The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-21
AN IMMENSE SPECTACLE.
Columbus and the Discovery of America with
], 200 People.

Last season and the year before Barnum
and Bailey introduced into the circus the
production of great spectacles. 1t was an
original idea with them and they very sue
cessfully carried it out fer two years. Find
ing it met with such universal approval,
+ and that il delighted and instructed while
bewiidering and amazing the whole, they
decided upon continuing SO very meritous
d feature and have this season produced
another, but upon so grand and colossal a
scale as TO utterly dwarf all their previous
great triumphs. The past successes gave
them the necessary experience 20 perfectly
produce the present one. and based upon
the knowledge gained ia the last two years
they have now jndisputsbiy the grundest
and most overwhelmingly magnificent his
terieal, terpsichorean and thrilling spec
tacle the mind can possibly conceive of.
Its magnificence and grandeur surpasses
belief, while its wealth of riches and en-
barrassment OF romantic, picturesque
groupings and colorings are we'll nigh in
comprehensive. The theme, too. is both
we'll timed and appropriate. occurring on
exactly the 400th centenary of the finding
Of the Gew world and when the nation is
about to commemorate the great event by
worlds fair Columbus and the Discov-
cry of America, as its title suggests, is a
realistic reproduction OF all the circum-
stances connected with the life OF the
famed dIScoyerer as well as those parts OF
history in which he WAS au important act
or. The battles between the Moors anu
Spaniartls are shown with Columbus as
combatant on the side of the cross against
the crescent The ancient cities of Spain are
seen with their old walls, turrets, towers
gates and palaces; the interior OF the FAM
Gus Alhambra palace by moonlight is a
ravishing scene, with the Moorish dancing
girls in their lovely costumes, dreamily
and POLITICALLY interpreting the wild, weird
music aud songs of those days. Moorish
warriors in all the splendor of steel armor,
and high priests in their sacred robes; the
chivalry or spain: the brilliant court of
Ferdinand and Isabella, with its rich and
noble attendants, cavaliers and courtly
DANES costumed in a style demonstrating
an utter disregard of expense; soldiers
armed with crossbows, arquebuses and
other ancient weapons; festivals,
fetes, displays, pageanis, triumph
al PROFESSIONS, tournaments, on
foot and On horseback, games, combats
and other exciting features succeed each
other with thrilling rapidity until ones
mind is lost in beholding them. Then fol-
lows the trials of Columbus, his efforts TO
voyage. the discovery of America, the life
of the Indians, their dances aud games
the return voyage of Columbus, his trium-
phal entry into Barcelona and-weIl. there
really is SO much TO sea that description
fails of half. Suffice it that for grandeur
of conception aud magaiicence OF execu-
ton it stands without parallel III the
annals of amusements The cost to pro-
duce it was half million dollars, no less
than SIS, 900 being spent IN scenery alone,
while the costumes cost S2JU, 900, and
the armor, weapons, trappiugs, ETC., $780,
zoo more, besides months of time devoted
to searching in the archives of Spain for
the historical data. Besides all this there
are three circus companies in three rings,
two elevated stages. the hlppodrome, mys-
tifying ii usious, two nlenagerles two
herds OF elephants, two droves of cameIs,
trained animals, twenty clowns, fifty aer-
ialists, 100 circus performers, loo circus
acts, curious freaks In the animal crea-
ton and thousand novel and wonderful
sights as instructive rs they are edifying
and amusing. Inc entire of all this will
be here just as represented on Friday,
September %, with the new free street
parade i'll the morning at o'clock. Show
On LOT corner OF Lincoln aud Lawrence.