The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-11
NOAHs ARK IN THE THAMES.
English Account of Arrival of Bar
mum & BaiIey's Circus.
Pail Mall Gazette, Nov. %.

Pail Mall Gazette, Nov. 20.
The lions rumbled and the tigers roared,
but nobody was eaten. There was just
room enough to be scared; not quite enough
to be eaten. This was a pity, as there We're
several there who. could have been spared.
Ard a vegetable diet grows fearfully tire
some after twelve days on shipboard: The
Massachusetts is a noble ship. She boasts
of eight thousand TONS, She arrived on
Dover from a town called New York at
midnight Tuesday. Then she met FOG.
There are many different brands Of fog.
The only one without q rival grows in the
English channel. There were natives OF
every country in the Massachusetts. TWO
hundred Of them wore two legs. These were
Americans. The others had four legs eacn.
They were mostly foreigners. The Amerl-
cans were in the minority but were on TOP.
The others were in cages. which accounts
top or even were. When the chains slipped
through the hawse holes and the anchor
was at rest all the animals lifted their
voices. Each in it's own way damned the
English climate. In their ignorance they
thought there was but one variety. Through
the salt density of the fog they smelt land
and they hankered for it. and the things
that are to be found upon it. The pilot was
accustomed to fog. He refused to bulge
So the Massachusetts lay in Il world of
steam whistles and other marine ghosts for
hours. Then the fog grew as clear rs a
starless night, and the MASSACHUSETTS,
picked up her anchor and threaded her way
up the Thames, refusing to run into any
thing. and being too big for favorable
Ii was o'clock yesterday afternoon be-
fore she anchored off Gravesend. Eighty
journalists had filled a special train t Fen
churchystreet Station at o'clock in the
morning. Beaming through the fog there
appeared the smile of Mr.. r. F. Hamilton,
known throughout the American continent
as '"Tody," prince of press agents. He was
supported by Mr. George Edwards, Mr..
Charles Wells and Mr.. Arthur Deane. and
all of them represented Barnum a. Bailey
and the greatest show on earth. 1t looked
like forlorn hope. The fog might last for
days. Still. Barnum & Bailey We're equal to
the occasion. Breakfast was organized at
the New Falcon. Gravesend. where water
side men. wear earrings, smoke short pipes,
always wear their hands in their pockets
and look as if they might know something
worth knowing and don't. The hours passed.
but the fog held its own. Lunch was or
dered for 3 O'Clock. In the fog there de-
lay. also appetite. Before the gong sounded
the tenders siren gave yep- Ali hands
rushed aboard. In the distance appeared the
Massachusetts. AS the tender approached
the liner there were salvos of cheers. The
men on the tender cheered as their quest
was over The passengers on the liner
cheered because they saw the end Of their
voyage, friends and land that was the
next best land 10 home" The decks of the
liner offered little opportunity for exercise
Packed in the most comprehensive manner,
but still OCCUPYING nearly all the space,
were the paraphernalia without which the
greatest show on earth would be only an
ordinary show. Where there was a little
spare room there were elephants Where
there were still few bare spots there were
people. Everybody was glad 10 see every
body.
The elephants paid no attention to any
body. The press agent who came over on
the ship was at once surrounded. Mr..
Charles Il. Murray, who represents Nc
Cures Magazine, was also captured. At
once the horrifyinS intelligence was COM
municated that the giraffe had killed him
self on the voyage. This was America
only giraffe In an attempt to vary the
monotony or the voyage hy trying 70 stand