Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-05-06
ifRaNCoNlS lilPPODROME IN NEW YORK
ERAND DRESS REHEARSAL

: GRAND DRESS REHEARSAL.
II The am"semons in New York city intended to enive
II The occasion of the Worlds Fair already
he hfsl performance in Franconis Hppodrome give
on FRIDAY night last before The members of The YuI
l. eSS ana select company Of gentlemen making audi
ehce oi between four und five hundred persons altogether
S II Is The first enterprise m the kind ever attempted in hi
county, II has b.en regarded with ordinary interest Ii
comparison with This magnificent and brilliant exhibition
hr equestrian performances Of the circus sinks into ute
hslsnIlicance. The ippodrone capable of containing
eas SIX thousand PERSONS comfortably seated and ,her,
" ""n or three thousand in The passages The nte
"'' winch Of oval shape is three hundred long by
"o ""nafch wide, and the is about
" round. The middle Of this vast area is laid out in beau.
~ P"'e'fes me vcrdnre of which presents adnira Bile
anu sihs contrast 10 be dull brown of The course These
Pa''eHe' are "1hamened with Illuminated fountains and
'So'' '"'f vases. The stadium, which contains these
'''''"' Il srpaIuen from The course by slight fence
AMI IS entered by nnr gates Tho course itself is abou, f
y ieet vide, and Is covered with Iupsc earth Tn.
whole interior is most imposing in appearances and when H.
Illuminated by It's one thousand gas lights tic specnc
presents Il brilliant beyond description The roof is formed
by an immense covering 10000 feet suu,te and
supported by five poles each which is eighty feet
IN height. The constructed with yr.a srr,np,h
50 rs Ia prevent the possibility OF an accident and
are arranged IN such admirable manner us 10 give cyery
Spectator an opportunity nt seeing the performances
lie exterior o The building Is very plain unpretend
me- consisting simply oil wal! of brick about twenty feet
high Il %c except Two rather fantastic wooden towers sim
a"l II The side facing Broadway wooden roof extends
from This wall Immediately the seats in the interior
which, with the canvass forms the only covering of this III
gantc concern We should state that the posts uprghs
which are placed in front Uf The embeished With
sfadc bearings and armora devices In imitation OF those
displayed during the ages of chivalry tournaments
The performances were exceedingly brilliant and imposing
hcy consisted u horse racng chariot racing (alte the
fashion "l the Olympic galnes,) of surprising
sInnasc exercises grand steepIe chase of osces
exercises o The maaege in which Mon. Fancon's ceeba
led dancing horse Johnste through variety of extra
ordinary erpschorean rats and grand nlen
lied tn represent that which took place in Funce, which
is known as the "Fied OF the Cloth OF Gold" This pa ri
ul um performance reminds one strongly OF the tournament
described in "vanhoc" of Sir Walter Scotts most in.
tereslng novels There are no less than ninety characters
Introduced IN This piece consisting OF kings OF France
and the First and Henry the Eighth the
mobiles 0f the TWO countries the knights men and
numerous array OF standard bearers &c The English
distinguished by the lions cmbaZoned their banners and
The French by The fur de lis Both dressed in the
greatest magncence and the whole was one OF sur
passing hlancy procession embracing the whole force
vas armcd and after marching round the course two
three times the heras took their positions a the gates
leading into the arena, where the exciting
take place. The ciacngers then entered each fnpnp
down his gauntlet on The ground daring The other
combat Then followed The preparations for tilt which
announced by the st and clear OF The clarion
His trumpet sounds: the challenge makes rpIy
With ciais"r rings the field, lis The vau.rd sky
Their visors closed! their llnces u the rest
Or the helmet poIuted, tia crest
They vanish the bi speed tle ace,
And snrihs, see decrease the middle space"
The whole representation admirable and had an a.
of reality abon that excited the deepes, interest
u the spectators Some OF the knights unhorsed by
the superior skill ol their antagonists and carried OF in
dying condition from the scene Of conflict horse which
killed in desperate encounter carried off on hur.
die The manner in which the animal egned death dis.
played degree vi training which have sur
passed in any equestrian performance.
The races were as intensely exciting the ardent To-
o The turf could DESIRE and deeply interested were
The spectators the issue that they all
control themselves and anpauded and cheered their
vortes with as much earncsness as il they had heavy bets
dependant upon it, Indeed, il hined that there was
9HsifEbbc bs!ting done during these The female
pe'"'han'cs In
nquhled, in this country r'
The company consists of hundred and forte perform
;rS o ~hot about thirty Besides the hnr.cs
u winch there are abont eighty, there ten ostrccs
our deer hve cames Two elephants, and large number
monkeys, whose performances considerable merr
nent !;