Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-16

Coles circus and meRagerie arrived
in the city yesterday morning over the
Puget sound Shore Line It was car
RED by train of 40 freight and plat
form cars, 4 passenger c.rs and 3 loco
motives. These were side-tracksd, and
the work Of unloading commenced I'm
rediately upon arrival. Through all
the morning hours half-awaksnsd sleep
ers tened long enough to erOwl at the
disturbance created by the wagons as
they rumbIed along the streets TO the
show grounds in Belltown.
At an early hour the streets began to
put on an animated appearance, and bv
3 O'Clock Front, Mill and Commercial
streets were so crowded as to be Ia
some places almost impossible. Large
numbers of people had. during the day
previous, been ponring into the city
from the entire lower Sound country,
until strangers seemed to predominant
on the streets. After long waiting on
the part of these anxious crowds the
procession finally appeared, heading
from the northern part OF the city.
This street display far exceeded ANY,
thing of the nature ever seen IN the
eity, the animals, charlots, wagons ana
gaily- uniformed riders filling the streets
for a distance of at least seven blocks.
After progress through the princi-
pal streets the column was headed tow
ards the show grounds, and thither
shortly afterwards the crowds began TO
drift. As early as twelve O'Clock the
vast canvas began to fill. and by two,
the hour at which the performances com
menced, almost every seat In the circus
| tent was occupied. hiidren seemed to
predomlnste in the audience, although
| all ages were numeTously represented;
| and finer looking and better appear
ing audience never faced the knights OF
the sawdnst. AL seemed to enjoy the
| performance immensely, and it 10 not
| easy to say whether more delight was
| expressed at the meaaRerie with its
| elephants and camels, its rhinocer0s and
| hippopotamus and the numbers of other
| wonderful things exhibited, or at the
| circus performance, which in excellence
| far exceeded all expectations.
At the evening performance the can
vas was crowded still more than in the
| afternoon, aad the same unstinted
praise was given the performance by all
/ present TIE audience row consisted
/ more largely of Seattle people, manv OF
| the strangers having left the city early
/ IN the evening. 1t is safe to SAY that at
least eight thousand people were present
/ At the two performances, and that at
| east three thousand remained for the
concerts which followed the general ex-
hibition.
By 3 o'clock in the evening the work
WAS oonmenced of loading the show
and its baggage on the Olympian and
idaho, which had been chartered to
convey il to Victoria. This WAS to
many the most interesting episode of
she day. The work was done at the
Ocean Dock, at which the steamers
were lying. With the most perfect dis
cipline the large force of workmen
went to work at the heroulean task be-
fore them. As one by one the cages ar
rived they we're removed from their
trucks and run on board the boat, with
out jar and almost without sound. The
horses were driven on board, and the
elephants, after many shifts and much
cautious testing of weights, consented
10 be led across the gang plank. While
this work WAS going on by the light OF
flaming torches, lunch counter had
been rugged up ON Ballast Island and
the workmen were from time to time
furnished with coffee aud bread and
butter. So systematically. so quickly
and so quietly was the work carried on
that by midnight the boats were loaded
with their uuaccustomed freight and
all was ready for the trip over salt water