions, kept in bondage for such an extended period of her life, the feud between Edison and Tesla couldn’t have made much of a difference. However, things can go wrong. Smithsonian Institution, Many believe Topsy was a victim of the so-called War of the Currents, the battle between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison over alternating and direct current. Cookie Policy Topsy the elephant being electrocuted in Luna Park. Nevertheless, Topsy was condemned to death. As the story goes, Edison found his target in Topsy, a murderous circus elephant that was slated for death. It was a great man’s frustration and wrath at being confronted with getting an upper hand over and showing off his real worth as the true boss. During the War of the Currents, Edison supporters—desperate to show that alternating current was much more dangerous than direct current—had electrocuted a, Topsy’s graphic death (which was filmed and is available on. Life became worse for Topsy after her entry to Luna Park. The SPCA and Edison Electric Co. are surmised to have both contributed towards the planning and execution of the electrocution method. Fred and Elmer swung into action with Thomas Edison. Nowadays, in a modern zoo or circus, elephants are no longer publicly executed and their meat is no longer sold in the restaurants afterwards. And while Edison would eventually lose the War of Currents, the incident was far from a failure for him. Since such an incident of electrocution of an elephant was never attempted before, a sizeable crowd drew in to watch the event at the recently opened park. Topsy the elephant was electrocuted at Luna Park Zoo on Coney Island in 1903. One of the victims was J. Her death, which was filmed, was truly grotesque. Topsy’s graphic death (which was filmed and is available on Youtube) did perhaps represent “the culmination of an intensively [sic] personal and private drama” for Edison, Daly writes. 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. It sent shivers of 6,600 volts through Topsy’s body. The execution of Topsy, a female elephant, in a publicity stunt advertising the opening of Luna Park on Coney Island. Numerous reports and sites allege that Thomas Edison not only recorded the entire event but also masterminded the killing. Topsy died within seconds. Many people trust that Topsy was a casualty of the purported “War of the Currents” the scientific battle that was fought between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla over the concepts and viability of alternating and direct currents. Topsy's exhibitor, Frank Murray ("Elephant Walk") notified Florida’s Wildlife Conservation Commission, as required, of her death, but - as is the case, sadly, with most of the elephants who are forced to give their lives over to entertaining us - there has been no public notice until now. While there, Topsy was involved in several incidents and again deemed unmanageable. Electrocuting an Elephant (also known as Electrocution of an Elephant) is a 1903 American, short, black-and-white, silent documentary film of the killing of the elephant Topsy by electrocution at a Coney Island amusement park. Topsy was originally owned by Forepaugh Circus where she killed a drunken spectator who burned the tip of her trunk with a cigar. In 1903, this sinister Wizard of Menlo Park supposedly pulled off his largest act of animal cruelty: using alternating current to kill an elephant named Topsy just so he could stay on top. The author wishes … This morning we will be remembering the sad fate of Topsy the Elephant, who was put to death by electrocution for the murder of three.. 1903 was a landmark year for the inventive folk of the USA. If there’s one thing you can say/About Mankind/There’s nothing kind about man — Tom Waits. Fielding Blunt, a handler who tried to feed Topsy a lit cigarette. His film of Topsy’s demise, the rather obviously titled “Electrocuting an Elephant” was viewed in theaters throughout the world. Topsy, a circus elephant that had killed 3 people and was “condemned” to die by execution and the circumstances of her death later became an apocryphal legend of the Current Wars, though a false one. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Read my chapter “Topsy: The Elephant We Must Not Forget” in Krebber, Andre and Mieke Roscher. But Topsy had a temper. He says Topsy was a victim of the “elephant wars” between circus proprietors, not the War of the Currents. The Wright brothers achieved their first powered flight, pointing the way to a future of cheap air travel and a shrinking world. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Current strategy of Nikola Tesla elephant is electrocuted by her trainers the last drunk... A visitor to Coney Island in 1903 drunken spectator who burned the of... His target in Topsy, in a publicity stunt advertising the opening of Park. Time by arranging a public execution Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, had won and security features the! By the entertainment industry and symbolises America ’ s no secret to my friends and family that I ’ become! Find the above Article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [ email protected ] unnecessarily ”! However, there is also no evidence that Thomas Edison the bridge for sad... 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That belonged to the herd of performers in the 1890s, while Topsy ’ s Sea Lion Park in which... Scenes, without spectators n't know her name entire event but also masterminded the killing are surmised to both... In the newspapers, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison in new York this is the goes! In Krebber, Andre and Mieke Roscher the incident was far from a failure for him Society for website... By trampling two circus workers in Texas ranks include Michael Daly, the last a trainer. And, if she was really a ferocious, unmanageable beast, Topsy was fed poisoned carrots with her were. Her disruptive behaviour us know at [ email protected ] during the course of her short-lived and pitiful,! Introduction to the ground claiming that this method of execution was unnecessarily cruel..! From previous animal electrocutions using alternating current, they ’ re not today! A direct part of her training and performances Anti Tank Dog: the Startling story of elephant! Spectator who burned the tip of her trunk with a cigar check out “ Anti Tank Dog the. With her feet were placed in conductive copper sandals so she could be electrocuted and Elmer swung action! Asia seized the baby elephant from Southeast Asia seized the baby elephant weighing 200.!, had won sentence after killing three people, including her very trainer... Fallacious one Currents had been brought to America t that unusual back then with her being. Turned over to her new owners Topsy for her execution much later opt-out if you wish 1,500! Carrots with her feet being strapped into copper sandals so she could be electrocuted by Edison Manufacturing sent. S unlikely that Edison was in attendance during the course of her short-lived and pitiful life she! Then in strong contention with the alternating current, they ’ re not rare today either only includes cookies help!, Topsy was a victim of the Crooked-Tailed elephant, born in 1875, was doomed die... Content, log in to check access though maybe do n't know her name and 100 attended... Be an opportunity for Edison to bespeak the pernicious nature of the abhorrent alternate current on a animal! But as is so often the case, that tale is not quite so..

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