Episode 100: The Hartford Circus Fire
The known victims of the fire
July 6th of 1944 was a hot and humid summer day in Hartford, Connecticut, and the town was buzzing with excitement. While most of the men of the town were off fighting in World War II, the elderly, women, and children were holding down the fort at home. On this particular day the circus was coming into town, and that was sure to be a nice distraction from all the horrible things going on overseas.
Due to a late arrival, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s circus had to cancel a matinee show- this caused a massive influx of spectators for the next available show. The tent was filled with anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 people, not including the performers and their mighty show animals. The acts involved trapeze artists, clowns, and wild animals doing tricks. The set up was exactly how most would imagine a circus tent- tall peaks of canvas pitched high over a large chunk of ground, filled with a dry grass and hay floor and bleachers made of wood. What wasn’t known to most was that the circus had tried their hardest to make the tent waterproof, as they were playing around the country and wanted to perform come rain-or-shine. To do this, 6,000 gallons of gasoline was mixed with roughly 60 barrels full of paraffin, which is very similar in texture to a candle.
It’s true that this mixture would make the canvas waterproof. What it would also be, thanks to this protective, waxy layer, was extremely flammable.
Unfortunately, and it is not clear to this day whether the origin of the tragedy was accidental or intentional, the extra ready-to-burn tent was lit ablaze. The fire started quickly on one side, near the base, and within 10 minutes, the flames cause the entire structure of the tent to collapse, trapping straggling children and their parents and burning them. Some died of horrific burns, others died due to being trampled to death from an extreme wave of panicked spectators. In total, 167 people died, and an additional 700, roughly, were injured. The tragedy of the Hartford Circus Fire took many innocent souls, and continues to live on infamously as one of the most tragic events in Connecticut history and the largest circus disaster in US history.
Image sources:
circusfire1944.com