Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-03-13
The Burning Of Barnum's NTu.
zvt scum
We make the following extracts f

AZ
We make the following extracts from
New York papers
The Museum was located on Broadway,
between Spring and Prince streets, in a
plain and unpretending building, which
would not have suggested to a stranger
the fact that there were slowed away with
in "three hundred thousand curiosities."
1t was opened to the public September 6,
1865, and Barnum has since We'd with the
ballet in the number OF his visitors. No
stranger thought of returning from visit
to the metropolis, without having been to
Barnum's Museum, and many, indeed,
thought it comprised in nutshell all that
is worth seeing in this great city. 1t was
thronged from morning until night, and
people thought it q satisfaction to be suffo-
Gated in the rickety old building to see q
moral play, the Happy Family, and the
famous gorilla which rumor says could not
resist recognizing now and then an old ac-
quaintance of the day when he was very
harmless and unpretending monkey. Poor
fellow unless he was out OF the building
last night, as well as out of Mr.. Barnum's
advertisement, we fear he has found wa
tery-no, an ashy grave. But while he
was "living Gorilla" he made no bad
cicerone to those who could put their trust
in him, and were willing to believe that
his wild and untamable nature had been
subdued. The Museum consisted of a spa
cious saloon and lecture-room, the stage
of the lecture room being 80 feet wide by
| As deep, and the auditorium 10 feet deep,
giving the whole room a depth of 1875 feet,
and accommodating $500 persons. The
entrance from Broadway on the ground
floor went direct to the parque. Of the lee
ture- room, and in here streamed day and
evening hundreds of people. Up one flight
of stairs were the first and second saloons,
containing the wax statuary-" figgers
similar to those by which Artemus Ward
made his fortune in the show business
the Aquaria and the living Curiosities, in
Guiding of course the gorilla, while he
was in the advertisement. From this floor
was the main entrance to the balcony of
the lecture-room, and on the floor above
were the third and fourth saloons, and the
entrance to the lecturer room gallery.
The Fat Woman and Fat Boy, the Gil
antess, and other monstrosities, together
with the janitor's family, were reused from
their slumbers, and safely conducted from
the burning building. So rapidly did the
flames spread, that it was found impossible
to save any of the larger animals of the
fine collection known as Van Amburgh's
Menagerie. The yells Of the animals as
the flames reached them were appalling,
and they bounded from side to side, or Of
darted madly against the bars, in their
vain efforts to free themselves A few of
| the animals on the Broadway side, among
them kangaroo, a small leopard, a few
monkeys, together with the pelicans, and
| a variety of other small birds, were got
out. The electrical machine, the property
| of the exhibitor, was also saved. On the
Mercer street side the police and others
were more successful. The giraffe, two
camels, pair of Japanese hogs, Bur.
mese cow, lama, and variety of small
animals were got out. Many OF them had
narrow escapes, however, and few were
| slightly singed.
| Tho scene was one of appalling gran
deur. In fact the inside of the Museum was
as dry as tinder-box or the humor of It's
proprietor; and the flames were of peculiar
brilliancy. Belated travellers coming in on
! the Erie road, saw the fire miles away,
and imagined that the whole of Jersy City
was burning After the subsistence of the
flame proper, shower of sparks from the
burning building and the engine descend
ed like fiery snow and formed most pic
turesque sight. The animation of the
scene was considerably detracted from by
the efforts of the policemen who pressed
the crowd back below Spring street and
above Prince. The jammed persons had
to cosole themselves with bad jokes.
| "Barnum is a lucky cuss," coarsely re-
marked one, che always gets off light; he
might have been elected to Congress" z
The giantess, We regret to say, met with
a fall. Three men were supporting he1
frail form over Broadway, but as she
| stepped upon the further curbstone, she
slipped and fell across the street, forming
an obstacle to traffic only equaled by the
piles of dirty snow which the assiduity o.
| Whiting collected in the same thorough
fare. She was finally, however, got into
the saloon by the united exertions OF 8
sympathizing public, without further dam
age, and in this refuge was joined by the
fat woman, who contracted for this occa
sion only to the dimensions of the double
door. To them shortly enter Zuruby Han
nam, the Circassian girl, whose hair radl
ated with more than usual self-assertiOn
and the fat boy, who was emptied into 8
/ tub, and brought in on the shoulders Of
four men, Two pelicans were shortly af
terward conveyed to the same haven, 8
| stuffed fawn soon arrived, and the exile6
curiosities ranged themselves against the
wall and poured their griefs into one an
others bosoms, to their own solace let us
hope, and anyhow to the extravagant de
light of number of small boys who flat
tened their noses against the front windows
and exulted exuberantly in the possession
4 of "a beat on Barnum."
The beautiful Circassian girl, and the gi
antess, Miss Anna Swan, barely escaped
with their lives, both losing their entire
wardrobes, valuable jewelry, etc.
i The collection OF animals belonging tc
Messrs Van Amburg 81 Co., Mr.. Barnum
! being one-third owner, was unquestionably
the finest in the country. 1t is understood
| that the entire lot was offered last spring
to the Central Park Commission at 800,
600, and was refused, though short time
afterward much larger sum was offered
in Boston and declined by the proprietors
as the summer travelling season was about
to begin, offering better inducements than
the proposed sale. A very extended tour
had been planned for this summer, and ar
rangements had been made to show the
collection through the country. In speci.
alties this menagerie was famous for two
of the finest Bengal tigers ever Gagged
They were male and female, of enormous
size. There were two very large lions, and
/ four beautiful lion cubs of one litter, born
in New Jersey, and very popular with the
Younger visitors to the Museum. Of the
seals. besides the Oxford graduate, the in
teresting learned individual, the four very
handsome specimens recently tanked-oi
course their fate was sealed. The collec
1 sad