Maine Menagerie

If you run into any strange characters in Maine, perhaps they are decendents of the Burgess’ Menagerie and circus. The ship carrying the circus sunk and perhaps some of the rescued circus people settled in the area...

"The Royal Tar was a new Canadian-built steamer carrying a circus, menagerie, a brass band and passengers. It was bound from St. John, New Brunswick to Portland, Maine in October 1836, with a cargo of animals which included horses, camels, lions, an elephant and a tiger. En route the Royal Tar sought shelter at Eastport and later behind Fox Island in Penobscot Bay. On October 25, while anchored two miles off Fox Island Thoroughfare, a series of decisions and events would compound the problem those on board would face that day. The pilot's son found the boilers dry, but he was not believed by the second engineer. While it seems like it would be worth checking out, he didn't and ordered the boilers fired up. An empty boiler heated to red hot and started a fire in the elephant stall. The fire was soon out of control.

The stern boat was lowered, loaded with men and then blown to a distant shore. The revenue cutter Veto in the area, sent a gig to rescue passengers, but the pilot in charge, seeing people dangling from ropes over the side and leaping overboard, feared getting close to the burning ship and fled. A group of men constructed a raft out of deck boards and managed to launch it. But just as they were about to push off from the ship, the elephant appeared above them. Struggling to maintain its balance it tumbled over the rail, smashing the raft and drowning the men.

Meanwhile Captain Reed of the Royal Tar took over the revenue cutter whose regular captain was not on board. Its captain had feared bringing the cutter close to the burning ship because there was gunpowder stored on deck. Captain Reed brought the cutter close enough to rescue passengers, saving many. Thirty-two of the nearly 100 on board died. All the animals perished. The Royal Tar continued to burn and finally sank."

Mike Crowe - January 1999 Fisherman's Voice