But the sale went through. Barnum knew exactly what he had. He told reporters, "The Jumbo fever is on. I shall make a million dollars off him."

The buyer was , the circus king of America. Barnum offered $10,000 (a fortune in the 1880s) for the elephant.

Train conductor William Burnip saw the elephants too late. He slammed the brakes, but the 40-ton locomotive couldn't stop. It slammed into Jumbo at full speed.