Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-20

it) he determined upon leaving the
building On reaching the main saloon,
where the wax figures stood, he found
great confusion existing, A man was
endeavoring to save q Swiss animated
landscape, while others tried to get out
various other articles, including the wax
figures, which they sought to take
through the billiard-room; but the pro
prietor of that institution entered pro-
test against the crowd of rescuers max
ing a thoroughfare of his premises for
the passage of curiosities, as he did not
comprehend the extent Of the fire at
that time. Foiled in thus escaping with
their respective burdens, the crowd
rushed for the front windows, and
speedily emptied their arms of the gim-
crack articles, throwing them indis-
criminately into the street. Mr.. Harri-
son says one man had JEFF. Davis ef1igy
in his arms and fought vigorously to
preserve the worthless thing, as though
it were a gem or rare value. On reach
ing the balcony the man, perceiving
that the inanimate JEFF. or himself must
90 by the board, hurried the scare-crow
to the iconoclasts in the street. AS jeff
made his perilous descent, his petticoats
again played him false, and as the wind
blew them about, the imposture of the
figure was exposed. The flight of dunn
my Jeff. was the cause of great merri-
ment among the multitude, who saluted
the queer looking thing with cheers and
uncomfortable laughter.
The figure was instantly seized, and
bundled off to 4 lamp-post in Fulton
street, near st. PauPs Churchyard, and
there formally hanged, the actors in this
mock tragedy shouting the threadbare
refrain, commencing the sOur-apple'
tree.
The whales We're, of course burned
alive At an early stage of the confia-
grafton, the large panes Of glass in the
great whale tank were broken to allow
the heavy mass OF water to flow upon
the floor of the main saloon, and the
leviathan natives of Labrador, when
last seen, were floundering in mortal
agony, to the ineXpressible delight of
the unfeeling boys, who demanded a
share of the blubber.
The large cage, in which were con-
fined the anacOndas, pythons, and other
gigantic specimens Of the ophidian
tribe, was capsized, and the tenants
thereof were suffered to wander whittier
took saReX 5&ee Of fheir new.fo1nd 'Hfy IiSy
erty, and soon were travelling down
stairs, to the infinite astonisment and
alarm of the multitude.
The 'Man-Eat also suffered q cruel
death amid the burning pile. This rep
resentatlve of the saurian species re-
mained passive and quiescent during the
progress Of the fire, as far as witnessed
by mortal eye. True TO his taciturn
habits, the alligator failed to make the
slightest attempt at escape
While the fire was at its height, q
grotesquely- ly-shaped substance sprang
from the roof of the building, and land
ed in Fesey street. That's the kangaroo
shouted the multitude, and rush was
made for the place where the object
alighted. But it was not the kangaroo; :;
it was pair Of leggins, formerly worn
by Big Thunder, an aboriginal Indian,
during his soiourn at the Museum
The crowd felt much disappointed at
finding no kangaroo, and general ex-
clamatiOn of sold was uttered bv the
spectators.
The men, in their endeaVors to save
the property, exhibited q ps;icbast for Gu
riosities. One fireman was seen emerg-
ing from the building with q stuffed owl
in his hands. Another fastened on one
of the wax figures, and it is said that
Mr.. and Mrs. Tom Thumb and baby are
among the things that were. Also that
several other curiosities have been saved
and will be restored TO MIR. Barnum.
The fat woman and the giant and giant
ess made their way out without difficult
ty, but hastened to conceal themselves
from public exhibition in their hotel.
At 1870 o'clock cry burst forth from
the concourse which stood in the square
at Fulton and Vesey streets, that a wo-
man was being saved from the fire.
Curiosity was on tip-toe to discover the
lady and behold the operation by which
she was saved from q terrible death.
The crowd did not have to wait long to
witness the coveted scene of sacrifice
and gallantry, for a lady, attired In
pink dress, was handed down from story
to story by parties inside. The form
waved to and fro as if in q faint. and
the assemblage became more and more
interested in her fate. As it was low
cred, loud cheers arose from the multi
tude, who rushed, despite the police, to
see the woman. They were, however,
doomed to disappointment, for the wo-
man proved to be a valuable wax figure
which stood near the we'll known form
of Daniel Lambert, the giant, and the
somewhat lady face of Lord Byron. The
involuntary deception created great
merriment among the people.
At about this time some person shout
ed: THE snakes are loose" and at the
same moment terrible explosion was
heard, the horror. stricken audience fall
ing back in .-...
PEARYUL PANIC.
The real cause of this panic was the
whistling of steam fire engine on the
corner Of Vesey street and Broad way.
We have heard whistles of all powers,
from the sickly effort of a schoolgirl to
the mammoth fog signal at sea-those
frltons' horns which warn sailors of
danger; but this diabolical thing is a
monstrosity quite indescribable. The
whistle, or rather shrek, of this engine
is capital counterfeit of the shrek of
an elephant when in fear or danger, and