Buckles Blog: George Denman #8

Friday, April 11, 2008

SAVE0628, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

"Goliath" on display.

Anonymous said...: When Goliath did this turn on the hippodrome track at the last evening show, he rolled out of the big top and straight to his special car #34 on the 3rd section. In the AM and between shows he was kept in a tent in the back yard. It had a portable canvas bathing pool.

The only exception to that procedure was if the rail siding was right on or adjacent to the lot. e.g. Atlanta. Then he would go to and from his special rail car between shows.

Goliath’s special rail car was equipped with a shallow pool and sandy beach, i.e., a dry floor area which was covered with sand so he could clamber out of the water. His keeper rode in a compartment in one end of the car.

When #34 was first used in 1928 the sloshing water and movements of the huge animal made the car unstable. This caused several derailments. That seems to have been corrected for 1929 et seq.; 11 April, 2008 13:28
Wade G. Burck said...: Richard,
That loose sand being taken back into to pool must have been a filtration nightmare, or did they drain and dump on a regular basis? I can't imagine the logistics involved with Goliath. The young male they had in Canada at Marineland in the 80's was difficult, and that was a permanent facility
Best wishes,
Wade Burck; 11 April, 2008 14:57
Anonymous said...: Is the wagon floor sloped up to make him look bigger???? or to make him more comfortable??? I think it is to look bigger....Jim Zajicek; 11 April, 2008 15:10

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