But her torture wasnt done yet. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison." She was sold to Sea Lion Park in. ProCon.org. The cities and towns of Edison's first 25 years. The tragic story of Topsy began sometimes around 1875. For whatever was left of her short-lived and pitiful life, she continued pulling massive building materials for construction and development. 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. In her maturity, Topsy was a 10ft (3.0m) high and 20ft (6.1m) long elephant weighing between 3.6 and 5.4 metric tonnes (5.95 US tons). In order to make sure that Topsy emerged from this spectacle more than just singed and angry, she was fed cyanide-laced carrots moments before a 6,600-volt AC charge slammed through her body. Wikimedia CommonsA still from the video of Topsys execution. For the price of 25 cents, visitors at Luna Park could witness the public execution of Topsy the elephant. However many spectators there were, Edison was not among them. And none directs Gilmore or the Edison Manufacturing Co. to make a film of the event. Professor Brown illegally purchased a Westinghouse generator and with two surges of electricity, one of them lasting more than one minute, electrocuted murderer William Kemmler to death. Very likely the film company decided to document the electrocution of Topsy because it was of interest to the public. But she did leave a mark. She was also dangerous. Topsy the Elephant was electrocuted by Thomas Edison's technicians at Coney Island before a crowd of thousands. Topsy was fed poisoned carrots with her feet being strapped into copper sandals to apply the electric shock. Circus owners would often fire "competent, more expensive trainers" when attendance was down and instead hired incompetent trainers who were more easily found. A memorial for Topsy opened 100 years later on July 23, 2003, at the Coney Island Museum. How to cite this page. The Edison Manufacturing movie company also filmed the execution and released the film under the name "Electrocuting an Elephant" (it's posted on YouTube), which may be one of the first ever animal snuff films. 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. At Luna Park, Topsy suffered under the hand of trainer William Whitey Alt. Topsy Elephant facts. Barnum led Barnum to publicly accuse Forepaugh of fraud, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 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. A newly declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reveals that the federal government is buying troves of data about Americans. Forepaugh continued to display Topsy, this time as the "killer elephant," but (per authorSamuel Hawley) there were more nearly fatal incidents with her handlers, who were reportedly frequently drunk, than Forepaugh would've liked them to be. Share. Around her, expectant crowds watched and waited. Naturally, Topsy was turned over to her new owners. ), The Sun. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of animals from Africa and Asia were brought to Europe and the United States to be treated as biological curiosities in zoos and circuses. Edison had established direct current at the standard for electricity distribution and was living large off the patent royalties, royalties he was in no mood to lose when George Westinghouse and Nicola Tesla showed up with alternating current. Thomas Edison believed that future executions by AC current would . All rights reserved. You can watch the full video of Executing an Elephant online by searching the title, or by clicking the embedded Youtube link in this article. Or, Topsy could have attacked out of fear or anger at this drunken stranger getting so close. He offered them whiskey, threw sand into the elephants eyes, and burnt the tip of Topsys trunk with a lit cigar. It is worth noting that none of Edisons extant correspondence from the period mentions Topsy or the electrocution of an elephant at Coney Island or in any other way links Edison to the execution. The cities and towns around Menlo Park, N.J. Around her, expectant crowds watched and waited. ], ProCon.org, "Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903,", ProCon.org, "Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903. Why? Hybrids' Next Trick Is to Feed Electricity Into the Grid, 2023 Cond Nast. What was James Graham Doing in His Electric Sex Temple? It was, according to this canard, all part of the longstanding publicity campaign to discredit AC and promote Edisons own preference, direct current. The New Bedford Mercuryreported that the SPCA officers present had said that they had never seen a more humane manner of causing death, though they likely had very little real understanding of the effects of electrocution in spite of the experiments Edison had done. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Available at: https://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%209/New%20York%20NY%20Sun/New%20York%20NY%20Sun%201903%20Jan-Dec%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Sun%201903%20Jan-Dec%20Grayscale%20-%200077.pdf, Rutgers. Did Topsy the elephant suffer? The zoo built a scaffold to publicly hang Topsy, but opposition by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals led the owners to turn to Thomas Edison, who had been electrocuting animals since the 1880s. Park officials originally considered hanging Topsy but the SPCA objected on humanitarian grounds, so someone suggesting having the pachyderm "ride the lightning," a practice that had been used in the American penal system since 1890 to dispatch the condemned. The answer is an emphatic "no." Topsy was sentenced to death by Luna Park officials after she had killed three men over a three-month period. Newspaper articles from the time mention how Topsy had a reputation as a killer and had killed 12-13 men. Studies have been performed that have shown us that elephants can distinguish languages and become more relaxed when they hear the voice of a young woman or man. The past and future are tightly linked in conventional quantum mechanics. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. Often, when these animals would react accordingly to abuse or surprise, they would be punished by their captors, and sometimes executed. Now revenge travel, global migration, poor public fundingand maybe climate changecould help it come back. An early experiment in older rhesus macaques suggests that an injection of klotho improves working memory. 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. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Edisons involvement in the electrocution of Topsy has been disputed, mainly because DC power had essentially lost the War of Currents to AC by the time Topsy was killed. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. If the fact that Forepaugh had a baby elephant smuggled into the US to be in a circus wasnt bad enough, the name Topsy comes from the name of a young slave girl in the book Uncle Toms Cabin. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Edison's aggressive campaign to discredit the new current took the macabre form of a series of animal electrocutions using AC (a killing process he referred to snidely as getting "Westinghoused"). The tip of an elephants trunk is so sensitive to touch that they can feel pressure differences as light as 0.25mm (0.01in) in depth, which is equivalent to a light brush against the skin. Topsy threw Blount to the ground in response to the abuse and then crushed him to death. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In the end, though, all Edison had to show for his efforts was a string of dead animals, including the unfortunate Topsy, and a current that quickly fell out of favor as AC demonstrated its superiority in less lethal ways to become the standard. In 1903, Topsy the elephant was electrocuted on Coney Island. These cookies do not store any personal information. Officials needn't have worried. (Louis Republic article / Wikimedia Commons). The scene opens with keeper leading Topsy to the place of execution. Topsy the elephant was likely born around 1875. According to an article posted atRutgers School of Arts and Sciences, Topsy's trainers also often goaded her into "menac[ing] the local police and some workmen.". 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. The demonstrations led some people to believe that electrocution was a valid form of execution. She was a big girl and a wild animal. In those days, like other circus animals, Topsy was a victim of human-inflicted brutality and abuse. But when it came to cross a bridge that led to the electrocution site, Topsy stopped short. Unfortunately, these amazing animals have been exploited by humans for entertainment, most notoriously in the traveling circuses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Russian & Eastern European Studies in 2017 from Florida State University. 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. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. As indicated by different sources, she supposedly killed by trampling two circus workers in Texas. As American society has become more sensitive to the suffering of animals, the execution of Topsy has also been portrayed in the popular media as an example of animal cruelty. In silence, they looked on as she tipped forward, and fell onto the ground. Edison lost The War of the Currents but launched a smear campaign against Westinghouse instead. Luna Park originally planned to hang Topsy, according to the Rutgers University introduction to the Edison papers. 1903: Thomas Edison stages his highly publicized electrocution of an elephant in order to demonstrate the dangers of alternating current, . TIL Topsy the elephant was to be publicly hung. After protest, it was Found the internet! Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to: accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Provide Feedback Form. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. It is believed that Topsys reactions to people tickling her were her natural panic response to what she perceived as danger or potential abuse. 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. But she didnt have long to enjoy life in the wild. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison, 2013, JoAnn Bren Guernsey,Death Penalty: Fair Solution or Moral Failure?, 2009, Tony Long, Jan. He says Topsy was a victim of the "elephant wars" between circus proprietors, not the War of the Currents. 2.8 /10 1.8K YOUR RATING Rate Documentary Short Horror The execution of Topsy, a female elephant, in a publicity stunt advertising the opening of Luna Park on Coney Island. During that time, she was trained to do tricks with "crowbar beatings, red-hot pokers, and jabs of the bullhook and pitchfork," writes the Maryland Center. Why did Thomas Edison electrocute an elephant? - Dance's Historical Thomas Edison was pro-DC, and a man named George Westinghouse was pro-AC. 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 mans fury and frustration at being bested, to show who is truly boss. But it didn't matter. As they began to fit her for electrocution, however, Topsy obliged with their every order. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. An African elephant from Mozambique, named Tyke, was shot and killed by police in 1994 after killing her trainer, injuring her groomer, and escaping into the streets of Honolulu (per All That's Interesting). She was later smuggled into America by Adam Forepaugh, the owner of Forepaugh and Sells . "Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903." Topsy killed a spectator in Brooklyn, New York, on May 27, 1902. Dead Topsy. Not so vicious, one reporter muttered from the crowd. Hybrids' Next Trick Is to Feed Electricity. One of the victims was J. Finally, the elephant was executed on January 4, 1903, at the Luna Park construction area in Coney Island. There is also no evidence that Thomas Edison was in attendance during the course of the action. Fielding Blount. In fact, the correspondence between Edison and Gilmore during January and February 1903 (there is none from December of the previous year) chiefly concerns patents for phonograph speakers. Still, the Edison company sent the film to the Library of Congress in the form of paper print (a photo-record of each frame of the film) for copyright reasons. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Topsy the Elephant is Electrocuted - On This Day Michael Daly,Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked Tailed Elephant, P.T. Edison got his big chance, though, when the Luna Park Zoo at Coney Island decided that Topsy, a cranky female elephant who had squashed three handlers in three years (including one idiot who tried feeding her a lighted cigarette), had to go. She went on to earn her Masters Degree in Museum Studies in 2019 from the University of San Francisco. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The execution was listed in the Edison catalog as: "Topsy, the famous "Baby" elephant, was electrocuted at Coney Island on January 4, 1903. Available at: https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/elephants/senses/#:~:text=The%20trunk%20is%20so%20sensitive,kg%20(550%20lb. The SPCA and Edison Electric Co. are surmised to have both contributed towards the planning and execution of the electrocution method. But after she finally struck back,. Topsy was an obedient circus elephant despite the abuse she suffered, but after she finally struck back, she was sentenced to be electrocuted to death on January 4, 1903. And, before long, Topsy ended up at Luna Park in Coney Island. The Edison Manufacturing movie companys film Electrocuting an Elephant shows the senselessly cruel death of an animal who was forced to entertain humans rather than live life in nature as she deserved. procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Blount is believed to have wandered into the area where the elephants were tied up and decided to tease the elephants. Outside Repositories & Private Collections, Edison Proves an Inspiration for Poet Clifford H. Tyler, Edison's Telegraphic Script Inspired "Library Hand", From Phonographs to U-Boats: Edison and His Insomnia Squad in Peace and War, 1911-1919, Outside Repositories and Private Collections. 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For the electrocution, Topsy's legs were put in conductive copper sandals; for the poisoning, she was fed carrots laced with potassium cyanide; a rope was put around her neck for the strangulation. Synopsis 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. So, park officials dragged all the wires to her side. Wiredmagazines online edition, for instance, ran a story on Topsy with the headline Edison Fries an Elephant to Prove His Point. The point ostensibly was that the Westinghouse AC electrical system was much more dangerous to consumers than Edisons DC system. Captured on film by Thomas Edison, the event was one of a string of animal electrocutions Edison staged to. The fact that any of the extant correspondence of Edison doesnt mention about Topsy or an electrocution incident of an elephant at Luna Park is also worth noting. A still from the video of Topsys execution. During her 25 years at Forepaugh, Topsy gained a reputation as a "bad" elephant and, after killing a spectator in 1902, was sold to Coney Island's Sea Lion Park. The Edison film company shot a 74-second-long film of the execution of Topsy, and the footage was added to kinetoscopes, an early device used to view a film. Although Topsy was advertised as being "the first elephant born on American soil," she was actually born in Southeast Asia around 1875. In the end, though, all Edison had to show for his efforts was a string of dead animals, including the unfortunate Topsy, and a current that quickly fell out of favor as AC demonstrated its superiority in less lethal ways to become the standard. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. ullstein bild/ Getty Images The shortest possible answer is that he didn't, at least not directly. The Heartbreaking Story Of Topsy The Elephant And Her Public Execution. Did Thomas Edison Kill An Elephant With Electricity? Disturbing Twins June and Jennifer Gibbons, Mystery of Edwin Drood: Dickens Unfinished Book, Marree Man Geoglyph and its Anonymous Creator, Krak des Chevaliers: Unconquerable Fortress of the Holy Land, (In Pics) Six Pieces of Medieval Art which tell Half-Forgotten Stories, A New Way of Thinking: the Wounds of Phineas Gage, The Oregon Trail and the Colonization of the United States. http://youmustClickItgood.comTopsy The Elephant - Elephant ElectrocutionIn an attempt to discredit Westinghouse and Tesla by showing how dangerous AC electri. Want to Understand Canadas Wildfire Crisis? States with the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Bans, and Death Penalty Moratoriums, International and American Methods of Execution, Religious Perspectives on the Death Penalty, Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903. Who is the author? A copper-lined boot connected to alternating electrical currents was put on Topsys right front foot and back left foot. Topsy the Elephant Was a Victim of Her Captors, Not Thomas Edison By Christopher Corbett. But the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals objected, claiming that this method of execution was unnecessarily cruel.. The scene opens with keeper leading Topsy to the place of execution. Read all Topsy the Elephant Being Electrocuted. We secured an excellent picture of the execution. Topsy (elephant) - Wikipedia Topsy was fed carrots laced with potassium cyanide, and her feet were placed in conductive copper sandals so she could be electrocuted. January 4, 2017 An illustration of Topsy from the St. Paul Globe on June 16, 1902. Topsy: The Elephant We Must Never Forget | SpringerLink She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Edison was happy to oblige. 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 couldnt have made much of a difference. Stray dogs and cats were the most easily obtained, but he also zapped a few cattle and horses. But neuroscientist Gl Dlen might have found a waywith drugsto help grown-ups learn like littles. DC currents work well at short ranges, but it was found that the AC can be sent over miles of power lines and was the best choice. Because nobody had ever electrocuted an elephant before, they decided to make sure the act would be completed with a combination of poisoning, strangulation and electrocution. Topsy may not be linked to Edisons legacy. What's known for sure is that in 1903, Luna Park arranged for Topsy's execution. Except, the elephant traders who sold Topsy to Forepaugh also sold elephants to P. T. Barnum and told him that Forepaughs new baby elephant was from them. The film was believed to be an opportunity for Edison to bespeak the pernicious nature of the abhorrent alternate current on a mammoth animal. Myth Buster-Topsy the Elephant - Rutgers University She lifted the spectator with her trunk and threw him onto the ground. Hugh Thomas, who was the chief electrician of Luna Park, performed the electrocution. However, writes Rutgers, its unlikely that Edison was a direct part of Topsys execution or even saw it. AI Can Help Fight It. Your Privacy Rights To make sure that theyd properly killed the elephant, officials then looped a noose around her neck and held it tight for ten minutes. Did he have anything to do with the execution of Topsy? Ad Choices, Jan. 4, 1903: Edison Fries an Elephant to Prove His Point, Take Your Tunes Anywhere With Our Fave Bluetooth Speakers, One Shot of a Kidney Protein Gave Monkeys a Brain Boost, A Rare Domestic Resurgence of Malaria Is Circulating in the US, Physicists Rewrite a Quantum Rule That Clashes With Our Universe. Forepaugh had the elephant traders smuggle the baby elephant into the United States because he intended to advertise Topsy as the first elephant born in America. At this time in history, circuses were incredibly popular, and Forepaugh was in direct competition with the world-famous Barnum & Bailey Circus. Edison sent Professor Harold Brown on a tour to demonstrate the dangers of AC by electrocuting dogs, cats, horses, cows, and even an orangutan on stage. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The Night 17 Million Precious Military Records Went Up in Smoke. 4, 1903: Edison Fries an Elephant to Prove His Point, wired.com, Jan. 4, 2008, Tom McNichol,AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War, 2006, New York Honours Electrocuted Elephant, BBC website, July 21, 2003, Roadside America, Topsy, Electrocuted by Edison, Roadside America website (accessed July 14, 2010), ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Topsy shook violently and then tipped forward. Its Time to End the Tyranny of Ultra-Processed Food. Two years later, an elephant named Fanny bolted from Luna Park. Managing Editor There, Topsy was picked up by circus magnate Adam Forepaugh. What makes Topsy's execution significant is that she's the only elephant (so far) to be electrocuted to death. From that moment on, Topsy was seen as a bad elephant. After this second attack, Forepaugh decided to sell Topsy. Topsys 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. Although Thomas Edison is often associated with the electrocution, "it's unlikely that Edison was a direct part of Topsy's execution," says Smithsonian. However, at least two sources have confirmed Edisons role in the proceedings. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Topsy the elephant being electrocuted in Luna Park. The SPCA officers present reportedly said that "they had never seen a more humane manner of causing death. Indeed, Edison did kill a number of animals. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. While the story of Topsys execution and the capture of her last moments have been preserved in film, the issue at the root of the story is often ignored. Wooden sandals with copper electrodes were attached to her feet and a copper wire run to Edison's electric light plant, where his technicians awaited the go-ahead. Mary was executed in 1916. Topsy was purchased in June 1902 by Paul Boyton, the then-owner of the Sea Lion Park at Coney Island. Why did they electrocute Topsy the elephant? Topsy was an elephant that belonged to the herd of performers in the Forepaugh Circus for a major part of her life. The two circuses tried to one-up each other for which circus had the largest number and the largest sized elephants. It was as if she understood that the humans surrounding her had sentenced her to death. Electrocuting an Elephant: Did Thomas Edison Kill Topsy? In 1892, he lost control of his company when it merged with General Electric. Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration of Topsy the elephant. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://deathpenalty.procon.org/critical-thinking-video-series-thomas-edison-electrocutes-topsy-the-elephant-jan-4-1903/, first execution by electrocution with the assistance of Thomas Edisons engineers, States with the Death Penalty and States with Death Penalty Bans, US Executions by Race, Crime, Method, Age, Gender, State, & Year. 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 Edisons direct current was effective at killing animals. 1903: Did Edison have Topsy the Elephant Killed by Electrocution? Without a handler to manage Topsy, the park owners wanted to get rid of her. Topsy was an elephant that belonged to the herd of performers in the Forepaugh Circus for a major part of her life. Having already electrocuted cattle and a human, Edison was ready for his largest challenge a six-ton elephant named Topsy.