The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-05-05
FALlON'S FIRST CIRCUS
TERMINATES DISASTRCUSLY
DIAHNUTIVE CYCLONE LEVELS
TENTS TO GROUND.
Spectators Enmeshed In Tangle OF
Canvas and Ropes Have Dif:-
Guilty in Making Exit.

Fallon's first circus performance
occurred last Wednesday. Its end
was precipitate, the great tents
housing the three-rings and the var
ious side attractions, being leveled
in an instant by twisting diminu-
tive cyclone, which carried in solu-
ton binding quantities of dust.
The circus program was little
more than one-half over, and it was
a good one too,as for as the elements
allowed it to proceed, when the first
premonition of what was to come
greeted the 1900 spectators under
the big performance tents, as 1t
gently lifted the top canvas. very
much in the manner of a swell of
the ocean. Barely had the tent
poles dropped to their positions
again until the real blow of the
afternoon struck the huge tents
which were crumbled in an instant
under the influences of the tremend-
GUS natural forces.
The 1900 spectators, men. women
and children found themselves en-
meshed under more than 80 tons of
canvas, wood and steel, and for
few moments pandemonium held
held full sway. II seemed certain
that an awful toll of lives would be
axacted from the weaker one pres
ent and that there was not is little
short of a miracle. Men struggled
with women or children in their arms
for vantage points, from whence
they could make their way safely,
children cried and women shrieked
Historically, some swooning into
unconsciousness under the excite
ment of the moment. But from it
all, critical as the crisis seemed to
be, there issued but a multitude of
minor bruises, sustained for the
most part from flying poles, used
to maintain the tent, to
which they were fastened by guy
ropes. The wind-influenced canvas
lifted them about and used them
very much as fails, and though in
instances several men attempted to
match their combined strength with
that of the elements, they were lift
ed bodily and only served to add to
the danger of the situation by pre-
senting greater striking surface as
their bodies came into contact with
the anatomies of those sitting near
by.
1t was fortunate that the incident
was not made deadly by the ram
page of wild beasts, for in the me-
nagerie stood four huge elephants a
moment before the tents fell, held
only by fimsy fastenings that would
have been broken In a moment by
excited animals. Quick work on
the part of the cicus employees re-
suited in the removal of the ele-
plants, while commendable caution
on the part of the circus manage
ment had resulted in all of the
other dangerous animals being safe
Gagged. The arena wherein "a lions,
bears and several Bengal
tigers performed throughout the
afternoon is substantially made of
steel, and the collapsing of the
tent and it's largest sustaining poles,
which are in reality small sized tree
trunks, though damaging its various
parts, did not release the animals
housed therein. Had less prudence
been used by the circus manage
ment, the local morgue could easily
have been filled to overHowing and
Fallon's first real circus would have
ended in a disaster that would have
been chronicled abroad as an un-
usual and death dealing calamity.
Indeed in the arena at the time
the wind hit the tents were q num-
Der of bears. one huge grizzly being
engaged with his trainer in wrest-
ling exhibition, wherein he was
easily besting the biped Dazed by
the happening, the brute's primal
instincts held sway and the trainer
was exercised to his wits end. A
handy supply of cube sugar served
to carry the bear throughout the
crisis, though for a few moments
the trainers mangling seemed i'm
minent.
Had the affair occurred earlier
in the day or a few moments later,
there would have been no way to
avoid fatalities for mingling with the
panic stricken throng would have
been equally panicky circus animals.
whose struggles for freedom from
the tent wreckage would surely
have been attended by death.
The affair must be epitomized as
one wherein local folks brushed
shoulders with tragedy, rude, cruel,
raw and bleeding and emerged
from the experiences with scarcely
a wound, for so far as this paper
has been able to ascertain the net
results of the affair was a scared
multitude multitude that carried
many a superficial scratch, but none
of a serious nature. To those who
were there these facts seem impos-
sible. That the community was
given the minimum physical injury,
fully weighed, pos
sible under such extreme conditions,
all will agree. In this we are sure
ly fortunate.
And though for moment II
seemed that the Barnes circus tents
were destroyed, expert sail makers
quickly got to work and it is really
doubtful If the actual loss sustained
totaled $500, the repairs being ex-
clusively a matter of tent sewing,
after which the fabric as a whole
was as good as ever
In viewing Wednesdays affair
retrospectively there are many in
stances that come to mind CARRYING
both pathos and humor. The lady
of finery struggled Historically with
humber folks in her efforts for re-
lease. Men, women and children
ducked between seats and climbed
the various tiers oblivious
and unconcerned They came from
the wreckage, head first, feet first
and sideways, leaving the pocket
books, cloaks and hats. Headgear
was blow hither and thither and
many never recovered their belong
ings. though in commendation of
the Barnes people it must be stated