Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-09-12
BARNUlT'S OLD PLACE
THE HISTORIC MUssuA THAT STOOD
IN LOWER NEW YORK.

Facts About the Famous CuriO Hall
That Brought Fortune to the En-
erEctic showmhn-FOrty Thousand
j Persons saw IL Consumed by Fire.
I'VE will ascend TO the top of St
Pauls skyscraper and take New York
city in at a glance" said my friend as
we passed the corner of Broadway and
Ann street Entering the doorway and
taking the elevator ii took but a few
moments to find ourselves at the top
where from the windows we not only
took in the entire city. with its brick
walls and smoking chimneys, but as
4 far as the eye could reach we saw
water and green fields. As we de-
scended we could not help thinking that
on this spot for many years stood Bar
NUNS museum. once the dream of all
children and a place of universal in
terest to every one.
Among the many sights and curiosi-
ties seen in the museum some are IA
miliar to this day. as Niagara Falls,
with real water. trees. rocks. etc; Joice
Heth. the aged colored woman, 1G1
years old who had once been nurse to
General Washington: the woolly horse.
said to have been captured by the Ere
mont exploring party in the Rocky
mountains; the Indian wedding dance;
the club that killed Captain Cook;
Tom Thumb. the dwarf who drove
around the city in stylish little coach
and who married Miss Lavinia War
rcn. the wedding taking place before
vast assemblage at Grace church while
multitudes lined the sidewalks outside;
the living whale that was kept in
tank Of salt water pumped in from the
bay; the hippopotamus. the tropical
fish. Commodore Mutt, known as the
$4,000 Mutt; the two drOmios; the
| lightning calculator who could add a
square Of figures at n glance. and who
became q Methodist minister. the fat
boy; Anna Swan. the Nova Scotia
giantess: the tallest man in the world;
the fat woman; Pashasharend. the
what Is It." no one knowing whether II
was n man or a monkey; the boa con-
strictor, seen inside large glass case;
the cherry colored cat; the happy fam
lily. a collection Of cats, rats, adders,
rabbits, parrots, birds, etc. all in one
cage: also two vast alligators. the liv-
ing skeleton, the baby mite that
weighed only three pounds. the fish
with legs. the Fill mermaid. the
giraffe, the rhinoceros, with the tropi-
cal birds. parrots cockatOos. knocking
birds, humming birds, vultures and
eagle. and the well remembered dog
and baby shows.
Then there were the wax figures of
pirates and murderers, Fmnklln
Pierce. Patrick Henry. General Wash
ington. James Buchanan, General Mar
ion. General Lafayette James Madi-
son. Governor Morris. PrinA Imperial
OF France, Mime. Roland. Pitcli
Nathan. Hale Poor " -
LambefN sed MurdefeSs. efc54
In many INC plays thrilling scenes
were produced. as in ''The Storm at
Sea- where n vessel was struck by
lightning and the crew rescued by be-
ing drawn by rope mp n rocky sum
nit and the army ascending through
the narrow defles OF the Swiss Alps.
The museum was burned on the aft
ernoon Of July -. 1865. The fire. il
was thought. originated in the engine
room, il being necessary TO keep up
steam 20 pump fresh air into the wa
ter OF the aquaria and 10 propel the
fans that kept the heated halls cool
The flames began in the managers
Office and extended to all parts Of the
building The manager showed great
presence OF mind by depositing several
thousands Of dollars in safe before
be escaped from the building Fully
10000 persons witnessed the fire. who
saw the tall woman lowered by means
OF ropes to the sidewalk and heard the
shrieks of animals I'm the menlger.e
and the grOwls Of the Bengal tiger.
The lion and his mate. who had eS-
capped from their cage. were seen walk |
ing along the floor ana an encounter
beneath the roof between the eagle |
and serpent when the victorious ca |
gle bore or his enemy IN his talons |
amid l1ud cheers. The polar boar, |
escaping from the building. walked |
through the streets 10 the custom |
house. where. ascending 70 the bal |
cony. he fell and broke his neck 9th /
or animals. jumping from the win
dows. caused the crowd To stampede.
when some lost their hats. others had |
their coats torn. and many became
awfully disfgured 10y falling in the
mud The remains of the two whales.
the kangaroo and crocodile were found |
in the ruins. The loss Of no other
in the city could have caused
so much excitement and regret as Bar
NUNS museum Brooklyn Citizen.