Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-15
The Artists Costume Festival aS
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Ihk TERRIBLE FISE THKRE-GRAruIc pRscgtr-
IioN BY WASHINGTON AKTIsT-THR AMkN-
CANS MANI TafMSEiyRS USkFUI-
Inc following is an extract from a letter writ
Yen oy an art student In Munich 10 his parents
IA washington city: The twenty five hundred
arr STUDENTS In this city did their best 10 make
me iesllSal OF this year better than any OF tts
t,Te .s;tS me preparations required largo
eAifSnelIHes oI money and great labor zach
scheol or Class got up an exact imttst,on NJ
something PICTURESQUE Turkish csre a
ChlLese restaurant, psgoda, a mosque. a cave
or rocks. log cabia or other obtey ana
manned them with attendants Costumes ac.
colding 10 the nationality nlustrAtai ona
school built ship, on the decks OF which
loupged a crew OF sailors We Americans
showed our German friends q western LOG
cabin. IL was made OF slabs with the bark on
was plastered with mud and was large enough
10 contain two hundred people. The oeeora-
uons inside were real deer horns. buffalo robes,
arms, sc. OUtside we had trees. rocks logs
arc moss. AT one en5 was a sms stage on
which some or the music loving Americans
gave the ''ntgger minstrel" music is fair style.
our CABIN WAS az the end OF the immense hail
most distant from tall Chinese tower. Near
lhls tower v as an ESluimauX cave arranged
py the German students or the mod-iing
classes. Ii represented iceberys ana was
inhabited 10y the modeiers dressed as
tsQulmeux, In heavy co, tune Shaggy
with lax about four Inches long and covcTlsg
the WeaTers from he I'd TO foot. This comegstl.
DE GIeSs caused the great calamity which broks
up tie festival and Graped the city in mourn
ing. ] could see the Esquimlux over mo NJ a "a
OF TIE CROW q, as l sto0u on the raised stems AT
The Goor or our cabin. Everything was cling
II gsily. Sever tcen hundred tickets were sold.
Nobcdy except tn price was admitted with
cut costume. Some OF the costumes were
magnificent No ladies We're admitted bat
sone two hundred OF the students were 10
iaOies costumes, ana acted so well their parts
that was unable To distinguish them from
EoTitGpIe won n until saw them smoke pipes.
All The PRINCIPAL national costumes were worn,
many OF them by men born 20 them.
GU nave READ, no DOUBT. how tAtS scana
was spoilt. ali our fun crushed, and the stu
dents ssddent d at the wretched fate OF several
OF ihtlr NUMBER. Will tell you how Il WAS as
l saw and heard IL. was rugged out in fun
Indian costume, and was acting as deorkeeper
at the American log cabin. standing for that
purpose on platform raised about a foot ABOVE
The 1ooT The cabin was partly nlled with
people and the floor or the great han was vivid
with the bright colors OF the costumes OF
crowd. moving I'm dill rent directions.
n Shrek OF pain and terror came from the
Esquimaux cave at the far END OF the hail For
moment the crowds were Still Then saw
coming from the cave down the center OF the
hail whiTling bail or fire. The crowd broke
IN panic before It. The stampede was beyond
description. Every man tried TO save himself
~ tne nearest door, window or stairway Many
were Knocked down and trampled under foot
IN the Wild rush. Some threw themselves out
or second-story windows. Many rushed into
our cabin, frenzied With fear AT urst 1 fiIf
Tot see what the ball OF Tre was: but as II came
nearer, with agonizlng sbTieks OF pain / saw it
was man. He was turning round aud round
w ny 10 Sttp tHt Vi ltlt name IlaI kdple1 IN
sheets about him, then rushing forward With
frantic speed, lie came right for me. / SUP
pose ne saw the cabin door and thought he
coulu get out through it. AS he came with
rush for ne one thought came 10 me: al: he
ever gets Tito this cabin the whole place IS
gore. lie struck me With such force that
was driven against the cabin wall, but sue
ceeded In giving him d blow that sent him
staggering against the main stage. lie sto 1ped,
tlt mbled all over. saw the names lap into
his mouth and he fell, one or our fellows
grabbed buffalo robe and sm1theIei the
flames; another American tarew water on hun,
ana tie lie was out But when lie Was car
iit d out he was a horrible sight. IL was hard
10 keep back Tie cio6ds that pressed around
him.
Another man who was burning was Knocked
down by Lang, an American, who then
smolhered The IRE with his indian blanket
AT the time, we supposed thao one man was
oaoly bul ned, and Two little. Next morning.
we were horror-Stricken 10 learn that Il were
burnt and OF them were dead, and the lives OF
> more deSpaired OF. The IRE started In the
ksqumauX cave. one man costume caught
IRE, The others tried TO put IL out ana ali
Caught Some ran into the nall ana others
Caught from them. One man saved himself by
getting Into the street and rolling In the mud
and water. None OF those burned we're Anert-
cans. was saved by my buckSkin Indian
dress. My horse-hair wig caught and my deer
skin mantle was SiGged. Ny LEFT hand (Ihe one
L struck him wlth) was slightly burned but
VIII &c well IN a few DAYS.