The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-09-12

L1aHTNISH AMONG THE MoNs.-A
SCENE IN A MENAGRRIE.-A correspon-
dent of the Bhicago Inter- Ocean writes from
Davenport iowa:
Adam Fotepaugh is famous Snowman,
but he hastneyer offered to the public SO
thrilling andsxtraordinary an exhibition as
that which Might have been seen" at q
point near Pleasant Hill, about seven miles
from Davenport, on Monday morning, just
before daylight The scene was that Of a
menagerie astscked BY 2 thunder storm of
unusual fsrc IN the dead Of night.
Mr.. shment, consisting
Of menagerie, museum and circus, exhibit
ed at Dewitt, Iowa, on Saturday, August
18th; and at midnight started for Daven-
port, where it was to exhibit on the 18th.
At Pleasant Hill, small village, it encoun-
tered one of the most terrific storms Of thun-
der, lightning and rain ever experienced in
this part of to country. 1t was about two
o'clock, on the morning of Monday when
the storm broke upon the caravan. There
were 175 dens or cages of wild beasts and
birds, museum equipage, baggage wagons,
&c., drawn by 500 horses, and following the
great chariot. This in turn, was preceded
by dozen eamels and the elephant Romeo,
Junior.
AS the storm increased in fury, the cha
riot horses became unmanageable, and star
ted off at a fearful speed. The camels, un-
able to stand, crouched down by the road
side, trembling with fear, and the elephant
laid down in the middle of the road, and
stubbornly refused to rise, completely pre-
venting the further progress of the long train
of cages which were scattered along the
road for nearly two miles.
The animals, thoroughly frightened, min
gled their yells and roars with the dcafen-
ing thunder, and bounded from side to side
of their narrow cages with tremendous force.
This caused many of the horses to follow
the example of those before the chariot, and
as no further progress could be made, the
whole tram soon became inextricably con-
fused To make confusion worse con-
ffsunded, the driver of the lion cage was hurl-
ed from his seat by the falling of his wheel
horses, and over went the. cage with four
large lions.
The fury Of tho storm and terror Of the
scene demoralized about twenty drivers, who
who had been hired few days previous,
and in q most cowardly manner, they deser-
ted their horses and fed to the woods. One
of these driverless cages contained gnu or
horned horse, q most vicious and untamable
brute, and the horses plunging from side to
side of the road, overturned the cage, caus-
ing tho top to break in. Instantly the brute
leaped into the road, and, overturning a
cage filled with monkeys, darted off into the
woods.
The situation Of the caravan at this juno
ture was very critical, as may be readily
imagined. There was the pitch.blask dark
ness of the night contending with the lurid
glare of the lightning. There was the dren.
ching rain pouring down in sheets. There
was the almost constant roar Of thunder
The roar of frightened tigers, the neigh Of
frightened horses, thewail of hundred ami
mals--some to be feared, others to be pitied
all were concentrated. Trees fell around
Horses dashed hither and thither, crashing
the vans which they drew and scattering
their contents. One of the drivers, who
still remained faithful and courageous, was
killed in his scat by shock of lig ightning.-
No wondeemen's hearts .quailed, and that
among the less bold among them panic and
stampede set in, which promised to end with
the total ruin of the caravan. This. doubt
less, was averted only by the appearance o.
Colonel Forepaugh at the front, who had
been following tho train. and who had come
up as rapidly as possible on realizing the
danger Of. the situation. He ordered the
horses to be detached from the animal cages
and the wagons .corrolled. The lion cage