From Buckles

Scan10078, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. I remember reading an article in Bandwagon about the "Fighting the Flames" phenomenon. The nation seemed to be captivated by the heroics done by their Fire Fighting Brigades. My father in law Ruben Ray once described an incident in Duluth in the dead of winter when a fire broke out downtown and he witnessed a fire engine coming to the rescue, careening down an incline, black smoke from the boiler, horses at full gallop, sparks flying from their hooves, the wagon sliding on the ice, the firemen in red tunics, the Dalmation dog barking. What a show! The article stated that the reenactment of those events began at Amusement Parks and was so successful that several of the larger circuses produced the number. Above is the interior of the1906 4-Paw & Sells big top. The black object in the center is the shroud for the statuary act also seen is, gentleman principal rider, William Wallett Sr., the rigging for the somersalting automobile and the set piece for "Fighting the Flames" at right. No idea how the routine went but it's safe to assume the fire department thundered around the track to rescue people trapped within. I suppose leaps from fiery windows to a hand held net would be the blow off. I'm surprised they didn't manage to burn the whole show down. From Richard Flint Fighting the Flames was the opening display of the show. It began with a depiction of “A Great Metropolis, throbbing with…the Street Life of a Great Commercial Center. A fete-day Procession Comes down the Street [and] During the fete-day tournament a great exhibition of living statuary is presented by the nine celebrated members of the Stirk Family [Buckles has noted the black shroud that would be lowered and raised for each change]…Suddenly…the cry of Fire is Raised and Flames are seen Bursting from the Upper Windows of a Hotel…Then follows a Thrilling Battle of Fire and Water, Brave Rescues…in Life nets, and the Great Triumph over Flames.” This was promptly followed by the elephant acts of William Duncan (working some sort of comedy routine according to the Billboard review) and Art Johnson in the end rings and J.H. Patterson in the center. Interestingly, I have two copies of the 1907 program yet only one mentions the somersaulting auto. While the newspaper ad shown in this series features the act, it was not mentioned in the May 4 Billboard review, nor mentioned in the courier booklet I posted to the blog, and neither is it listed in my copy of the program listing for the July 12-16 dates. (For those not familiar with programs of this era, the illustrated souvenir “magazine and daily review” booklet contained a plain insert loosely laid in with the program listing and local ads for several days of engagements.) The auto act is listed in my second copy of the program for Aug 3-7. The somersaulting auto was the closing act in the afternoon but in the evening was placed after the elephants between displays 2 and 3. It was a lot of heavy metal to dismantle and load. Dick Flint Baltimore