Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-01-03

Roasting a Menagerie full of Animnls-A
Graphic Sketch of the Scene.
The N. Y Herald gives the following in
teresting account of the scene at theburn-
ing of Barnum's menagerie and circus last
week:
In the meantime some ninety or hun
dred animals were Gagged in the building,
and they already snuffed the smoke and
showed signs of apprehension. AS the
noise of the fire and the heat grew gradu-
ally their excitement increased. The bears
and the tigers showed most fear; but 1t
was fear in which rage was strongly de-
veloped Evidently understanding the
position of things, they dashed their TANKS
with furry and sprang with terrific force
against the sides of their cages, as if in an
endeavor to break them open. Unfortu
nately, the cages had been constructed for
the express purpose of avoiding such
possibility, and the efforts of the wild
brutes were impotent. The elephants were
peculiar in their manner of taking things.
There were two full grown female elephants
and one baby elephant. The mother and
the cub drew up closely together, while
the old one put her trunk around the young
ones BODY and every now and then snuff
ed the air.
THE THIRD ELEPHANT
grew more excited, and turned about as if
seeking way out of the building. FL
nally it lay down on its knees. This was
when the building had not succumbed to
the flames. Several men rushed in to see
what might be saved, and make an open
ing in the cages where the elephants were
confined. The mother and little one were
led out together, and obeyed the keepers
with docility, though the old elephant
still wound its trunk closely around the
body of the baby. It was not so with the
third elephant, however. This one, which
had been imported from Europe only a
few days since, continued to lay obstinate
ly on the ground, and, though every means
were employed, even to burning, it would
not stir an inch from the place, and after
futile attempts to make it move it was a.
bandoned. 1t was already too late to save
the giraffes, the most valuable animal pro-
perty in the Museum. The fire had already
interposed between the keepers and these
beasts, and they could not be reached in
any manner.
THE CAMELs
were ten in number. They also showed
signs of the greatest uneasiness as the fire
increased, and gave vent to low means, as
if suffering morally more than physically.
There was yet chance to save these, and
the keepers rushed for them. But they,
like the elephant, were lying down on their
knees, as they are so Familiarity represent
ii e H. h.
ception of one, which seemed to be all ex-
element and unable to maintain the quiet,
philosophical attitude of the last. This
-one keeper seized by its bride and led
out of the building, while the others could
not be made to stir an inch, and also were
left as they were found. The two polar
bears were meanwhile in an agony of ter
ror. They had succeeded in getting their
arms through the bars, and with their i'm
mense force were endeavoring to dislodge
them, 80 s-to make an opening to get out.
But the bars resisted, and though the huge
paws worked convulsively to pull them
asunder, it seemed to be to no purpose
AS the fire grew nearer and nearer, and
THE FLAMES GREW HOTTER
and hotter, and those animals which had
shown the least concern began to manifest
the strongest symptoms offear. The mon
keys particularly, which had quietly sat
on their launches looking on, in evident
surprise at the scene around them, began to
hop about, chattering and jabbering and
biting at the bars of their cages every mo-
ment. The great ostriches stretched their
small wings and half ran, half flew around
their large dens. The llama, yak. and elau
trembled convulsively in all their mem
bers and looked piteously at the efforts
the keepers were still making to rescue
them. Singularly, and very unfortunately,
none of the men had any keys of the cages,
else there is no doubt that large number
of animals would have been saved. AS it
was the keepers seized weights and ham
mers and endeavored to smash open the
strong gates which held the animals in
But it was to no purpose, and theanimals
were kept still closely confined, and were
evidently doomed to roast alive in their
cages. But at length it grew too hot for
the keepers and when the flames rose up
from the floor and darted out spitefully
from little crannies in the side of the
building and curled around posts and
pillars and all
THERE WAS NO HOPE
for Barnum's Museum; then, as if the Gagged
animals had become conscious of this at
the same moment, where there had been
nothing but the roaring Of the flames a
moment before there was suddenly set up
vast, thrilling, tremendous scream of
terror, as if from ten thousand throats.-
The great roaring of the lions, the deep
growing of the tigers, the sharp, spiteful
snarling of the leopards; the believing of
the elephant, the chatterinp of the mon
keys, the screaming of the deer and graf
fes, the granting ofthe hogs, and the thous-
and other sounds which animals possess
to give vent to their rage and despair, all
united in one great chorus, in which no
one sound, however loud, could be distin-
guished. 1t was not SO terrible, as it was
sad to know that, helpless as they were,
this was the last cry of the dying brutes.
One could still hear every now and then,
the mighty efforts of the Gagged beasts as
they still, in an agony of terror, threw
themselves against their cages in last eff
fort to break them open and escape into