Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-05-20
n WENT THE CANVAS
,rEr1 SCENE on THE CIRCUS GROUNDS
YESTERDAY.
4, n, Wind-Hundrsds Of People Scran-
n, rom Under in Panic-Lik' IAr0ns
Incidents Of the Day.
-, big show was here yester-

p,-rpm's big show was here yester-
There could be no doubt about II.
O -,so vsrv air was laden with the scent
-,,,s sswdust ring, and the glitter and
- tinsel, the music, the crowds and
'1..vcitement and confusion that pre-
80 made its presence double assured.
~, dnripg the day an incident, not on
.,rogramme and paramount over all
,1ootber skeduled features, took place
.,tbe circus grounds.
7, was about 1:2O in the afternoon.
r,,v5s had long since surged through
- various thoroughfares to the scene
LS.onaict. The doors OF the tented
.rior having been open since one
49, rhere was already gOod-Sized
oo..so,biare within, particularly in the
l-.-sysriet tent. StrOlling leaSurely along
i---,irs an the various cages Of beasts.
D.. a. In all circuseS many people hast
~ ross the animals by with an impa-
,,sTt desire 90 get within the main cir
as Tent for fear it might possibly begin
Ssf,rs they got there. 10 was so yes
.'-5,v At the time above mentioned
80 were probably not less than 5000
..or.e seated whiting the main circus
~ I'm the north side, nearly the
'-s,,a s3utb side being devoid Of seats
tor the presentation Of the Columbus
ss The readers will remember the
alsmeDts. about which there is often no
s,sorrtiDg. became somewhat agitated
sso-tlv after noon. Rain fell at
i-,srv9ls and the wind blew.
Tba atmosphere became rutfled TO
srcb an extent shortly after one
l.,oek that many began TO look for a
rioiatgre cyclone. Suddenly there
ee~s a tremendous rift Of wind. Ii
c,rybt the main circus tent on the
,o,tb side. end Inflated the great canvas
rsvIiog 90 such an extent as 20 pull up
he stakes 90 which the guy ropes we're
attached. break the iron chains,
and fairly lift the large centre pole.
TIE great tent rose majeStically, and
tbs whole OF one side went UD to con-
siderable height, and ripped and tore in
sdozsr places. AT one time it looked
q. though the whole canvas was going
into slreds, and as If the performance
oth8 afternoon might be ethereal in
stead of terrestrial.
But the CONSERVATION Of the audience
within Imagine @ great canvas tent
$40 feet long and $50 feet wide suddenly
lifting into space. The first intimatiOn
Gilt started the audience, and when the
great clap came they scrambled
gr9m.Scuousiy for the uncovered
ain. And how did they get
mere? Some ran, some walked, some
craw.ed, tumbled and even dropped out.
Nearly all seemed 90 run in the same
direction, making their egreSS through
i5e open Zap raised by the wind, when
as one Of the managers stated, they
should have gone out just the reverse
side, as that was undisturbed, aud there
was less liability 10 accident. As IL was
there were moro or less bruises and
sears Incurred, but only one or two
serious accidents. When the tent lifted
on the south side 10 took one Of the
huge centre poles right Up i'm the air,
as well as scores of the smaller poles,
and they were all dangling and flying
in the air as the thrOng
o.. people were trying to rush
on, through them. Naturally not a
few We're struck, but fortunately not
seriously. But the scene on the seats
was picture .or painter when the
frs, clap came. Some jumped and 9TH
els Jlmo.ed aud rolled of the seats. In
several instances women sitting up high
tiled 20 drop down between the seats,
where some were piniOned, and others
thrown iu AN sorts of attitudes, through
ihs dresses catching on the seats. One
lady was struck ON the head by a fall
Ing bar and quite seriously injured, one
nan sustained broken wrist, but apart
from these two cases there were no Sc
r.ols accidents. About the time the
big blow came people were continually
pouring into the main circus
tent from the menagerie
tent but when the clamax came they
suddenly shifted about. and ran pell
nell back through the tent of beasts,
The animals hOWied, chorus and ballet
girls darted out of the dressing rooms,
ana do and confusion prevailed. 1t
seemed some little time before people
could get their bearings. The elephants
were al. Ted out OF the tent, as were
also Tie cameiS and ponies, and all the
animal cages were closed, ready for any
crash That might come. Seldom has an
audience disappeared quicker than that
O. yesterday.
10 give some idea Of the enormous
lo'ce OF the wind at that time it may be
stated that 10 moved a heavy loaded
wagon weighing TWO tons, some five feet,
e-4 'o0k one OF the center poles Of the
se-, circus tent, fully 65 feet long and
ae'sling over ton and a half, bodily
mo Che air about 80 feet. Ii ordinarily
~aes 'J people 20 handle this pole.
-ls STAKES TO which the guy ropes were
ss.'aeled were driven into the ground
ave leet but these were pulled up by
'-9 WING, more readily perhaps on ac-
e.-lt OF he soft and wet ground that
Prevailed yesterday.
1l5 portion Of the tent that was torn
Wy Che blue section Of the canvas COW
o,-s nearly the whole OF the south
.-5' ana under which for scenic effect
great spectacle Of Columbus takes
s1le' Al the time the wind came, FIVE
s4 large sets Of scenery were placed
49, inside under this blue canvas, and
,. badly shaken up and diSarranged,
--c1 SO that the spectacle Of Column
~ ~ sa4 10 be given without scenery,
A., 49, uetracted greatly from its beauty
s,Iladeur. Still the costumes and
'',''ng We're very fine.
c., "'eSfam was Immediately sent to
,,,lc,Hnau FOR forty sail makers 10 come
~. newark, Ohio, where the circus
~ ~ up to-day. to repair the canvas,
Vii NJ, "a another day the great pavilion
'sain enjoy It's beautiful entirety.
u- Ia. soon as the people were all out OF