July 6, 1944: A deadly fire breaks out during a performance of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut.
World War II had affected every American industry, including circuses. There were shortages of personnel and equipment. As a result, accidents had become more common. A 1942 fire had killed several Ringling Brothers animals.
On July 5, 1944, the circus arrived in Hartford, by train as was their tradition, but so late that, of their two shows scheduled for that day, one had to be canceled. In circus superstition, missing a show is considered extremely bad luck. Nevertheless, the show they did put on that night went off without a hitch.
The next day, a performance was scheduled for 2:15 PM. The temporary stands inside the big top could seat 9,000 spectators, and it is believed that 7,000 were on hand for this show. The tent's canvas had been coated with 1,800 pounds of paraffin wax dissolved in 6,000 gallons of gasoline -- at the time, a common method of waterproofing, but dangerous. A person could exit the tent by a main entrance or eight smaller exits. However, as it turned out, many of the alternative exists were blocked by circus wagons or other items.
While the show was transitioning from a performance by the lions to one by the Flying Wallendas, the already-famous trapeze act, circus bandleader Merle Evans saw the beginning of the fire. He told the band to play "The Stars and Stripes Forever," known among circus people as a distress signal. Ringmaster Fred Branda took to the microphone, and told the audience to leave in an orderly fashion. But he could not be heard, as the fire had already shorted out the power.
The wind and the wax led to the fire spreading quickly. Many people were burned by the melting wax, dripping from the roof. Within eight minutes, the tent collapsed, trapping hundreds of people. Emmett Kelly, the world's most famous clown, was photographed carrying a bucket of water, to try to put out some flames, and appeared to be crying. The day became known as "The Day the Clown Cried."
Kelly survived the fire. So did all of the Wallendas who were then performing. So did Eunice Groark, then 6 years old, who went on to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut in 1990. So did Harold Belsky, then 15 and living in Hartford. He had been born in nearby Holyoke, Massachusetts, and, under the name Hal Blaine, went on to become one of the greatest drummers of all time, particularly admired for his work with Phil Spector's "Wrecking Crew." (Blaine claimed in his memoir that he was the most-recorded musician of all time, and that he had the W-2 forms to prove it.)
Another survivor was Charles Nelson Reilly, then 13 and living in Hartford. Although he became an actor, famous for his comedic roles in Broadway musicals (he won a Tony Award for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), on the TV sitcom The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and as a panelist on Match Game, and also as a theater director, he refused to ever be a spectator in a theater, because it brought back memories of the fire.
The people who survived but with burns or other injures numbered over 700. The number who did not survive varies, depending on the source, but is usually cited as 168, the same number that would die in the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. While there were lawsuits for negligence, no one was ever criminally charged with starting the fire, and its cause is still unknown.
Today, Wish Elementary School is on the site, on Barbour and Kensington Streets in Hartford's North End. A memorial to the victims is on the school grounds.
In 1976, I attended the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden. It remains my only attendance at a circus -- not out of fear, but because the idea of going back simply hasn't ever interested me.
By the 21st Century, declining attendance and increasing accusations of animal abuse led to the decline of the Ringling operation. In 2017, they announced they were closing up shop, and launched a final tour. They appeared in Hartford, at the XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center) on April 30, and gave their final show at the Nassau Coliseum on May 21. After 146 years, it was all over. The company that owns the rights to the Ringling operation announced in 2022 that, without animals, the circus will resume in Autumn 2023.
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July 6, 1944 was a Thursday. It was also the day the film Double Indemnity premiered. I have a separate entry for that event.
These baseball games were played that day:
* The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-0 at Yankee Stadium. Hank Borowy pitched a 4-hit shutout to beat Mel Harder.
* The New York Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-1 at Sportsman's Park in St. Loius.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 10-4 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 13-3 at Fenway Park in Boston.
* The St. Louis Browns beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-0 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Bob Muncrief pitched a 4-hit shoutout.
* The Washington Senators beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-0 at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Mickey Haefner pitched a 4-hit shutout.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
* And the Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Braves, 11-6 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
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