Evening star., 1902-05-01
ATTRACTS IMMENSE CROWD.
Circus Tent Crowded Almost to the
Suffocation Point.

S0AhSSnS&SA 4 VAnts
Persons who were desirous of boarding
street cars bound for the northeast section
of the city between o'clock and o'clock
last evening were convinced that the cir
Gus had really come to town. 1t seemed
that all the residents of Washington-in
fact, of the entire District of Columbia and
the nearby points of Maryland-were head
ed for the tented shows Of Adam Fore
paugh and Sells Brothers. The attendance
was a record breaker. By o'clock every
reserved seat had been sold. Long prior
to that hour the seats open to those who
had paid for general admission had been
occupied. The mammoth tent seemed to
bulge with humanity. Hundreds stood in
the menagerie tent and endeavored to catch
glimpse now and then Of what was tran
spring in the three rings on the stage, in
the air and along the hippodrome track.
The crowd present yesterday afternoon was
almost as large. Another Immense gather
Ing was beneath the canvas today. 1t
seemed that everybody was satisfied at the
performances yesterday. The Adam Fore
paugh and Sells Brothers enterprise is cer-
talnly up to date in every way, and the
public appreciates that fact, Enthusiastically
The delighted children, the thoroughly
disinterested parents who attend just be-
cause little Mary and little Johnny want to
go. And THE management should not lose
sight of the fact that this is ideal circus
weather. Both days have been perfect. The
result has been large profits not only for
the circus people, but for the peanut ven-
doris outside the tents, to say nothing of the
clam man.
After the countless thousands had viewed
the animals and fed peanuts to the big
herd of elephants last evening the show
tent proper was taken possession of In time
to witness the grand opening pageant. The
gllttering spectacle was proper introduc-
tiOn for the gorgeous occurrences that fol-
lowed. A dozen acrobats gave an exhibition
of tumbling.
who caused the multitude to laugh. Three
herds of elephants in as many rings drill
ed and danced, and did other things better
and more intelligently than some folks
could do them. Beautiful horses cake
walked and danced the polka, and attract
i've women rode bareback steeds and turned
somersaults and made horses jump high
fences, while men accomplished almost i'm
possible feats in the rings with the assist
ance of prancing chargers. One young fell
low took his life in his hands by riding
unicycle up spiral tower to the top OF
the tent and then down to the ground. An
other on an ordinary bicycle dashed down
a very narrow fight of stairs. There were
scores of acrobats wire walkers and bal
ancing artists. Five riders, three men and
two women on bicycles, whirled around
bowl-shaped track. The slightest slip would
have meant death, probably, to the quintet.
There was too much in progress all the
time for any one person to properly OBJ
serve.
ra Zouaves, organization that has won
prizes in interstate competitive drills, gave
a fantastic exhibition, concluding with the
scaling of high wall. The clowns burles-
qued the drill. The funny fellows imper-
sonated CASTOR and Alphonse. They also
had an imitation automobile that they
headed in the direction of the spectators on
several occasions, and after causing some
what of fright stopped before reaching
the ropes.
The majority of the acts, both of the
serious and comic order, were novelties.
The performance concludes with series of
exciting races. Some excitement was caused
last evening when one of the rough riders
fell from his horse and a pair of horses that
followed trampled upon him. He was pick
ed up and though painfully hurt was able
to limp to the dressing tent unassisted.
This occurrence was the only accident of
the evenin,.
The concert after the big show was far
above the average and a large number re-
manned to witness it. The side shows were
also patronzed generously. All in all, the
circus exhibiting here is a winner in
every way.