Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-03-15
Failing ola EircHs Tent.

From The Louisville Iourcr-J ournal, Mar. Ii. !
The exhibition Of the Great Eastern Circus
which aas given last III ght, was attended with
dreadful manifestation. which viii, for years
harrow the memories # those who were present
OH the OCCASION When the performance COM
i'll need, the sky vas clear, aud the weather
seemed il every respect proptlouS; but as the
entertainment progressed, the main tent, which
VS. fled to It's utmost caplcity, was agltacd
from time to time, BY ftiul gusts of wind, that
were Of increasing yioleucc No fear, however
vas entertained u serious damage 10 the mar
qucc, uut! abau. Il quarter 10 ten clock, when
Z; L.a>t Of greater fury than any ,ia! had pre-
crc,;,.d it, caused the nlan pu:c supporting the
lc,,; t, >aap IN twain, about on@-thlIl .! the
distance from The top. lie lrwcr part oi the
pole Tor tine retained It's upright position.
while the upper part, which Was secured by rs
t,~tctngs the canvHSs, swurg backwards AMI
forwards along the iront row Ot seats IN the
" stern part OF the space devoted to spectators:
Were it w::s observed to lay PROSTATE several
!;t.is who coupled tic bench nearest the ing.
The employees, Of the circus. as su.u a> tic
tent pole br, X, called loudly to the assembled
multitude To CONSULT the general safety ~ r.
taInlng their places 50 that grlllra! and >yS-
GcmIatlc order of cgrcs> might nc arranged but.
regardless Of the cXhuratiDllS addressed to
them the coner.@,tcd mass Immediately broke
in;o IA general stampede, aud the action OF all
was from that time governed by the principle
OF >aGvc qul pcut.
An iliiScrillnatn rtiah over bcncc, and pros
tratc men aud women, was made by the more
powerful. Of thoS: prrscnt, and the CANVASS was
SlaShci with knives in every part of the tent.
The battle Tor life had no, continued long
wcn thc part ol the pole which had hitherto
rcinaIuci Upright r;linc to the "round, and the
whole structure ltl pr2Stratc Up To this time
the urrnar Of tie men, aud tn" screams ii The
women and children had been most narrowing,
but Their eli ct vas as nothing compared wllI'
the shrek oi de- p:!r winch pierced the heavens
when he mas, oi' beings experienced the un-
,;cnah, terror which seized them when buried
in the heavy i;,ii, al the saturated canvas, and
not a ray u light was left whereby they night
rain Il knnwicC;gc of the nature " cytcnt 81 the
catastrophe: i',r, most fortunately, every enc of
the lamps was rxrlnguIShed in the fail.
The police aS wei: rs the men belonging to
the circus were interchangeable III rcScll"lng with
every possible haste those who were unable 70
cxtrlcatc thcn~clvcS from the fallen tent.
y boy al thirteen years ot aye, named Frank
Sparks. had the upper part Of his skull FRAT
turcd probably by Il blow from The tent pole,
and was Carried in an in.cnSitle state to the
carpenter shop ar.joioing the hospital grounds,
where he died about ha!i-past ten o'clock \
young man, I or IS year, OH, who had his
skull fractured, was taken to the city hospital,
the physicians; il charge Of which at once pro-
nouuce.l his case entirely hopeless
As is usual under such circum Stances, when
tilc report oI'thc disaster bccamc noiScd through
oilt the city. the number Of those fatally injured
was greatly exaggerated, and few stated the
casualties ct less than ten to twelve killed and
sixty to seventy severely injured. After as
thorough inquiry as the time available would
permit, our reporters have been unable to hear
OF any fatally hurt, besides the two already
mentioned; but there is no doubt that nun
Der Of accidents Of less serious nature yelil be
come known to day.