In the photograph above you can see the fear in their eyes and you can see the panic that the fire brought that fateful day. The circus fans are running for their lives and not even thinking twice about it. With so many people that attended the circus that day it created utter chaos within the circus grounds. Families and friends were separated from each other and it added more fuel the chaotic fire. The
photo was used in an article published by the Huffington Post Newspaper under the Huffpost Crime section in 2011. It discussed new evidence that had come to light so many years later in regards to the cause of the fire. The initial cause was reported to have been from a cigarette that was improperly disposed. Yet, years after investigation, a man named Robert Dale Segee admitted to setting the fire to the Ringling Bros. tent. It was not until 1993 when the case was re-opened for investigation that it was discovered that Segee may not have set the fire after all. It is still unknown to this day what caused the fire, but it was clear from evidence that it could not have been arsenal. This photo was used in this article to portray the utter fear it placed upon so many lives. To remind us that precious lives were taken from this world and to remind us of those that survived. It captures the complete essence of the fire's destruction on July 6, 1944. (Lohr)
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On July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut nearly 7,000 people attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus, and 167 of them never left. It is surprising that there was not a larger death toll based on how many people attended the circus that day. There was a huge panic when the fire erupted and you can imagine their fear as they tried to escape to safety. There were children searching for their parents and parents searching for their children. Although records state that there were 167 lives lost, there was technically a 168th body found but it was not that of one person. There were numerous body parts found belonging to different people so it could not be defined as the 168th body found. Among the body parts there was "1 left foor of a 10 year old child: 1 adult left foot: 1 scalp with brown hair, brain attached: 1 adult left hand; and 1 adult left foot" (Unknown Parts). In addition, among the bodies found, there were numerous bodies that remained unidentified. There were also a few of the injured people that later died due to complications they suffered from the fire. 
"From the Archives - The Hartford Circus Fire -."
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Charles Nelson Reilly
At just the age of 13 years old, Charles Nelson Reilly experienced one of the most tragic disasters to ever hit Conecticutt. He attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus with a friend. He went to the circus against his mothers wishes, and when she caught him she yelled "I hope the place burns to the ground" (). Ironically so. When the fire started and they needed to get out, they were able to escape through a slit in the tent. That slit saved their lives that day and Reilly grew up to be a famous actor and comedian. He told his story in a comedic fashion but still captured the ultimate fear it raised. |
Mary Wallace Bushnell
Mary Wallace Bushnell was just 10 years old when she and 9 others attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus. It was such a hot day that she fainted waiting in line for tickets. She was taken outside by her mother to get some fresh air before taking their seats in the tent. Bushnell remembers being "mesmerized by it, until [she] felt the heel of [her] shoes being tugged from below" (). She and her group were able to exit the tent through a slit a man was creating in the tent. They all survived, although they became separated, they all survived the tragic fire. The images seen that fateful day cannot be erased and a boy that attended with Bushnell stated "[he] saw a body placed in the trunk of a car" (). It is a day that will never be forgotten and Bushnell even wrote an article on the fire which was published in "Hartford Courant" (). The article was titled "A Visit to the Circus" and can be found at http://www.circusfire1944.com/uploads/1/3/8/6/13863860/a_visit_to_the_circus.pdf . |
Steven Lerman
For his 5th birthday, Steven Lerman's mother, Maxine, took he and his brother, Harvey, to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus. They were sitting in the crowd when they heard someone yell "fire" (). Immediately Maxine thought to jump below their seats to escape as quickly as possible. They were able to escape through a slit in the tent that someone else had made thankfully. Lerman remembers running straight through the woods and then realized that "[his] brother was not with [them]" (). Both he and his mother went back to the circus grounds in search of Harvey, where they found him watching the firefighters put out the blaze. They survived. To this day, Steven Lerman's tells people that the best birthday gift he ever received was " when my mother took my brother and me to the circus and we all survived when the circus burnt down with over 160 people dying. No one has ever beaten that" (). |
