Terrible Scene at a Circus

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1619, 27 January 1886, Page 2

Terrible Scene at a Circus

." . ' ' ■'■" ' '''' ♦ -••'•'••'ii'i '.■;■:::,■■ : A despatch." from Martinsburg (Went Virginia) says that place frag the seen* of a disaster on the evening of September 23, m which 25 persons wer# seriously wounded, and many , others hurt m various -ways. . Frank A. Bobbins', circus waa exhibiting inthe towrii" and at the evening' performance there were probably 2500 'About .8 o'clock! a heavy rain began to fall, the storm j being accompanied by a high wind.'' ; About 9 o'clock, while Miss .McDonald, the Metter Brothers, and a baby elephant -w*re^in the ring, the wind increased to Vgale. Many.of tho spectators rose/ to/ tjieir feet, andr.» general move had' begun toward th« exit, when, under the. Dressure of a heavy wind, the centre pol« of the tent snapped. Ropes broke on all .sides, and , m a moment the tßnfrcollapsed upoh^tW •' heads of the peo'pl,e;i >thp jights and plashing seats* iindf occupantii tpjhe jgrou.hHiinX confused- masß. '|phfT. gfcen.e which ensued is described as'appal* ' ' lina. Above- ; th4 ' riois© ; of < the :stona s cbuld lie heard the trumpeting of. .th« elephatits^the how^g^of the^animals, thY ShVieits 1 qfv women^nd children, and- the*^ criestof men. It was. over ,an . hour, hi- "' fore atiy thing could" be •ffectively'done inilooking,for,an router §dge"of the collapsfe'di canvass. Finally, all w^te «• ' tricatetl, when it iv'rs- found' that 1 many, especiall} women and children, had been badly- 1 hurt. olsthe wounded 1 removed to thejr homes m thii eoflntry. The pecuniary losi will b« not lost is almost a, miracle. ■■■"'■■■* \.i:.''; c