Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-31
TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE

witness the Rarnum & Bailey Circus
Performances In This City Yesterday
-Huudreds Unable TO Find Room
a marvelIeusly Fine Dfsplay-A
Few Features Of the Great show.
For several years the late P. 7. Barnum
and James A. Bailey claimed that thar
circus was the greatest show on the earth.
Perhaps Il was. 1t was certainly the best,
and the most popular circus of the world.
But this year It can well claim 70 be the
greatest show In the world. Nothing has
ever been seen In this city like the exhibit
ton which was given on the Kimberly sv-
snue grounds yesterday afternoon and
night. From the time that the tents were
opened to the public. and even before that
time the grAndest circus exhibition sver
seen In this city was given 1t opened
with the street parade, which far surpassed
all previous efforts. There were about 500
horses in the parade, q long string of ele-
plants and several cages of tigers, lions,
hyenas, bears and other animals.
But the best feature of the day was the
circus itself as IL was given on the Kim
berly avenue grounds. As large as the
the lot Ia it Is too small to accommodate
the vast mass of canvas that lie required
In the circus. Other tents were pitched
on other lots, and even the large ground
was about filled with the immense circus
tent The main tent, In which the fests
of horeemanship, acts of difficult and dsr-
ing gymnastics, aerial flights and ground
tumblipg of the most superb kind were
given, can seat IL 900 people. At the low
eat al - a. La 4
than that number under the canvas at the
afternoon performance. So great was the
demand for admission that early In the day
orders were Issued not to sell any more
tickets.
Those people who did gain admission,
even II they were obliged TO take what they
could get in the manner of accommodation
were well rewarded and considered that
their money, Was well spent. They wit
messed the most excellent circus ever given
under canvas in New Haven. Not the
least feature of 1t was the athletic work of
family of Polish Hebrews, recent arrivals
in this country. They arrived In New
York last Tuesday, and they are wonders
In their line. All, from the smallest girl
to the father and mother, are expert gym
nasts and athletes. Their work alone WAS
well worth the price of admission.
There WAS also given an amazing display
of feline intelligence by the trained cats
owned by Professor Welton. The cats
performed all kinds of tricks, but the best
feature, and one that called forth applause
WAS where two of the cats jumped through
blazing hoops The performances of the
Silbons, the Herbert brothers, the riding
of Miss Margaret Allen and William
Showles, and in fact the work of every
body connected with the circus was far
superior to anything that has ever been
seen in this city.
Bsrnum & Bailey never, from the time
that they first started In business ever
gave as good q show as they did In New
Haven yesterday. and larger number of
people never sat under the spread of can
vas. At both performances there were at
least 10000 spectators, and to say that
they were enthusiastic would be expressing
1t mildly, and especially 80 when the grand
and wonderful spectacle, Columbus and
the Discovery of America was shown
five hundred persons participated. The |
costumes were excellent. The ballet |
was drilled to perfection. The chorus
was far above the average. the girls were
pretty and their movements were In per-
feet unison as though regulated by
msrchinery. Excellent as 1t was in the sf-
ternoon, it was beautiful in the even
ing with the myriads of artificial
lights shining upon and rejecting from
the costumes Great was the Fall of
Ninevah which was given by Barnum &
Bailey two years ago, but 1t falls into in
significance In comparison with the great
spectacle Of this year.