The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-25
FIREWORKS A
GRAND SIGHT
Pains Pompeii Is Realistic
and Beautiful.
CIRCUS AND THEATRE
Is Included in the Entertain
ment Given.

The long delayed exhibition Of the just
~ celebrated Pains Pompeii opened with
their first performance last night to an
audience of about 200 people, although
it was thought not possible to give the
big spectacle until about an hour before
opening. and the fact was announced by
The bombs, as spoken of in the Eagle of
yesterday morning
For days many have waited 70 see
this great spectacle and had made the
trip 10 Wichita TO see this great dream
In fire and remained for that one pur-
pose, and the crowd who understood
the signal bombs soon turned westward
With this short notice ZOO people at
tended. This is an indication Of what
future attendance viii be during the re-
mainder Of the week.
At SIS the exhibition opened with
grand march of Roman soldiers, flower
girls, sena tors, priests, gladiators, altar
boys. etc. Finally a spirited sword com
bat occurred for possession of a beauti-
full maiden before the temple Of Isis.
and the Roman youths and maidens ran
away with the victorious conbatant
Then came the speciaities in the great
drama. The acrObats are the finest ever
seen In Wichita, and this great spectacle
carries the best TO be had, no difference
what they cost. The gladiatoriaI living
statuary was especially fine, as were the
balancers whose performances were new
and startling as well as humorous. Then
came the baIlets by a bevy Of girls, clad
in Roman costume, which were fascinat-
ing as well as modest. These special
ties were a revelation TO the audience,
as little had been said OF them in the
advertisements. Finally the king APP
pears in his palanquin, borne by slaves.
He alights and ascends the throne and
the games continue.
Vesuvius meanwhile in the background
has been smoking away until toward
the end Of the games deep rumblings
are heard, with flashes of lightning, and
this latter as arranged by Mr.. sigman,
chief electrician OF the company. was
very realistic, several suggesting a down
pour after all. The grandeur Of the
spectacle increase, the thunder soon be-
comes a loud roar and the old volcano
splits fire instead Of smoke. The Rom
ans gaze with awe upon the change IN
the aspect in the familiar old mountain
until suddenly it bursts open the crater
and throws fire high into the air. and
the work of destruction begins. With
tremendous explosions the earthquakes
shake everything and the audience we're
startled almost as by an actual quake.
The people flee in every direction. scream
ing with terror as the fire breaks out
all over the mimic city. towers fall,
buildings fell with loud crash. The
place is soon a mass of ruin. while a
stream Of fire continues to pour out OF
the crater Of the volcano.
Then began the display of fireworks.
Although the air was thick and heavy,
the rockets and other aerial pieces shone
with remarkable briniancy. Nowhere
can this be seen as 1t is from the big
amphitheater. One bomb sails skyward.
turns and bursts like gigantic flower
toward the audience. who all exclaimed
with admiration; then It bursts again,
with another color. and still a third time
bursts, mingling three masses of colored |
stars. all toward the audience. The ef-
feet is very thrilling and beautiful. Then
the rockets which left half-moon shaped
strings of stars floating In the air, and
the balloon. with its trail Of brilliant fire.
Bombs innumerable were fired and these
are very expensive pieces Of pyrotech-
MICS, but they are used by wholesale.
Then the set pieces-huge fowr pots,
thirty feet in height; pin wheels twenty
feet in diameter part revolving one way,
part Of the same another; a big fan that
opened with fire sticks, and fire feather
fringe The laughable performing aero
bat all in fire, a fine likeness Of Mayor
Mclean, taken from a photo made
few days since for the purpose py MI
Baldwin. and finally, a grand finale Of
flower pots and other indescribable
things the entire length of the stage,
which Is $50 feet in length
one OF the greatest OF Pains pieces
was arranged for. bat owing to the short
time. could not be put on. II is rep
resentation of Niagara IN fire and IS
some $50 feet long and forty feet In
height II will probably form part Of
tonight's program. Many things were
added that have not been advertised at
al. and with fair weather the amphi-
theater. Will be crowded beyond its capac-
ity tonight Forty policemen keep an
eve on the affairs about the grounds
and every man connected with the great
spectacle is q specialist Of some kind
and by 10 means anything like any cir
Gus on earth. No finer set of fellows
can be found anywhere in anything. This
fact makes the spectacle all the more
ENJOYABLE when one knows that the men
behind the guns are not thugs but men
Tonight tbs spectacle Will again be her
aided by aerial bombs about : O'Clock
doors open at 80 and the spectacle be-
oi-c OF SIX