The Republican journal., 1872-07-18
A Wrecked Menagerie.
From the New York Sun, July 5.

From the New York Sun, July 3.
old John Rohnson's mcnageric. aquarium
museum and circus showed in Bridgeport on
tuesday afternoon and night. For a week
previous they had been billed to appear in New
Haven, July 3 and 4. After the performance in
Bridgeport the spangles and tights and oauze
and lights that bewilder the youthful circus at
tendant disappeared. and all, from the manager
10 the stable boy, began packing preparatory to
the move TO New Haven. Tents were struck
beasts housed. and the concern was ready to
move, after the manner of energetcallv man
aged modern circus, by rail. special train
WIS provided. consisting of one locomotive and
tWtniN-seNen platform box and stock ears, and
two passenger coaches. 1t takes nearly half
night to embark a circus of this magnitude and
Il was J O'Clock on the morning of the 81 when
thf loading was completed. On the first ear.
pia'l"rm. We're SIN cages, containing the white
bear. leopard, hartbeeSt. and so ON. Next was
The hcket-Wagon. loaded on a platform. The
lrket-Wa90n Is a splendid new vehicle, lust
turned out IN expense of $3.50. exclusive of
furniture. After this We're more platforms with
cages containing one of the best collections of
animals that ever took the road. Then more
Hats with centre-poles and rOrdage. cars with
canvass. stock cars with horses and ponies. flats
rAlled upon the sides for the elephant, cameS
and other large animals, and last. the two pas
Senger cars filled with men. This show en-
ployS 200 men. and MANY of them We're scatter
ed along on the flats. stock cars or boxes, look
ing out for the animals and guarding the prop
erty.
A START BEFORE DAYRREAK.
The start was made at $50 on Wednesday
morning and a majority Of the tired men soon
fell asleep. Gil Robinson. the Treasurer, betak-
ing himself to the ticket wagon to escape the
heat and confusion. Prior to the start the ee-
Nalion of the wagon tops taken, to see
whether any Were higher than the locomotives
smoke stack. This is precaution ALWAYS
taken. to insure safety in passing bridges In
this OOthjOp the traO will
two inches of the top of the stack. The rail
| track passes through West Haven. "A pretty vii
Iage on the shores of New Haven harbor and
the sound. and adjoining the city of New
Haven. The train went along safely until it
reached point about two miles distant from
New Haven. Here First avenue inter SectS the
track. the crossing being made bv a single span
wooden bridge. of an old-fiShioned stvle. 1t
was lust about the gray of the morning when
the locomotive and first car passed the bridge
| safely.
THE CRASH.
Then a terrible crash woke every man and
| beast on the train, and there was a scene of in
| de>cTlhAhle uproar and confusion. The bridge
had fallen on the train. Meantime the train
| was going ahead and the heavy tmber> of the
| bridge were grinding through the ticket-waeon
ana the wagons on the following ears. literally
smashing them into fragments. Gil Robinson
was asleep but he awoke very quickly. The
top OF his wagon was cut off and forced clear
| through the Mexican lions cage. AT the same
instant the ticket wagon was nearly pulyerjzed
even lis desks and other furniture sharing the
same late. and the fragments We're hurled Il
distance of fifteen feet. Mr. Robinson miracu.
| louslY escaped with a few Slight bruises The
| mons set up Il roar and their cage was hurled
| from The car >ln9uarlv escaping comparatively
ihharmrd. Next the zebra cage This
was smashed to >pnters, and the zebra severe
~ wounded ana Wild with pain. made for the
open country. Next came the monkey cages
The train was still moving and the falling bridge
tmbers etl crunchlng mp the cages. There
were fifty monkeys in the cages which were
smashed TO atoms. Fourteen monkt vs. We're
KILLED, being either stabbed hV sp;nteS crushed
between pieces Of wood, or run over hy ears
among the last being Crazy Charley, Il monkey
;tS l;tigP as tWo-Vear-old boy. few monkeys
chung to the ruins, but nearly all chittering or
screaming WIN lear or pain. spring from the
| wreck. bounded up the emhankmrn some
l"rchn% on ienrP-rHS, and then all Scamper-
lh@ i"r trees. many of them ,nginy to the
hfali'h : oi apple or cherry trees. and wildly
gathering the fruit. The cage containing the
raSS""arY. white pea-towiS and other rare birds
Wa crushed 10 atoms. and the birds eS,;ipeI
The cage with the parrots mark,lawS. cocker
ZOOS, SILVER and gold pheaSants. and the yulture
| was also crushed. Many If the birds, incud-
| me- the NuIture. flew TO the woods the parrots
ana others iillin@ the air with their unealthIy
screams In the variety cage WAS the tapir
| which was badly hurt. The copi;tb,rra also
sustained injuries, and IFS cage was hurled from
ne car The tank cage. containing the seal
NAT Ms front stared in. The seal set up a fright
fill barking, adding materially To the ,IiscnrIaut
| chorus Of hoWlmg beasts, screaming birds and
was tnvrd in and il Is feared that lie 1ea-liion
| Is injured internally for he has been in a torpid
state ever since. This is the biggest Set-on
ever brought TO this country. 1t is well known
III san Francisco, where it was exhibited for
wears. and acquired the name of Ben Butler.
| lhr front and back of the cage containing the
| lt.stI tI,4f nj thU1t 4
| rd, but the animals escaped unharmed A
@r"it rent was made in the cage of the Bengal
| Tiger, which is one of the finest and most vigor-
Gus specimens IN the country. With fierce
roar the Tiger boanded for the opening. Equally
prompt was Il man who threw a plank over the
gap and sprang upon it to keep it down Other
men were Summoned and after a desperate
struggle the beast was chained to his cage
Another hon cage was broken and the beasts
made frantic efforts to escape all the time howl
ing vigorously. Men rushed to the ground and
| nailed panks over the gaps. The alligator and
snake cage was broken open and some snakes
We're lost, among them Il boa CONSTRUCTOR twelve
feet long. which is probably hiding in the West
Haven woods. The ostrich cage was Shivered
bnt the ostrich was secured after long search
Several other cages remain nniniured and the
llofSeS escaped almost unharmed, AS did the
heavy cnrloSticS. OF these last is the blo ele-
l,lith' Empress, which was greatly agitated
.Iust after the shock Empress began knOckinp
down the other beasts in its ear. One after an
other the poor caDels went down under terrific
strokes from the elephants trunk. Then En-
press dealt Telling blow to the buffalo. laid ont
The three-horned OK, and finished bv knocking
down the only animal then left standing the
sacred OK. They lay in heaps about the floor
of the EAR. while Empress still sashed her
trunk wildly about, apparently regrettine that
There We're no more beasts to conquer Among
other animals which escaped was the tapr a
silver lion. the ichneumon and the copiabarra
SIRl lGGIINn WITH THE FRIGHTENED AMI
MAILS.
The scene above described occupjpd less than
IA minute, and all the men were PROMPTLY ont
and at work under the direction of the Manager
John Robinson, Jr., and Assistant Manager
James ID. Robinson. The first work to do was
10 secure the fercer animals, and then the husi-
ness OF hunting up the escaped began. Three
or four men started for the zebra, found him,
and after "A sharp fight got hold of him and
shouted for rope. The zebra wrenched away
before The rope was brought, but after another
chase he was captured and tied to "A telegraph
pole. The cassoWary was captured after it had
klcNed down one man, who attempted to seize
if. This bird was badly scraped on the back
Many of the minor birds were not even to be
seen, and the monkeys threw apples, cherries
and defiance at their pursuers Only Il few of the
monkeys were caught, but those clptured in
cuded one of the largest and most valuable,
Wallace. which was brought ins after a lively
fight. Charles McCarty. the lame man. limped
Il
which was aScertained to be a native of "A near.
by swamp. Jim Homer, who weighs 400 pounds
tried 10 catch Il monkey. He didn't. Leo, who
is the spryest man i'm the caravan, tried to catch
Il sloth, but failed. The search went on until
nearly all the animals had been recaptured
Many strange birds Gncludmg the vulture), the
twelvetoo anaconda, and twenty three monkeys
and IA few curious snakes remain at large, and
they will doubtless add to the comfort of the
people in West Haven and neighborhood.
Several animals and few birds died after the
arrival at New Haven, including a South Amer-
can hog. a boa-constrictOr, soth, and clsso-
wary. A fine seal is among the ANIMALS injur-
ed which are despaired of. The inhabitants of
West Haven were terribly aroused by the I'M
usual uproar Many closed their ho"ses in dis
may. and Others, some in their night-clothes,
rushed to the scene. Among those early on the
ground DR.. Shepard, who rendered all
possible professional aid and attempted to sew
up the wound in the zebra's back but his needle
broke and the zebra's back went unmended.
One excited townsman hurried after the ostrich
with pitch-fork, but when the ostrich turned
on him the man with the pitchfork inc0ntinent-
ly fled.
The Cleveland police picked up man
in the streets a few days ago who appeared
to be laborino under great mental distress