Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-16
The Destruction of Barnum's Museum

The alarm was sent out at $50, and the
location of the signal showed the fire to
be at Barnum's Circus, in Fourteenth
street. Ten minutes later, when Com
mercial reporter arrived on the ground,
the interior of the newly-constructed
Hippotheatron was a mass ofsolid flames,
and the strong west wind: (which prevailed
carried the tongues of flame against the
great ivory warehouse of F. Grote 81 Co.,
on the west, and the brick wall of Grace
Chapel, on the east.
1t required no more than a glance to
show that the circus building, with all it's
va liable animals and other contents, was
doomed. The Waterman, at great per
sonal risk, rushed to the rear and succeed
ed in bringing out two of the three ele-
made to save more of the animals the
flames drove back the gallant firemen and
handful of spectators and policemen
who had assembled, and the effort had to
be abandoned. The C0mnaerciaI reporter
stood on the sidewalk near the western
entrance, when the last attempt was made
to save some of the more valuable of the
animals. The roar of the tigers and
lions was fearful, while above the crackle
and din of the flames arose the unearthly
yell of the sea lions The chatter of the
monkeys could also be plainly heard. AS
the fire encircled the fire proof corrugated
frame, and advanced toward the western
side, where the more valuable animals
were Gagged, the lions and tigers became
frantic, and beat the iron bars of their
prisons with frantic rage. The Commercial
reporter, remembering with great vivid
ness previous experience On just such
an inclement night in March, 1858, when
a Bengal tiger broke from his cage at the
previous burning of Barnum's, and
landed at the scribe's feet in the
middle of Broadway, quickly made
up his mind that discretion in this
case was much better to use than IN
due curiosity, and lost no time in seek
ing the protecting recsses of one of the
Academy entrances, safe from further
harm than descending torrent of water,
| which froze the instant it touched the
clothing.
There was no occasion for fright, how
ever, for ia a very few minutes the suffer
| ings of the poor beasts were at an end,
| and soon after the ''fre proof" iron
structure fell, a crumbled-up mass of
| debris
The fire originated from the boiler in
| the basement of the circus building, and
| spread with such surprising rapidity that
the Waterman had only time sufficient to
save two elephants.
| The loss Of Mr.. Barnum, who at pres
ent is in New Orleans, is estimated to-
day by Mr.. S. B. Hurd, his treasurer, at
| 100000. His insurance it is impossible
to ascertain at this hour, as the safe,
with the policies, are in the ruins Of
this proportion about $4,000 was eX-
pended recently in reconstructing the
| building.
The natural history collection, it is
claimed, was the most valuable in this
country. The giraffes burned cost $4,000,
| and were the only ones is this country
| The sea-liOns were also the only ones at
present in the United States. Mr.. Barnum
gave employment to $50 persons, 100 of
whom were employed in the arenic de-
| partment. None Of the horses were burn
| ed, as they were stabbed in Thirteenth
street. An elephant, belonging to George
F. Bailey's Circus, which was imported
but last week, was also burned. The
| wardrObes of the members of the com
pany were also burned
The following is a list Of the animals
| burned: giratfes, 2 white Polar bears,
monster sea lions, 1 horned horse, seals,
Alpine goat, ostrich, pelicans, 2 Abyssin-
| ian lions, 2 Bengal tigers, l Asiatic yak,
1 Gland, llama, leopards, serpents, apes,
gorilias, chacma, 6camels, 2 dromedaries,
1 elephant, Happy Family, and other
minor animals, amounting to one hun
dred specimens.-N 7. Commercial Id
ge1tiseT