The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-01-03
BURNING or BARNUM'S MUSEUM,
The Fate Of the Wild Administrators Con.
dnct--Th0Sr That We're Rescued.

Fire seems to follow the enterprise Of p.
I. Barnum with destructive certainty. The
burning Of his museum in New York on
Tuesday, morning December oath. is the
third time in the last seven wears that he
has been burned out, losing each time
large and rare collection of wild animals
and many interesting curiosties.
The New York World describes the scene
at the burning building, the action Of the
men inside and the animals, &c, as follows.
Hardly had the alarm been given when
those who were attempting to free the
quadrupeds in the menagerie were COMPEL
ed to beat retreat, the flames following
them with lightning rapidity, while the
smoke which proceeded from the overhead
"a and rotten woodwork of the basement
Of the t7Wi66I 9Is sitting With the eight men
ing the air thisw pa il tr Started "p ry s1rs
place at a swift gait and was not captured
till it had reached Seventeenth street, when
it was secured and taken with the two 9th
or lucky animals to Barnum's stable in
West Thirtieth street. AS to the other ami
mails, the carnivora and monkeys were in
all probability smothered before being
burned, as they cried but little. The 81
rafles the other elephant, and the camels
did not fare so well. Stupetied by the
smoke and paralyzed with fear by the fire
they huddled together as the flames reached
them, and one by one they fell into the fire,
and for several minutes struggled teartully
against their fate The elephant showed
signs of vitality ten minutes after the flames
reached him, and rs the smoke lifted, his
huge carcass could be seen to heaVc like
that of whale ut sea. 1t took the flames
about quarter of an hour to completely
cnvclop the entire structure, and as soon as
the roof was reached everything seemed to
be Tapped up.
engine after engine came rattlng to
the spot, gradually more slumberers became
aroused Those who still remained wrap
ped in slumber were finally called to sud-
den consciousness by Il strange, uncarthly
sound which for the moment seemed but
the continuation of Il grisly nightmare.
This wild, weird noise was the trumpeting
of the two elephants who were saved, Jan
nettc and Gypsy, for so long Il time station
ed in Central Park. where the little one,
Gypsy. used to be such perennial JOY to
children. They had escaped the flames,
roaring and believing behind them, and
ran in their clumsy, long-rcaching fashion
out into the street. When near the corner
of the block they were joined by one of
their keepers, who, not daring to attempt
leading them back the way they had come,
guided them up the avenue and through
Fifteenth street to Irving Place. Here
they were picketcd, and for some instants
remained tranquil. Soon, however THEN
> turks were raised into the air, and their
: curious screams frightened all listeners
Their keeper left them, went towards the
burning building, and returned with dog
which lad been accustomed to play about
; them. The animal ran up to the elephants
S leaping and wagging not only his tail, but
the whole hinder part ofhis body. kub.
bling against the huge legs, which were
$ about the same size rs his own body, he
&, gambollcd around them with great appar-
= ent glee at again seeing his playmatcs
Nor did the elephants seem less delighted
their small, keen eyes looked kindly upon
him, their feet were moved cautiously, lest
|. some injury should be unwittingly inliict
- ted and every now and then their trunks
would gracefully describe long, sweep
ing circle and softly stroke the sides .
the dog. Near them was tethercd the sin
j, ole camel which had been brought out from
the fiery furnace, and before long the three
surviving animals Of the large menageri
were led away to a place where the atmos
pherc was better suited to their comfort thai
was the cold, keen air ola winter morning
In conversation with the property MAJ
of the circus the writer asked: wv ha
}; was the first ntimation chose in charge o
v the animals had of the freq "Well, Their
are several men who took care oft the beasts
and about four o'clock this morning TIN
tanner Lion Charley we call him, who sleep