Panic in a Circus

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 21, 29 July 1884, Page 3

Panic i n a Circu s

A panic ..took place on a recent Saturday" nig Tit in Chiarini's Circus, ■"which .was performintr - for the- -last time in Ballarat. at the rear of the 'Alfred Hall. Ihq .circus, was packed in every part, particularly in tha lower- priced seats. At ab ut eight o'clock a start was inadt» with removal of the tigers, lions, elephants, (fee, to I the railway station. The cage bf lions was being 1 drawn round tlie tent in which the performance was going on, and had just re died tbe portion ol the /of the tent opposite the 2s seats, when the animals began to roar very loudly The lions wore within a foot or two of where the people in the top seats were sitting, and they became terribly alarmed. The people evidently laboured under the impression that some of the wild animals had. broken, loose, and were under the seats. Notwithstanding the assurance of the circus proprietor, about 1000 people rushed from their elevated seats in a frantic manner, aud several persons were trampled upon. The people were quite uncontrollable for about five minutes' during which period several ladies lain ted. A lar>_e number rushed from the tent, but when they saw that, there was no danger returned. The panic then subsided. In the rush a number of people were severely bruised. —Sydney News.