, 1873-03-13
ALMOST A HORROR.

X Circus-Tont with 1000 Tcopfc Ia1s
ncafr, 1T Overturned by n IOraind0--
Ono Hoy Tklilotl nM1 Another Esttnfs
1y tntNruh.
From. The Loufapflic CoHrfer1Jotrnai, 3farch II.
Tho exhibition OF tho Great Eastern circus,
which was given last night, was attended with q
dreadful manifcstatlon. which will for ycara
harrow tic momoriua of those who woro proaont
OH the occasion. When tho performance COM
1noncea tho aky was clear, aid tho weather |
,aoomcd in every rospoct propitious; but 40 tho |
ensortain.nens progressed, tho main tent, which, |
s,aa ll!ot to its ,,tnlont capacity, was agltatcd
from tllna to time by ttful gusts OF wind, that
wore Of increasing ylolonee. no iees, 1o"over,
quoo until about quartor to 70 O'Clock, when 2
bjaat Of creator fury than amy thet haa preceded
i to main polS spppo13EE tho a9 tent Ito to
pnrt Of tho polo fer time retained itn upright
position, whilo tho. upper part. which was
secured By it's faateninga to tho canvas, swung
backwards aud forwards along ~ siao @ dfont % row o7
trate several lads who occupied tho benoh laear-
Tio employees Of tho cirous, as soon as THO
tont-polo broke, called loudly to tho assembled
multitude to consult the general safety by
retaining their pllaeos, 40 that gradual and
but, regardless Of tho cxhortations addressed TO
them, tic congregntod mass Immediately
broke into q. general stampede, and tho
action Of all was from, ttlat timo.. gov
crnod BY tho pr1peeple Of a!se sa%ve ~ gu, gcas
trato men md women WIS made by tho moro
powerful OF thouo present, and tho canvas waa
slashed with kniyes In every part Of tho tout
When us tho ,' part Of tho pole which Ind hithor::
to remained upright came to the grouna' and
tile whole structure foil prostrate: Up to this
time tho uproar Of the mon and tho Screams OF
tho ,yomo, and children lla1 boon most harrow.
ing but their offect was NJ nothing conlpErcd
with tho shriek Of despair. Which pierced tte
heavens when tho naas. Of beings experienced
the unGoflnable terror which aeized thcm whom
buried ~ the heavy os Of shs 1or"r av
| might gain knowledge Of the nature Or e4tont
| Of tho catastrophe; for, most fortunately, every
ono Of the lamps mas oxtinq1iished III tho fall.
Tho police, aa well DIS tl.e mon belonging to
tho circus, wore indefatigab1o III rescuing with
| every possible haste thoBo who were unable to
| extricafo themselves from tho fallen tent. Ow-
ing to tho confusion and terror which prevailed,
lars Of iii tho injuries which resulted from tho
accident. But, although the dieaatcr has boom
| attended with fatal Consequences to two lads 1t
is most gratifying to bo able to believe that tue
could have boen expected. 4 boy Of thirteon1
years Of age, namod Frank Sparks, the son OF
| Samuel Sparkle, a teamater who lives on Market
street near Woodland Carbon. had the upper
part of Ills skull fractured, probably by blow
Rod in an inaensblo state to tho carpontora shop
adjonipg the hospital grounda, whore he d died !
about ha1t-Past 10 o'clock, young man m a..o l. Or
was taken to tho City Hospital, tho pnyeicians IN
charge Of which ut onco pronounced hs case
entirely hopeless. He had not been identified
up to midnight; but o report was current That
l,o ia a sou Of h1r. 1llko Paul, formerly or tho
fro department.
Tho only employe Of tho Greht Eastern Circus
who was injured was Col. Webb, boss canvaa-
man, who is suffering from diplocatlon Of tho
wos vet condiWons Of tho canvas aud tho
wind, no damage was done by FIRE. stu
spectators may havo boon more or le1s burned,
ns Lieut.. Hardin, of tho police, picked up a
wornan'a hat, the crown Of which had heen en-
tiroly destroyed by fro. j:
vas In an insensible condition, nfter. lying for
some time on tho sidewalk, finally. raised him.
self on his ,elbows, aud, nfter romarhug,
know what am about.' got on ~ hte lee. 1ess ana 9a1
III rio animals connected With the mena agerio
wcro in cagos in tho tent adjoining the circus,
and this tent was unn5urod by the sudden Tor.
tranco tiu sseNt to tho ~ n,enagorie mado q rush
for that modo Of ogrcsa.y In tho rs,al1
several OF. tho cnges wore overturned by the
mono Of tic animals wore liberated. The llowls
AID yolls Of the frightoucd beasts lent q new
terror to the scene, but we hear Of no casualtice
IN Tho noighhoYhood. The overturned cagea
uero soon placed upright again by the circus
mon; mon but It Is dreadful to thInk what might
have been the result had tho storm blown oyel
this tent and TIC cagos with it,. i ia stated
however, that eyon then the aninaals Aoule
Ethemsolyos havo been 40 frightened that the,
would have crouchol under .thoir cages, ant
could oasily- bo secured by their sclf-posaesnet
keepers. But it would not have boen pleasan
thing to have rlskel.