Episode 587: The Hartford Circus Fire

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus has come to be known as the most iconic circus in the United States. Looking back at the 1940s, its influence is profound and its operations vast.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was the most well-known and influential circus in the United States in the early 20th century.

Formed in 1919 from the merger of two historic circus businesses, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey quickly positioned itself as a dominant force in American entertainment. Having origins in the 1800s, the newly combined enterprise gained notoriety as "The Greatest Show on Earth."

By the 1940s, the circus employed over 1,000 people and traveled with dozens of large animals, including elephants, lions, and bears.

The 1940s saw the circus employing a large workforce of over 1,000 individuals and traveling with an array of animals that included elephants, lions, bears, camels, large cats, and over 700 horses, among others. The circus was a mobile exhibition of wonder, moving to each destination by train, including performers, tent equipment, and the broad range of animals. For many, especially during the tough times of the Great Depression, the circus provided a critical source of employment.

The circus was granted special rail privileges by President Roosevelt during World War II, recognizing its role in providing wartime entertainment and relief for the American public.

In recognition of its role in providing entertainment and respite for the American public during the arduous years of World War II, President Roosevelt awarded the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus special railway privileges, facilitating their travel and performances across the nation.

Despite the circus's prominence, it was frequently criticized for the inhumane treatment of animals and lax safety protocols.

However, this illustrious circus was not without its malpractices and controversies. It faced intense scrutiny and criticism over the treatment of its ani ...

On July 6, 1944, the Hartford Circus Fire became one of the worst fire disasters in United States history. Here's what is known about how the tragedy unfolded and escalated with dire speed.

On July 6, 1944, an estimated 7,000 people, mostly women and children, gathered at the Barber Street fairgrounds in Hartford, Connecticut to attend a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus performance.

The circus tent was a massive, 200-by-450-foot structure with 15-foot high canvas walls that had been treated with a highly flammable mixture of gasoline and paraffin wax for weatherproofing.

An usher named Gwynelle first noticed a small fire on the Southern side of the tent, about five feet up on a panel, during a circus performance. The crew's protocol involved ushers using fire safety buckets or pulling down panels to smother flames before spreading. If the fire reached the top of the tent, it could spell disaster.

Shortly after the opening acts, a small fire was spotted on the west side of the tent by an usher, who attempted to extinguish it using water buckets, but the fire quickly grew out of control.

The fire started as a small ball near the top of the tent and rapidly expanded. Despite the efforts of ushers, including Mike D'Addario, who tried to pull the panel down, the fire could not be contained. Realizing this, the ushers began escorting people out of the tent.

The fire spread rapidly through the tent, fueled by the flammable weatherproofing materials, and within minutes had engulfed the entire structure.

The loss of power and plunging of the tent into darkness, as well as the falling of molten paraffin wax on the audience, further exacerbated the chaos and panic as people rushed towards the exits.

When the fire reached the tent's decorative fringe, it flashed and filled the tent with toxic smoke. A subsequent generator blow cut the ...

The Hartford Circus Fire remains one of Connecticut's most heartbreaking tragedies, marked by the loss of life, severe injuries, and deep psychological scars for survivors and the community.

The Hartford Circus Fire resulted in the deaths of 139 people, with an additional 28 dying from their injuries in the weeks that followed.

On the day of the fire, the circus was filled with families, many of whom were mothers trying to distract their children while fathers were away at war. The chaos that ensued when the fire broke out led to a devastating death toll. Initially, 136 people were estimated to have perished, but the number later rose to 167 after more succumbed to their injuries. Hospitals across Connecticut were overwhelmed with the influx of those injured.

The majority of the victims were women and children, and many families were torn apart as loved ones were killed or went missing in the chaos.

Dorothy Carvey attended with her young son. In the panic, she fell from the bleachers and was trampled, but fortunately, both she and her son were rescued by a circus attendant. Maureen Creaky, 11, experienced her first independent outing at the circus, escaping the fire through a slit in the tent cut by a young man's pocket knife. Many children and adults did not escape, however, impacting countless families who lost their relatives.

Survivors, including circus performers and bystanders, suffered severe burns and psychological trauma from witnessing the horrific events.

Those in better shape were often found in the upper tier of the bleachers, where quick thinking allowed them to jump or circumvent blocked exits. For others, blocked exits became death traps; piles of the dead were often found around these points. Circus performers shares distressing accounts of witnessing children being knocked over and trampled by men. The crowd, composed largely of women and children, faced catastrophic burns as molten paraffin wax rained down from the burning tent.

The aftermath of the tragedy was marked by ...

The aftermath of the tragic fire led to extensive efforts to investigate the cause, identify victims, and memorialize the event, with a mix of breakthroughs and enduring mysteries.

In the wake of the tragedy, an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire, with multiple theories and arrests made.

An investigation opened by the state and led by state police commissioner Edward Hickey delved into the cause of the fire. Ringling Brothers’ publicity agent suggested defective wiring, while others theorized that a discarded cigarette might have been the culprit. Three Hartford detectives who assisted during the tragedy agreed that the fire might have been started by a cigarette in the men's room. The state Fire Commission and the coroner’s office found several Ringling Brothers staff members guilty of reckless conduct and criminally liable. Arrests included vice president and director James Haley, general manager George Smith, among others. All but Samuel Clark were convicted and served time.

The initial claim that the fire was caused by faulty wiring was disputed, and evidence suggested it may have been started by a discarded cigarette.

The prevailing theory about the origin of the fire involved faulty wiring, but further investigation revealed that a cigarette thrown against the sidewall of the tent might have started the blaze. The fire, resulting in more than $100,000 in property damage, caused the circus to cancel the remainder of the season.

Years later, a man named Robert Sege confessed to setting the fire, but his claims were met with skepticism and eventually recanted.

Nearly five years after the circus fire, Robert Sege, a man with a history of arson and mental illness, was arrested for claiming he set the fire, among other crimes. Sege initially told investigators that he was ordered to start the fire by "the red Indian," then his mind went blank. Authorities were skeptical of Sege's expansive confessions, which included this fire, and he was eventually recanted.

In 1991, a fire lieutenant named Rick Davey was able to identify the previously un ...