Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Hartford circus fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in United States history. [3] The fire occurred during an afternoon performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus that was attended by 6,000 to 8,000 people.
Known as one of the worst disasters in the history of Hartford, Connecticut, a fire of unknown cause would erupt during a Barnum & Bailey Circus performance. Unable to get the fire under control and with animal cages blocking the exits, the thousands of attendees panicked and stampeded . [ 15 ]
Hartford circus fire, July 6, 1944 in Connecticut; Niterói circus fire, December 17, 1961 in Brazil; Bangalore circus fire, February 7, 1981 in India; See also.
On July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, during an afternoon performance attended by some 8,000 people, the Big Top tent caught fire. [25] At least 167 people were killed and many hundreds injured. [26] Circus management was found to be negligent and several Ringling executives served sentences in jail.
The fire killed around 168 people. The quick reaction of Evans and his band is credited with saving thousands of lives. When Evans saw the fire, he signaled that the band should play John Philip Sousa ’s “ Stars and Stripes Forever ,” used in the circus and theater industries as the “disaster march,” indicating an emergency.
The fire investigation delayed the show's departure from Hartford for nine days, but on July 15 the trains were headed back to Sarasota, Florida, and within a month, the circus had resumed its tour, playing in stadiums and ballparks. Emmett was among those impressed by the resilience of the big show, telling a reporter "We must entertain.
Claiming the lives of 168 persons, mostly children and their mothers, and injuring several hundred more. It occurred at a matinee performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus on Barbour Street in the city's north end and became known as the Hartford Circus Fire. [43] Connecticut River Flood, 1930 Connecticut River Flood, 1930
On July 6, 1944, Hartford was the scene of one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States. The fire, which occurred at a performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, became known as the Hartford Circus Fire.