The daily gazette., 1883-04-24
A WET CIRCUS.
Plenty Of Mud, Water and Discomfort
Incidents of the Day.

Plenty of Mud, Water and Discomfort
Incidents of the Day.
Fully 1000 men, women and children
sat in Forepaugh's large tent yester-
day afternoon, shivering vigorously and
lodging raindrops The scene was one of
discomfort itself, and there wasn't a COM
Portable feature of the whole perform
ance. The entertainment was given
as announced, but under very ad-
verse circumstances. Thousands of
bushels of shavings and saw-dust had made
the ring In passable condition, although
in many places in front of the seats mud
and water was over shoe-top in depth. The
performing animals slipped In the mud and
threw the yellow liquid ON all sides. During
the chariot races the drivers were covered
with dirt and deep ruts cut in the
ground. The camel race was
very laughable from its abject and forlorn
appearance, and the three black drivers in
the backs of the bumped beasts shook and
rocked like row boat in the oceans surf
In the menageri the animals were cold and
spirtless, the polar bear alone wearing a
smile. The hippopotamus seemed somewhat
resigned to the situation and tried to look
cheerful, the lions growled at their keeper,
the tigers walked around to keep up the
circulation, the elephants held up leg at a
time to get out OF the water, and still the
rain came steadily down.
Outside the tents the ground was of the
consistency of a newly-made mortar
bed and about as adhesive. Rubber
Lutte necessity, while gum coats and
umbrellas were needed protection.
In the evening the situation was, If any
thing, more deplorable, although several
hundred persons rsked their health and
limbs by sitting through the performance.
The ground was almost entirely covered
with water and the sawdust at the main
entrance was floating in pools. The specta-
tors nearly all held umbrellas, while the
performers In tights were carried into the
ring on the backs of the ring master, the
management having neglected to establish
ferry line from the dressing room to the
main tent. There was but little enthusiasm,
the show soon came to an end, and the
crowd started for the avenue. And such
sight. Men and boys and even women
foundered in mud up to their knees, and
rubber shoes by the dozen were ire
trievably lost. Many of the party
was covered with clay from head to foot
and, wet and bedraggled, vowed never TO
visit another circus-until the next one
came.
Many laughable incidents occurred, and
visitors to the grounds were easily recog-
uized this morning by the coating of bright
yellow mud. Que unfortunate jumped
into pool of water over his knees, another
ploughed up yard of soft sod with his
nose, while innumerable Others carried off
col siderable dirt ON their hands and knees.
So far as could be learned no one was in
jured, although the crop of colds and rheu-
matte pains will not be fully matured until
the latter part of the week.
NOTES.
The representatives of the press were
kindly provided for and piloted by Charles
A. Davis, the special press agent, who
escorted them to and from the grounds.
The tents were struck about 10 o'clock,
the animals having been taken to the rail-
road about an hour before. Some of the
wagons did not leave the grounds until this
morning.
Old circus men reported that they never
had harder and more disa9reeable work
than that of yesterday, and even the most
patient were inclined to swear on the
slightest provocation.
An enterprising Wilmingtonian visited
the grounds this morning with a cart to
gather up rubber boots aud shoes, with the
idea of starting misfit store.
The elephants became little troublesome
after the show, but were hauled up before
any damage was done.
A small boy leaning against the outside
of the elephants tent was sent plundering
into the mud by the trunk of one of the
larger animals.
Drunken men and women we're very
numerous and the black population was
out in full force to see the performance.
Many of the wagons did not leave Will
mington for Chester, where the show is an
nounced for to-day, until almost noon.
Delaware avenue housekeepers are COM
planning this morning of muddy pave
ments.
manent circus in Philadelphia.