Episode 587: The Hartford Circus Fire
Morbid
Tragedy at the Circus: A Cautionary Tale of Fire Safety
This chapter discusses the Hartford Circus Fire and the negligence of fire safety in circus history, particularly focusing on the catastrophic events of July 5, 1944. It examines the interplay of superstition and tragedy leading up to the incident, revealing the dire consequences of inadequate safety measures.
On July 6, 1944, an estimated 7,000 people, mostly women and children, gathered at the Barbour Street fairgrounds in Hartford, Connecticut to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus. Inside the big top tent, the lion show had just ended, and the Flying Wallendas were getting ready to begin their performance when the tent caught fire, sending the large audience into a panic as the spectators and performers rushed to get to safety. The tent, which had been coated in paraffin wax, was quickly engulfed in flames and by the time the fire was put out, 139 people were dead and hundreds were badly injured. In the weeks that followed, another twenty-eight would die from their injuries. At the time, the Hartford circus fire was one of the worst fires in American history, and it remains one of the biggest tragedies in the state’s history.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research!
References
Cavanaugh, Jack. 1994. "The Hartford fire, 50 years later." New York Times, July 3: CN1.
Daily Boston Globe. 1945. "7 Ringling officials held responsible by coroner for Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, January 12: 12.
—. 1950. "Circus holocaust, 4 N.E. murders laid to N.H. man." Daily Boston Globe, Juky 1: 1.
—. 1950. "Psychiatrist to examine youth who thinks he set Hartford circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, May 21: C29.
Davis, John. 1944. "Circus Fire is described by witness." Hartford Courant, July 7: 3.
Ensworth, Bob. 1944. "Quick-witted show folks saved many, soldier declares." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.
Glaberson, William. 1991. "Our towns." New York Times, August 2: B2.
Hartford Courant. 1944. "113 children, mothers not yet located." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "'Flying Wallendas' on high wire when flames swept through tent." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "Negligence facts found says Alcorn." Hartford Courant, July 8: 1.
—. 1944. "Panic and blaze trap hundreds." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
—. 1944. "Thousands attracted by circus here." Hartford Courant, July 6: 1.
—. 1944. "Tossed cigarette blamed for fire by ushers, police." Hartford Courant, July 7: 1.
Kelley, Robert. 1945. "The strange case of Little Miss No. 1565 still baffles police." Daily Boston Globe, July 16: 1.
Linscott, Seymour. 1944. "136 die in circus fire." Daily Boston Globe, July 7: 1.
Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1950. "Quiz firebug suspect in '44 circus tragedy." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 19: 1.
Morning Edition. 2007. Remembering the Horror and Heroes of a Circus Fire. July 6. Accessed July 2, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2007/07/06/11768511/remembering-the-horror-and-heroes-of-a-circus-fire.
New York Times. 1950. "Arson killer sane, psychiatrists find." New York Times, November 2: 47.
—. 1950. "Arsonist imprisoned; admitted 172 deaths." New York Times, November 4: 34.
—. 1944. "Children caught in frenzied mass." New York Times, July 7: 11.
—. 1950. "Some doubts raised in arson confession." New York Times, July 2: 27.
Ross, Leonora. 1944. "Hartford tragedy leaves cricus artisits staggered." Daily Boston Globe, July 8: 2.
Skidgell, Michael. 2019. The Hartford Circus Fire. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing.
Smith, John Henry. 2024. 80 years ago, a gas-soaked roof and WWII created a perfect storm for the Hartford circus tragedy . July 1. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2024-07-01/80-years-ago-a-gas-soaked-roof-and-wwii-created-a-perfect-storm-for-the-hartford-circus-tragedy.
Tuohy, Lynne. 2004. "Back to the circus." Hartford Courant, May 16: 69.
United Press. 1942. "Scores of animals killed in $125,000 circus fire." Brooklyn Citizen, August 4: 1.
Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 2024. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. May 31. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-and-Bailey-Combined-Shows/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-Bailey-Combined-Shows.
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