On July 6, 1944, a circus tent burst into flames during a matinee performance in Hartford, Connecticut, ultimately claiming 168 lives - many of them children.
Sad-faced clown EMMETT KELLY, mourning "the little children who have for so many years give me my living," carried out their bodies from the ruins.
Some were trampled in the rush to escape rapidly moving flames, including a girl whose identity was a mystery for decades.
Police called her "Little Miss 1565" - for her morgue number.
In 1991, investigators said they determined her name was Eleanor Cook, age 8, who was partial to hair ribbons, cats and dresses.
HARTFORD, Conn., July 7 (United Press) - Five officials of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus were charged with manslaughter today while state, county, and municipal authorities pushed a searching investigation into the disaster of fire and panic under the big top in which 139 persons, 80 of them children, died.
While authorities questioned through the night canvas-men, performers, roustabouts, and members of yesterday's matinee audience of 10,000 that saw an acre and more of canvas dissolve into flame above its head, 20 or more of the 214 injured crowding all local hospitals were in dying condition and it was feared that the ultimate death toll would reach 150.
Mayor WILLIAM H. MORTENSEN headed a committee of nine officials conducting an investigation paralleling the coroner's and early today he issued a public statement making two charges:
(1) The circus tent, the largest in the world had been sprayed with paraffine which had been melted in gasoline
(2) a steel runway, used to bring animals in and out of the big top closed off an entire end of the oval, obstructing exits.
Approximately 60 bodies were found jammed against the runway, he said.
Authorities, it was learned, were concentrating upon the spotlights perched high in the corners of the biggest tent in the world belonging to the greatest show on earth, which at the instant the fire broke out were illuminating The Flying Wallendas, a high wire aerial act, in their white, hot glare.
A number of witnesses said the fire first appeared directly above one of the spotlights which were so high they appeared to be almost touching the slanting roof of the tent.
Authorities, it was learned, were concentrating upon the spotlights perched high in the corners of the biggest tent in the world belonging to the greatest show on earth, which at the instant the fire broke out were illuminating The Flying Wallendas, a high wire aerial act, in their white, hot glare.
A number of witnesses said the fire first appeared directly above one of the spotlights which were so high they appeared to be almost touching the slanting roof of the tent.
At first the fire was merely a red spot, tiny in comparison to the great sweeping acres of canvas to which it was an uncontrollable destructive force.
One second later it had grown to the size of the roof of one of the small, white cottages of the typical Connecticut countryside which so many in the audience had left to see a dazzling array of death defying performers and laughing clowns and were never to return.
With an audible swishing sound it raced toward the center poles and 50 feet below 10,000 men and women momentarily went insane, stamping, kicking, and climbing over one another, and, tragically, hundreds of small children occupying as children will at a circus, the very front seats.
It was all over in 15 minutes, that rapidly did the flames spread over the acres of canvas and dump their ashy remnants down to set the tiers of seats on fire.
Then performers and audience alike rushed into the flame-encircled arena to carry out the bodies of the dead, the dying and the injured.
Hartford Fire Department Assignments
1st Alarm - Box 82 - Clark & Westland St. - 2:44 p.m.
#7 900' - 1" nozzle - hydrant front of lot on Barbour Street
3 hours, 17 min. Capt. McDonald - pumper worked.
#2 800' - 1 1/4" nozzle - hydrant front of lot on Barbour Street
2 hours, 5 min. Capt. Kirby - pump used.
#16 1000' - 1 1/4" nozzle - hydrant at 337 Barbour Street
2 hours, 46 min. Capt. Yacavone - pump used.
Truck #3 Lt. Curtin, assisted on lines and rescue work.
Truck #4 Lt. Connors, assisted on lines and rescue work.
2nd Alarm - Box 828 - Barbour Street & Cleveland Ave. - 2:44 p.m.
#14 800' - 1" nozzle - hydrant - off #7 pump in front of circus lot.
1 hour, 41 min. - Capt. Potter
#4 800' - 1" nozzle - off #7 pumper
1 hour, 40 min. - Lieut. Kelliher
#3 450' - 1" nozzle - hydrant 132 Cleveland Avenue
2 hours, 23 min. - Private E.M. Daley
Truck #1 Paul Wychodil - assisted on lines and rescue work - 56 min.
Sent by Headquarters on adjacent box - 2:49 p.m.
#5 1350' - 1" nozzle - hydrant 132 Cleveland Avenue.
2 hours, 27 min. Capt. Griffin.
One second later it had grown to the size of the roof of one of the small, white cottages of the typical Connecticut countryside which so many in the audience had left to see a dazzling array of death defying performers and laughing clowns and were never to return.
With an audible swishing sound it raced toward the center poles and 50 feet below 10,000 men and women momentarily went insane, stamping, kicking, and climbing over one another, and, tragically, hundreds of small children occupying as children will at a circus, the very front seats.
It was all over in 15 minutes, that rapidly did the flames spread over the acres of canvas and dump their ashy remnants down to set the tiers of seats on fire.
Then performers and audience alike rushed into the flame-encircled arena to carry out the bodies of the dead, the dying and the injured.
Hartford Fire Department Assignments
1st Alarm - Box 82 - Clark & Westland St. - 2:44 p.m.
#7 900' - 1" nozzle - hydrant front of lot on Barbour Street
3 hours, 17 min. Capt. McDonald - pumper worked.
#2 800' - 1 1/4" nozzle - hydrant front of lot on Barbour Street
2 hours, 5 min. Capt. Kirby - pump used.
#16 1000' - 1 1/4" nozzle - hydrant at 337 Barbour Street
2 hours, 46 min. Capt. Yacavone - pump used.
Truck #3 Lt. Curtin, assisted on lines and rescue work.
Truck #4 Lt. Connors, assisted on lines and rescue work.
2nd Alarm - Box 828 - Barbour Street & Cleveland Ave. - 2:44 p.m.
#14 800' - 1" nozzle - hydrant - off #7 pump in front of circus lot.
1 hour, 41 min. - Capt. Potter
#4 800' - 1" nozzle - off #7 pumper
1 hour, 40 min. - Lieut. Kelliher
#3 450' - 1" nozzle - hydrant 132 Cleveland Avenue
2 hours, 23 min. - Private E.M. Daley
Truck #1 Paul Wychodil - assisted on lines and rescue work - 56 min.
Sent by Headquarters on adjacent box - 2:49 p.m.
#5 1350' - 1" nozzle - hydrant 132 Cleveland Avenue.
2 hours, 27 min. Capt. Griffin.
SPECTATOR AT CIRCUS TELLS OF PANIC
Pandemonium Comes as Flames Break Out in Circus Tent
Pandemonium Comes as Flames Break Out in Circus Tent
By Edward Bunn
HARTFORD, Conn., July 6 (International News Service) - There were seven in my particular family group at the circus when the flash fire consumed the main tent.
We were sitting in the fourth row from the top tier.
The animal act had just finished, about 15 minutes after the matinee performance began.
We sat back to watch for the next entrance, when suddenly there was a cry of "fire."
Instantly the crowd took up the shout.
Pandemonium broke loose.
Right off the main entrance, a section of the tent about five feet square was ablaze.
While I glanced in the direction of the fire it spread past the main entrance, ever wider and ever upward and within five to six minutes it seemed that the whole main tent was a fiery canvas.
HARTFORD, Conn., July 6 (International News Service) - There were seven in my particular family group at the circus when the flash fire consumed the main tent.
We were sitting in the fourth row from the top tier.
The animal act had just finished, about 15 minutes after the matinee performance began.
We sat back to watch for the next entrance, when suddenly there was a cry of "fire."
Instantly the crowd took up the shout.
Pandemonium broke loose.
Right off the main entrance, a section of the tent about five feet square was ablaze.
While I glanced in the direction of the fire it spread past the main entrance, ever wider and ever upward and within five to six minutes it seemed that the whole main tent was a fiery canvas.
A capacity crowd filled the big tent and thousands rushed toward the main entrance, which by now was being used as the main exit right through the flames.
I'm sure most of the casualties were caused there, for the people trampled over one another.
Circus attendants tried their best to maintain order, but with the big tent fast turning into a fiery shroud it was a case of everyone for himself.
Try as the attendants did, and they really did make an effort to maintain order, there was no holding back the crowd to divert them to better exits where exit would have been more tacile [sic].
By now the canvas behind me had begun to blaze furiously.
I gathered my group about me and we clambered to the top drop from where all of us jumped about 15 feet and squeezed under the guy ropes to safety.
It was a narrow escape for us and I wonder now why others in the upper rows did not attempt the same manner of escape instead of surging around among the thousands in the arena.
I'm sure most of the casualties were caused there, for the people trampled over one another.
Circus attendants tried their best to maintain order, but with the big tent fast turning into a fiery shroud it was a case of everyone for himself.
Try as the attendants did, and they really did make an effort to maintain order, there was no holding back the crowd to divert them to better exits where exit would have been more tacile [sic].
By now the canvas behind me had begun to blaze furiously.
I gathered my group about me and we clambered to the top drop from where all of us jumped about 15 feet and squeezed under the guy ropes to safety.
It was a narrow escape for us and I wonder now why others in the upper rows did not attempt the same manner of escape instead of surging around among the thousands in the arena.
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