Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1885-07-30
A COUPLE or oLD-rIMe SHOWS.
The Eruption OF vesuvius'' and 'Maelzers
Burning OF Moscow"
n.Inl.

The "Eruptioo OF Vesuvius'' and ''Maelzels
Burning OF Moscow"
philadelphia Times
Ny earlie.t recollections of places of pub.
lie entertainment commence in "McAran's,-
the old Vaux hall of Philadelphia. This
garden occuriei the space bounded by Sew
entesnth ami Eighteenth, Arch and Filbert.
The entrance was upon Filbert street. The
prominent feature Of the place was an
Eruption Of Vesuvius.' Tue passer- by in
the day time on Seventeenth street noticed at
the gardens verge a conical wooden struct-
ure rising level with the caves Of the op-
posite houses. Should you chance inside
your eve ran over mass of indentei tin
painted black. at its foot a row Of lamps,
Will between yourself and the lamps slept
a 40x20 pool of water, the bay Of Naples.
AT night from your seat vou recoynizsd the
twinkling Of lights OF Napolo, while from
the apex Of the mountain a spray Of sparks
continually issued A roar, and the noun
tain reddens; the roar ineensifies; the noun
tain rends asunder In taree places TO pour
forth streams OF lava upon the slee ping
city, which seemed paved with double head.
ers and constructed Of sky-rockets- Twas q
big thing, tho, 10 Us primitive cubs.
This suggests @Maelzels Burning of Mos
COW" exhibited in the third-story Assembly
build ingS When the curtain no you OBJ
served in the foreground, occupying the en-
tire breadth Of the stage, cluster Of
strange-looking towers, surmounted by
domes. resembling inverted turnips-the
Kremln Across its esplanade rushed, like
cockroaches athwart a cupboard, a brigade
of little figures carrying torches-the incen-
diarie' Thro' the middle distance flowed a
river the Mo~kva, or mossy water across
which were thrown lone behind the other
two bridges. mild moon began to creep
above the horizon. revealing in the left
background. as it rose, the spires, towers
and msnarets of ths ancient city Of the
tzarS.
Suddenly a bell in the Krsmlin tollei and
away went the cockroaches II TO catch
the last car from the park A strange light
crept over the devoted city. The Kremlin
sounded general alarm, responded 10 by
distant bells in tbs town. Flames began 20
shoot up from the horizon: tue steeples. too.
drawn in bold relief by the lurid glare,
toppled ami fell one by one. A sheet II
flame marked the horizon; the sky became
lurid; you heard mingled with the clany Of
bells the roar Of the flames. while clouds Of
smoke fioated up from the conf'agration.
Upon the further bridge began 10 cross
body OF infantry, then upon the higher
structure appeared Napoleon, followed by a
gay staff; by cavalry. light artillery, in
iantry and finally the baggage Ja,t as the
luggage train debouchei and you were well
tangled UP between the noise. the doomed
city and the advancing army. the Kremlin
blew up aud tumbled in with one valedictory
sma and the show terminated.
nave often marveled as 20 the fate Of
this very ingenious and complicated piece of
mechanism. / saw it for the last time in
80 or 90. in the hall at Broad and Spring
garden Twas much mutilated. Young
Philadelphia has little idea of the number or
value Of These things which, forty odd years
ago, were lying around loose in the city.
From their great intrinsic value and pres
ence in great numbers | now believe them
TO have been the spoils Of the French revo-
luton