BURNING OF BARNUMS SHOW.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1690, 24 January 1888, Page 3

BURNING OF BARNUMS SHOW.

On Monday (November 21st) tbe winter quarters of P. P.Barnum’s show and menagerie were destroyed by fire. The first intimation of tbe fire was given by the roaring of the lions and tigers, and struggling of the elephants to free themselves from the chains with which they were secured for the night. Six watchmen, who were on duty at the time, endeavoured to stop the progress of the flames, but without avail. Fear of the animals within, which were mad with terror, prevented a near approach to the burning pile, and within Italf an hour the entire building was consumed. The building burned (says the Daily News) was divided into three sections. The first contained the baggage waggons and a few chariots and horses. Neither was saved. At the end of the section the hippopotamus was caged, and perished with the rest. In the middle section the wild animals were kept. Not a single animal escaped. There were zebras, ibexes, tapirs, wolves, hyenas, and many others. The next section contained finimala of the cat tribe, and the elephant barn. There were many valuable specimens of the feline tribes, among them a black panther, several lions, tigers, leopards, and pumas. Only one ®f the whole lot escaped, and next I morning he was found dead. Just outside the burned building there is a heap of straw, wet and sodden, and. upon this a big lion, which had escaped had seated himself to watch the flames. He sat there for an hour, while the policemen and others fired, shot after shot at him without apparent effect. Finally the door of a barn about 100 feet away was opened, and he was driven in without ; difficulty. The doors were closed and a man put on guard. Towards morning the watchman became alarmed for fear the lion should escape, and opened the door to see. Outcame. the lion, and immediately climbed to a low roof, and sat there watching his former captor. He made no movement to run away but on the attempt of a man to cap tore him with a lasso,, jumped down on the other side of the barn, and started across country. He was next heard from a mile away. He had gone into a barn, and meeting with a cow and calf had bitten the calf and scratched the cow on the shoulders. They were not seriously hurt, A number of men went in and shot him, and he was carried to the menagerie yard and buried. The men had great difficulty in getting the elephants out of the barn, but all but four escaped. One small trick elephant was driven out four or five times, and each time returned, and finally had to be left there. The other three elephants burned were Samson, the white elephant, and Alice, the consort of Jumbo in London, and brought to this country to take his place. She was commonly known as Jumbo’s widow. Of the elephants which escaped one small one started for Long Island Sound and waded out for half a mile. In

the early morning the keeper and others started after him in a boat. The tide was running out, and he was unable to make headway back to shore against the strong current. He gradually drifted out till he was drowned. The rhinoceros also escaped with some bad burns; but he is expected to recover. The fire destroyed the whole collection of animals which constituted Mr Barnum’s menagerie, with the exception of the bears, which were in another house; and an entire refitting will be necessary in order to place the show on the road again. Fortunately all the performing horses and ponies were away in the country, and escaped destruction. The total loss is estimated at about £200,000. The famous showman is thus, says the Standard, thrown once more on the resources of his genius. Barnum is now well on towards fourscore, but he is not likely to succumb, even to such a disaster as that which we now record. Barnum’s experience of fires is now somewhat extensive.