Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-09-26
OLD PLACE
The HISTORIC MUSEUM THAT STOOD
m LOWER NEW YORK.

IN LOWER NEW YORK.
Facts About the Famous Curio Han
That brought n Fortune 60 the En-
erEetic ShOwmRa-Forty Thousand
Persons Saw IA Consumed by Fire.
We will ascend 10 the top Of St.
Paufs skyscraper and take New York
qity In at glance" said my friend as
we passed the corner OF broadway and
Ann street Entering the doorway and
taking the elevator Il took but a few
moments 20 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
Tar 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 place OF universal In
terest To every one
Among the many sights and curiosi-
ties seen I'm the museum some are IA
miliar TO this day. as Niagara Falls.
with real water. trees. rocks. etc: Joice
Heth, the aged cOlored woman. 1GI
years old. who had once been nurse TO
General Washington; the woolly horse.
said TO have been captured by the Ere
mont exploring party I'm the Rocky
mountains; the Indian wedding dance.
the club that killed Captain Cook:
Tom Thumb. the dwarf who drove
around the city i'm a stylish little coach
and who married Miss i.avinla War
rem. the wedding taking place before a
vast aSsembiage ut Grace church while
multitudes lined the sidewalks outside:
the living whale that was kept I'm 4
tank Of salt water pumped i'm from the
bay; the hippopOtamuS. the tropical
fish. Commodore Mutt. known rs the
10000 Mutt: the two drOmios: the
lightning calculator who could add n
square OF figures ut a glance. and who
became Methodist minister: the fat
boy; Anna Swan. the Nova Scotia
gian. IS; the tallest man i'm the world
the fat woman: PashaSharend. the
what is it," no one knowing whether IL
was man or monkey; the boa con-
strictor. seen inside 4 lar.e glass case;
the cherry colovcd cat; tic happy fam
AuURES.
rabbits. parrots. birds. v.c.. al in one
cage; also two vast ALI -ators. the liv-
ing skeleton. the baly mite that
weighed only three pounds. the fish
with legs. the Fiji mermaid. the
giraffe. the rhinoccroS. with the tropl-
cal birds. parrots. cocllatoOS. hooking
birds. cumming birds. vultures and
eagle. ami the well remembered dog
and baby shows
Then there were the vlx figures OF
pirates and murdcr,rt. Franklin
Pierce. Patrick Henry. General Wash
inston. James buchanan. General Mar
ion. General Lafayette James Madi-
son. Governor Morris. Prince Imperial
OF France. Nine. Roland. Moll Pitcher.
Nathan Hale. Poor Richard. DAME!
Lambert. the Yelled Murdercss. etc.
In many OF the plays thrilling scenes
were produced. as I'm "rhe Storm at
Sea-" where a vessel WAS struck by
lightning AMI the crew rescued by be-
ing drawn Ivy Il rope up a rocky sum
init AMI the army asccn ling through
the narrow Gctiles OF the Swiss Alps.
The museum was burned on the aft
ernoOn OF July Is. 1850 The fire. It
was thought originated i'm the engine
room. IL being necessary TO keep up
steam TO pump fresh air into the wa
ter Of the aquaria and 10 propel the
fans that kept the heated halls cool.
The DANES began in the managers
office ana extended TO all parts OF the
building. The manager showed great
presence OF mind by depositing several
thousands OF dollars In safe before
he escaped from the building. Fully
10000 persons witnessed the fire. who
saw the tall woman lowered by means
OF ropes 10 the sidewalk and heard the
shrieks OF animals I'm the menagerie
and the growlS OF the Bengal tiger.
The lion ana his mate. who had es-
capped from their cage. were seen walk
ing along the floor and an encounter
beneath the roof between the eagle
and serpent. when the victorious ca
gle bore on his enemy i'm his talons
amid loud cheers. The polar bear,
escaping from the building. walked
through the streets 10 the custom
house. where, ascending TO the bal
cony. he fell and broke hiS neck. 9th
err animals. jumping from the win
dowS. caused the crowd 10 stampede.
when some lost their hats. others had
theiT, coats torn, ana many became
awfully disfigured by falling in the
mud. The remains Of the two whales,
the kangaroo and crocodile were found
IN the ruins. The loss OF no other
building in the city could have caused
SO much aNpifpmant a,,I t.a,r-at ~ Raw
NUNS Brooklyn Citizen.