Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-07-28
Barnum's Museum Burnt.
GREAT STRUGGLE IN THE MENAGERIE.

NeW loIh WAS Ournt anu totally uestToy-
ed on Thursday afternoon Of last week,
including all of the numerous animals in
the menagerie. There was a great strug-
gle among the beasts in the menagerie,
an account of which we give from re-
porter for one of the city papers
CONFUSION AND STRUGGLE IN THE
MENAGERIE.
Protecting myself from the intense
heat as well as | could by taking the
mattrass from the bed and erecting it as
bulwark before the window, with only
enough space reserved on the top as look
out, anxiously observed the animals in
the opposite room. Immediately oppo.
site the window through which | gazed
was large cage containing a lion and
lioness. To the right hand was the three
storied cage, containing monkeys at the
top, two kangaroos in the second story,
and happy family of rats, cats, adders,
rabbits, etc, in the lower compartment.
To the left of the lions cage was the
tank containing the two vast alligators
and still further to the left, partially hid
den from my sight, was the grand tank
containing the great white whale, which
has created such furore in our sight
seeing midst for the past few weeks
Upon the floor was Gagged the boa con-
strictors, anacondas a rattlesnakes,
whose heads would now and then rise
menacingly through the top of the cage,
In the extreme right was the cage en-
tirely shut from my view at first, contain
ing the Bengal tiger and the Polar bear,
whose terrified growls could be distinctly
heard from behind the petition.
The confagration 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 silver fox ran up and down his
cage, whining piteously and endeavorng
escape. The lions also paced hurriedly
up and down, moaning most dismally, and
all the other beasts mailested similar I'm.
easiness. The serpents stuck their heads
up above the sill 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 be-
come 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. YeIls, roars, bowls
and screams went up from the doomed
brutes, which were heard to the distance
of half a mile.
EXPERIMENTATION OF THE LIONS.
With a simultaneous bound, the lion
and his mate sprang against their bars,
which gave way and came down with a.
great crash, releasing the beasts, which
for a moment, apparently amazed at
their sudden liberty, stood in the middle
of the floor lashing their sides with their
tails and roaring dolefully.
THE LION AND TIGER IN CLOSE CONTEST.
A horrible howl in the right hand
corner of the room, a yell Of Undesirable
agony, and crashing, grating sound
indicated that me tiger and polar bear
were surred up to the highest pitch OF
excitement. Then there came a great
crash as of the giving way of the bars Of
their cage. The flames and smoke mo-
mentarily rolled back, and for few sec
onds the interior of the room was visible
in the lCrid light of the flames, which
revealed the tiger and lion locked TO-
gether in close combat.
The base Of the rods of the serpent's
cage had also crumbled, and the largest
-constrictor-about 20 feet long and
as thick as a mans body-was also en-
gagged in deadly struggle with the lioness.
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
only the walrus and seal in the cold blue
waters Of the Arctic regions he was evil
IDENTIFY considerably alarmed at the Excess
sively torrid scene, which was blazing
through the room. Under the circum,
stances he found it impossible to take it
coolly.
The monkeys were perched around
the windows, shivering with dread and
afraid TO jump out. The snakes were
writhing about, crippled and blistered by
he heat, darling out their forked tongues
and expressing their rage and fear in the
most sibilant of Kisses.
THE HAPPY FAMILY BAPTIZED WITH
FIRE.
The Happy Family were experien>
ling an amount of beatitude which was
evidently too cordial for philosophical
Enjoyment. A long tongue of flame had
,rept under the cage, completely singeing
very hair from the cats body. The
elicitous adder was slowly burning in {
wo, and busily engaged in impregnatingI S
lis agonized system with his own venom.
The joyful rat had lost his tai! by fall
ne bar of iron; and the beatifc rabbit,
by a red hot nail, looked as if
nothing could be more grateful than !
.ool corner in some Esquimaux farm I
lard. The members of the delectated
were hnhdled tnnather in thaI y