National Republican., 1878-09-27
BARNUM,s BIG SHOW.
The Mcnagerie and Circus-Count Patrizio's
wonderful Feat.


day on account Of the presence of Barnums
great show. In tho morning q street pageant
of unusual magnitude and splendor paraded
the streets. In the afternoon the opening
performance was given under the immense
canvass spread upon the grounds, at the cor.
nsr of Ninth and S streets. The sky was
lowering, and the prospect Of heavy rain
undoubtedly kept thousands away but, not.
withstanding the large tent was nearly filled
with people.
The afternoon performance was interrupted
for about half nu hour by the wind and
thunderstorm, which struck the tent with
great violence. Thore arc three tents. The
first contains
MUSEUM OF cURIosTT1Es
Of the rarest and most valuable sort. The
won lerfu automatic figures, which play musi.
cal Instruments of all kinds, do juggling
| tricks, and perform many other things equally
marvellous, form prominent part of the col
lection, and to persons interested in triumphs
Of mechanical skill they alone are worth the
price Of admission. Passing from this tent the
visitor enters the monagerie-a large and III.
| tcrcstng collection of animals and birds of all
| sizes aud descriptions from an elCphnn. to
! small rnorkcv. Among the rare animals to be
seen arc o sea lion, rhineoceros, aud hippo
prtamus. In this tent visitor can see and
shat hands with Captain George Cos.ententus,
| the Greek uuhlrm IN, every inch OF whose
body is tattooed with artistic designs, and also
| Colonel Goshen, the Palestine Giant, who
stands eight feet six inches in his stockings.
Tie next tent Is the exhibition or
CIRCUS TENT,
| n vast expanso Of canvas, sheltcring largo
! ring for tic performances aud seats for 10000
! people. A very agreeable innovation on the
usual custom, made by Mr.. Barnum, is the
| TeUtiuu OF an elevated platform holding l,JvI
| CON Portable chairs These seats are reserved.
| To do entire Justice to all the performances In
| the ring would require much more space than
| can now be given TO 1t. To speak generally,
| Mr. Baruum, in placing this exhibition before
the public, has even eclipscd himself, and it is
| we'll worthy OF the title OF "Barnum's Crown.
| Ing Glory" There are marvellous acrobatic
feats and superb riding The bareback riding
| is rudouht,llv the hest exhibition Of the sort
ever witnessed in this city.
The twenty royal trained stations, cxhib-
| itcd and rauUuvrcd by their trainer, Mr..
| Carl Antony, are twenty wonders in one col.
| lection. The stations are magnificent speci-
| mems of ciuine grace aud heauty. They seem
| to possess an Intelligence almost human, 50
| aitutully d. they obey the least nod or mo
| ton on the part OF their trainer. They have
,a series Of performances, such as military
drill, waltzing, and lCaping and do hundreds
| uf things which ordinary horses never dreamed
| possible. The feats on the dying trApeIc are
| thrilling and the clowns are very droll. No
| American boy would tolerate circus which
did not have trick mule. BarEum 5 has one,
and the attempts made TO ride 1t are very
laughablc.
Everybody who went to the show yesterday
afternoon seemed to be eager to see one thing
especially. That was the feat which Count
Ernest Patrizio was announced to do The
ncvsnaapr cuts and show bills have repre-.
,vutcd Il man standing in front of blazing
cannon aud
CATCHING THE Cannon BALL
us 1t comes laundering from the muLZlc OF the
| run. This appeared 50 uttutly impossible that
all had n curiosity to sec wHether he would
accomplish the feat. Tho cannon, with its
caisson equipped like an ordinary itcld-plece,
vas hauled into the ring by two horses, a
driver and the gunner hcing seated In front
Count PatrisiO. who is rather tall and SLENDER
but well proportional, then stepped janntiI!
into the ring and made his bow. latuzio was
dressed puncti,ious'y, in sWa, ,ow-tRl coat ami
white Cravat. He supcTintent!cd the loniiug
md nreimiuary arrangements himself, and
| uuucured particularly anxious that tho specta'
cDis shoull I've convinced that there was no
irirkcry or deception about the iclt.
The cannon used Is n brass, brecch.loRtrg
tw,lvg.poundcr. The balls used were tCsscd
ahuut, tiruwn against boards, and handed to
ur, i.s In thCaUiiCucc iOr inspection, 70 That
no doubt was LIFT TINT the balls were genu'
inc Tie gun being unlimh"rcd near the cen
/ trC Of the ring. n target OF thlrs b1arlS was
..I.rr,! ut one sid" of the ring. next to the Gu
ria, e. To- ii, Performers tent aud stables.
Boom! went the gun, and the TARGET was
shattered. The nihhlv gunner quickly re
loaded his piece, and Count PGtr2i0, pulling
Oh Il uqir Of ,tolt hucksHiu gloves, with rRunt-
unts, tax hi >'nrl In front Of the gun, about
. six feat from the luu22'c lie hTacel himself
firmly, anl put ont his hands much In th-
same uu,,tion NJ ir-t-bascman getting ready
to receive a hot 'I'l, keeping lis eye all the
. tilae beat lutCnt!y upon the aUz2!g Of the can
non. pntriZi0. when he was ready, gave the
word To- fire. TIE gun blazct away, and the
, next instant the bali was en- rolling toward
, one -.do Of II. ring. PutlIiO Lad stopped IT,
but was unable 10 hold it. IL uttered an eX
clurnaron Of cLr"rin, md directed to have the
gun reloaded. Again PatriziD placed himself
before the gun. There va, Il sharp report, and
the bail rolled down to tho siIC Of the ring
| rltriLi0 had 'Imutlrl" II. Some Of the powder
: from the gun burmt his face, and he was OBJ
= ligcd to retire. Later in the performance the
rMg-rastcr ANNOUNCE d .atrizio, who was con
I ldcut of his ability to perform the fcpt
= would make another attempt. The canno;
was again haulei out. Upon the first attelnp
{ patrliU failed to hold. The second time IL
p Ior2cd the ball, he'd it for u second then
throwing 1t to one side made his bow to tn
spectators. having performed one of the mos
marvclol, fea:s on record. The skcptcism o
the visitors WAS dspellcd By ocular proof
PatriIio will repeat this per 'orunncc Mt boil
the performances to-day and tomorrow.
, - .
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