The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-20
SHOW CAUSES A RIPPLE OF
EXCITEMENT.
WILL LIKELY. MAKE A HIT
STORY OF THE VOYAGE OVER, AS
TOLD BY "A METROPOLITAN
PAPER.
ONE GIRAFFE BREAKS HIS NECK.
Animals Generally Stood the VOy-
age, Although Few Died on
the Way.

Barnum and Bailey's greatest show
on earth, as it is called, is in fair
way to make as big hit in London
as did Buffalo Bills wild West Clar-
ence L. Dean writes that the show will
open it's season at Olympia on Dec. u
(BoXing day., and work is being rapidly
pushed on the building to get ready in
time. The preparations include the
building of a complete fireproof wall
and asbestos drop curtain between the
audience and the stage, the opening OF
the proscenium being 365 feet long. This
work has been undertaken to meet OBJ
jections of the London county council
to the building as 1t stood when rented
by Barnum & Bailey, and as 1t had
been for other exhibitions for the past
eight or ten years. 1t will delay the
opening two weeks beyond the date
originally fixed upon, but will make the
building one of the best in the world
for exhibitions of this kind. The fact
that Mr. Bailey Immediately set about
this work, and showed perfect willing
ness to go to any expense to comply
with the wishes Of the county council,
has created a most favorable impress
sion in London Mr.. Dean encloses a
clipping from the London Daily Chroni-
Gle of Nov 25, which devoted over q
column to the arrival of the show and
the incidents of the voyage. This says
It is betraying no secret Of Lloyd's
to say that the life insurance premiums
on giraffes, and particularly giraffes
which travel. have become so high as
to be practically prohibitive. The rea-
son lies upon the surface. Only
month or two ago the geological gar
dens had to mourn the loss of male
giraffe which had been sent to the
queen by King Khama as jubilee
present. He was, however, never fated
to set foot on native British soil, for
he died from general debility, occa-
stoned by a prolonged fit of sea-sick-
ness. lust as he was about to be taken
out of his cage and presented to his
bride in the giraffe enclosure In Re-
gents park. That bride, now widow,
some four and half years of age, and
fifteen feet in height, has risen III
value since yesterday, according TO the
ineXorable laws of commerce, because
the decease of Daisy, one of the five
living giraffes in captivity, was an
nounced yesterday on the arrival OF
the Massachusetts,, which is bringing
portion of Barnum & Bailey'S show into
the Thames She broke her neck, and
now there are four. This lamentable
and expensive accident-for Daisy was
valued at FL, 0009C and was the only
giraffe ever exhibited in the states-oc
Cured when the vessel had left New
York but two days. ON these the Mas
sachusetts encountered the only rough
weather of the twelve days voyage. A
sudden lurch, and Daisy was no moro,
having broken her pretty neck, as
the sorrowing keeper expressed 1t, in
two places She was buried at sea, az
ter her skin had been removed On
the whole, however, there were very
few casualties on the trip across the
Atlantic. Three draught horses and
two monkeys, a couchee-couhcee stall
lion the most Celebrated performing
horse in the collection. Eagle had had
long distinguished career, having
been born in 1851 His earlier years
| were spent in Germany, but for con-
siderable time he has supported the
show with vigor which belied his age.
Gravesend is a melancholy place at
| most times; yesterday 1t was positively
appalling. A thick, dirty mist hung
| over the river, the river itself looked
/ like a sewer in flood time, and the boot
of the syren as some boat was feeling
| her way up stream on the top of the
tide set the general effect to fitting mu-
sic A score or more of London jour
nalists had come down at a depressing
ly early hour to receive the Massachus
| etts, which was expected off Garvesend
| at o'clock in the morning. 1t is my
experience that the expected vessel at
Gravesend generally happens to be at
| least half a dozen hours late, and so it
was with the Massachusetts. Still there
was a thick fog in the channel and at
the mouth of the river, and as the boat
had as valuable a cargo on board as
can we'll be imagined-apart from bull
lion or diamonds+the skipper was not
prepared to take any risks. 1t was no
mean feat, indeed, to bring her to an
chorage off Gravesend by o'clock,
though by that time the fog had lifted
little.
She stood rather high in the water,
| for lions and tigers and monkeys don't
make the best kind of ballast, and
! having a good deal Of top hamper in
the shape of the wagons and other
paraphernalia on deck she would prob