Burning of a Circus in Man chester.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 362, 24 April 1889, Page 3

Burning of a Circus in Man chester.

On i: of the most alarming: fives which has 1 over occurred in Manchester took place on 26th February. The Royal Circus, in Chepstow-streei,, Oxford -road, a structure mostly, if not wholly, built of wood, was (reports the ( Daily News ') reduced to ashes. The building has been occupied for some time by Mexican Joe and his New Wild West Show, in which a number of Indians and cowboys take part. , As usual, there was a large gathering of the general public. The performance was just over, and most of the people had fortunately lef b, when a fire broke out which completely wrecked the whole building. This was about 10 o'clock. Alarms were afa once raised, and the chief fire brigade,, whose station i.s not quarter of a mile from the circus, was soon on the spot with two steam fire engines and the whole force at disposal. .Meanwhile the inflammable nature of the burning structure made the fire spread rapidly, and the sky was ' lit up for miles with a ruddy srlow. Situated in the very heart of the city, and in the midst of the quarter occupied by the theatres and places of amusement, the burning circus drew crowds of excited people to the spot. The thoronghtares were rendered utterly impassable. In the circus and about it there was no less wild excitement. The Indians were especially carried away, and made efforts to drag away the animals used " in the performance. In this they were not altagether j successf ul. The flames ran so quickly over the wooden building; that the company had perforce to fly far their own safety, and 11 horses and a donkey fell victims to the fire. There seems little doubt that the outbreak ; arofce in the stables of the circus. The first alarm which reached the chief fire station wag to the effect that 'some straw had taken fire.' That seems to have been the real origin, but it was of course impossible to save the buildng. It was razed to the ground, and the brigade used their best endeavours to prevent tbe fire extending to ; the whicp hemmed in the eirei r on two or three sides.