The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-09-20
A CIRCUS IN A STORM.


The Dubuque Times gives the follow
inc humorous sketch of circus in a
storm at that place some weeks ago:
This has been enpha,ically a circus
Week--one circus on Tuesday, and two
circuses yesterday. HaIght q Chambers
pitched their tent on the low ground at
The foot of Third street. The afternoon
show was good, but not largely attended.
In the evening about seven hundred PEG
pie were under the canvas. All went
well enough until eight O'Clock, when
one of the richest performances ever
witnessed in this or any other city, com
menced. At that hour one of the fercest
rain storms that ever wet the earth since
the deluge, began. In two minutes the
canvas was saturated, and the rain pour
ed as freely upon those inside the tent as
i! did upon the stones 10 the street. The
waters rushed down the Third street gut
tiers in torrents, add poured upon the low
ground occupied By the circus like a flood.
In five minutes there were SIX inches OF
water covering the earth there. People
thought such a shower would soon spend
itself, and waited for it TO stop. la Gf-
teen minutes there were at least two feet
OF water on the premises. Then the la
dies present thought il best to start home.
And such starIl Talk about the Black
Crook And tumbling! This is the
way they did il: A gentleman would
take lady in his arms aud start for the
door. This couple would collide with
other couples; down would fair one and
stern one 60 into the water, amidst
screams of the drowning ones, and yells
OF laughter from spectators. The luck
less fallen ones would arise, as black with
mud as water stirred in black muck could
make them.
And as for skirts nobody seemed to
care whether skirts were gathered as high
as their waists, or thrown over their heads.
Two ladies deliberately took off their
shoes and stockings, and gathering their
garments high, Starred for land" They
Waded and stumbled toward the dror, aud
the way the cheers went up from the
crowd was stunuing-they drowned the
loud thunder. At one time there was
such mixture of tumble downs in the
water that it was hard to tell who were
women and who were men, save by an
occasional bearded face that appeared
hDOfo tue uJalh5 CAMEO. NODOuy see III %
ed mad-everybod laughed until his or
her sides acLed.
The circus performers added interest
to the scene. Just after the rain com
menced, they appeared aud began ground
and lofty tumbhng. The first one landed
in puddle and iell. With loud cheers
the others followed. In less time than
we are taking to tell this, the water filled
the ring; but the actors needed il not.
They turned handsprings, somersaults,
made cart wheels and walked on their
hands, or attempted 10, i'm the little lake,
till their spangled tunics, their flesh col
ored tights, and their hands and faces
were all Of one color-a dirty black. AT
each exercise the crowd cheered, and the
performers Toarsd.
Amid such sights as these the crowd
made their way through the mud and
water to the sidewalks west of Iowa
street-bettsr satisfied with their "mon-
ey,s worth" than any circus crowd ever
was before. All in all. a scene of such
IichnsSs has never transpired here.