Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-08-15

4OEAs VI tAo Atlu u SAAy
COMBAT OF THE BEASTS.
Soon after. the breaking out of the con-
Aagration, a number of strange and terri
BILE .howls and means proceeding from the
large apartment in the third story of the
Museum, corner Of Ann street and Broad
way, startled the throngs who had COL
lected in front Of the burning building,
and we were at.frss under the impression
that the sounds must proceed from human
beings unable to make their escape. Their
anxiety was somewhat relieved on this
score, but their CONSERVATION was By no
means decreased upon learning that the
room in question wasthe Principal:cham-
Der. Of the m~enagerie.. connected with the
Museum, and that there was imminent
danger of the release of the animals there
confined, by the action Of the flames.
CONFUSION AND BTRueoLE'. IN H NE
NAaERIE.
Protecting myself from the intense heat
as we'll as I could by taking the mattress
from the bed and. erecting It as a bulwark
before the window, with only enough
space on the top as Q lookout, / anxious
ly observed the animals in the opposite
room. Immediately opposite the window
through which I Sased was a large cage
containing a lion and lioness. To the
right hand wa the three stored cage CON-
tanning monkeys at the top, two kanga-
roos in The: second story and a "happy
family" OF rats, cats. adders, rabbits,
etc., in the lowercumpartment.
To the left of the lions cage was the
tank containing the two vast alligators,
ard still further to the left, partially hid.
den from sight, was the grand tank on
tanning the great Wits whale, which has
created such a'furor in our sightseeing
midst for the past few weeks. Upon the
floor was Gagged the boa.constrictors, ana
condas and rattlesnakes, whose heads
would now and then rise menacingly
through the top of the cage. In the ex-
IRENE right was the cage, entirely shut
from my view at arst, containing the Ben
gal tiger and the Polar bear. whose terri
fed .growls could be distinctly heard from
behind the partition.
.PKooREss,oP THE FLAMES.
The c%onfagration was, as yet, confined
to the upper part Of the building. The
lower walls, however, were becoming
rapidly heated and all Of the animals be-
gan to manifest much uneasiness. The
white or ,silyer fox tan up and down his
cage, whining ~piseously and endeavoring
to escape. The lions also paced hurriedly
up and down, moaning most dismally,
and all the other beasts manifested similar
uneasiness. The serpents stuck their
heads up above the iilI Of the window and
writhed about in strange contortions.
When the. FIRE had eaten Its swift way
down to the third floor, and the lurid
glare burst through the transoms Of the
doors. the panic among the beasts become
positively. fearful. They sprang against
their iron bars and strove to rend them
with their teeth, at the same time sending
forth savage and frightened cries which
were almost human in their agony. At
length. when the flames burst through the
top of the door. and commenced to lick the
tops Of the. cages, the tumult reached its
hight. Yells, roars, bowls and screams
went up from the doomed brutes, which
were heard to the distance Of half a mile.
CITATION OF TIT TO-
With a simultaneous bound, the lion
and hi, mate sprang against their bars,
which gave way and came down with a
great crash, releasing the beasts, which,
for q moment, apparently amazed at their
sudden liberty, stood in the middle Of the
floor lashing their sides. with their tails
and roaring dolefully.
FIERY ~DELIvERANcE OF ANIMALS.
Almost at the same moment the upper
part Of the three-storied cage, consumed
by the flames, fell forward, letting the
rods drop to the floor. and many other
animals were thus set free. Just at this
time the door fell through and the flames
and smoke rolled in like q whirlwind
from the Haydean river Cocytus.
THE LION AND TIGER IN CLOSE CONTEST.
A horrible howl in. the right hand cor
ner of the room, a-yell Of undesirable
agony, and a crashing, grating sound indi-
Gated that the tiger and polar bear were
stirred up to the highest pitch Of excite
ment. Then there. came a great crash as
Of the giving way Of the bars Of their
cage. The flames and smoke m%omentarily
rolled back, and for q few seconds the in
terror of the room was visible in the lurid
light of the flames, which revealed the
tiger and the lion locked together in close
combat.
PARTICIPATION OF THE sERPENTs.
The base of the rods Of the serpents'
cage had also crumbled, and the largest
boa constrictor-about twenty feet long
and as thick as a mans body-was also
engaged in deadly struggle with the lion
ess.
THE POLAR BEAR IN A WARN PLACE.
The polar bear had shrunk to the COOL
est corner, with half his fur burnt from his
snowy coat, and there sat wonderingly
gazing upon the scene before him. Ac-
customed, as he had been, to deal with
onlS.the walrus.ana the sealin the cold
blue waters of the Arctic regions, he was
evidently considerably. alarmed at the ex-
cessive torrid scene; which was blazing
through the room. Under the circum.
stances he found it impossible to take 1t
coolly. -['
THE SNAKES AND MONKEYS IN TROUBLE.
The monkeys were perched around the
windows, ,hivering with dread and afraid
to Jump out. The snakes were wri,hing
about, crippled and blistered by the heat,
darling out their forked tongues and ex-
pressing their rage and fear In the most
sibilant Of Kisses.
CONTINUATION -oP THE sTRuooLE.
Meanwhile. this lion. and the. tiger were
continuing their contest, nov with the adj
vantage on one side. now on the other;
and the boa was slowly tightening his
fa,sl coils around the .panting body of'the
~lioness, which, however, bit and strug-
gled, decorating the striped skin Of its ad-
versary terribly. The floor was already
crimson with their blood. while the COM
mingling misses, hoFhff yells and roars ut.
terly surpassed all efforts at: description.
THE WHALE AND AIIIokToRs IN TORMENT.
At this moment the, flames rolled again
into the ro6hhi'and then again retired. The
whale and -aihsarors were BY this tins
IT. L. -~A ThA &aNS