This is in spite of the fact that other disasters, like the sinking of the Titanic, are widely known, and even taught to school children as part of their history curriculum.
What happened on that July 6 was not unlike the sinking of the Titanic, in that it was completely unexpected, and that it claimed the lives of many innocent people of all genders and ages.
The event in question is what has come to be known as The Hartford Fire or The Ringling Circus Fire.
It should not be inferred that this event has been entirely ignored or forgotten. Many books have been released on the subject, as have several television specials, and major periodicals like Time Magazine and Connecticut Life have published articles commemorating the events of that day. But few school-age children (and even their parents) are clear on what actually occurred. The following is a brief guide to the Hartford Circus Fire, one of the strangest and saddest tragedies of twentieth-century America.
Details of the Disaster
The circus involved in the tragedy was not just any circus, but “The Greatest Show on Earth”: The Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus. The show included such famous circus performers as the clown Emmett Kelly. Perhaps because this particular circus was so popular, almost 7,000 people were in attendance for the performance that afternoon, although some sources place the number closer to 8,000.
It was early on in the performance when the fire began, just as the high wire act, featuring The Flying Wallendas, was beginning. The flames originated on the southwest wall near one of the entrances, and spectators and circus workers gradually began to notice. Some of the spectators initially believed that the fire was part of the show, and that the clowns would put out.
Poor Judgment Contributed to the Tragedy
A big contributor to the disaster was the fact that the “big top” was coated in paraffin and gasoline for the purposes of waterproofing. Thus, when the fire started, it raced quickly up the walls of the tent, so that the whole thing was engulfed within minutes. Eventually the great pole in the center of the tent caught on fire as well, and it fell over, causing the tent to collapse on many people inside.
The initial source of the fire has been debated about for decades. In 1950, a man from Ohio named Robert Segee confessed to setting the fire, and he was convicted of the crime of arson. Segee’s guilt is still being debated, however, as it was never proven that he was the perpetrator. Furthermore, the fact that he was mentally ill, and that he later rescinded his claim of guilt, have led some to believe that he was not actually involved.
The Results of the Fire
It may never be known with certainty who was responsible for the fire, but the results of the tragedy are all too clear. As the thousands of attendees became increasingly aware of the blaze, a panic broke out, and many were injured or killed because of the resulting stampede. Between the crush of the crowd and the collapse of the tent, 168 people were killed (although some put this number at 167, and others at 169). Most of these were children. The number of injured has been placed at anywhere between 550 and 700.
It is believed that all those killed that day were properly identified except for one little girl who became known as "Little Miss 1565" after the number given to her at the morgue. Some experts claim that the girl's name was Eleanor Emily Crook, but others disagree, stating that she remains unidentified.
Luckily, the brave efforts of many people -- including circus employees, local volunteers, and able-bodied audience members -- prevented further injuries and deaths. Many heroic stories were born on that day, stories of people who saved themselves, their families, and strangers around them.
Sources:
Don Massey's Circus Fire Memories, by Don Massey
