List of circus accidents
This list of circus accidents includes deaths and injuries that resulted from circus acts that occurred live or during practice. It includes damage to personnel, animals, and the venue.
1800s
[edit]Massarti the Lion-Tamer
[edit]Thomas Macarte, also known as Massarti the Lion-Tamer, was attacked and killed by lions during a performance in Bolton, England on January 3, 1872. He had lost an arm to his profession the decade prior. When trying to drive the five lions from one end of the ring to the other, they attacked him. Despite others attempting to intervene, the pride would continue to maul him undeterred. He died on the way to the hospital, age 34.[1]
St. Louis Trapeze Accident
[edit]In 1872, well-known trapeze artists Fred Lazelle and Billy Millson fell to the ground after their trapeze mechanism failed, with Millson sustaining probable injuries to his ribs. George North was beneath the trapeze when it collapsed on him, causing internal injuries. None of the three men performed again.[2]
1900s
[edit]Great “Wallace Brothers” Circus Train Disaster
[edit]On August 8, 1903, one train of the Wallace Brothers, part of the Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus, was idle in the yard of Grand Trunk Railway in Durand, Michigan when a second train drove into it. The air brakes failed, causing the train's front to crash into the rear of the first at 15 miles per hour. 23 people were killed and dozens were injured.[3] Several animals died as well.[4]
Otto Kline
[edit]During a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey show at Madison Square Garden on April 21, 1915, champion trick rider Otto Kline attempted his famous leaping act, which involved vaulting over a horse and back again while it ran at top speed, when he lost his grip on his horse's saddle and struck his skull against a box, fracturing it. Otto was rushed to Bellvue Hospital where he died that evening from his injuries.[5]
Red Eldridge and Mary the Elephant
[edit]During the Sparks World Famous Show, Walter "Red" Eldridge was tasked with riding an elephant, Big Mary, to a pond where she could drink. When Mary reached to get a watermelon rind, Eldridge smacked her with a hooked whip.[6] In reaction, Mary curled her trunk around Eldridge's body, slammed him to the ground, and trampled the body.[7] After the incident occurred on September 12, 1916, the town of Kingsport, Tennessee publicly hung the elephant by a crane.[8]
Hammond Circus Train Wreck
[edit]On June 22, 1918, the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus suffered a deadly train accident while traveling to a show in Hammond, Indiana. While the second of the team's trains had pulled off to the side to fix an engineering issue, an empty train used to transport soldiers crashed into five wooden sleeping cars, which ignited a quickly-spreading fire.[9] 86 people died and over 100 were injured, making it one of the worst train wrecks in United States history.[10]
Cleveland Circus Fire
[edit]On August 4, 1942 a fire of unclear origins began in a tent where animals were housed at a Barnum and Bailey Circus performance in Cleveland, Ohio. Over 60 animals were killed or badly burned.[11][12]
Hartford Circus Fire
[edit]Known as one of the worst disasters in the history of Hartford, Connecticut, a fire of unknown cause would erupt during a Barnum & Bailey Circus performance. Unable to get the fire under control and with animal cages blocking the exits, the thousands of attendees panicked and stampeded.[13] In the end, several staff members were convicted for negligence, many survivors suffered physical and mental trauma, and 167 people died.[14]
Niterói circus fire
[edit]The worst fire disaster in Brazilian history occurred in Niterói on December 17, 1961. The flames consumed the nylon tent during a trapeze act and sent the crowd into a panic.[15] Police suspected arson.[16] 503 people died while more than 800 were injured.[17]
Flying Wallendas
[edit]During a performance of the Great Flying Wallendas in Detroit, Michigan on January 30, 1962, two of the seven Wallendas, who were performing a pyramid formation on a high wire, fell to their deaths. The others survived by hanging onto a wire, albeit suffering injuries.[18]
Bangalore circus fire
[edit]The tent of Venus Circus in Bangalore, India caught fire on February 8, 1981.[19] The cause remains unknown, but the fire quickly swept across the tent which then came crashing down onto the crowd of about 4,000. Those who didn't survive were either burned or trampled to death.[20] The disaster claimed 92 lives and injured 300.[21]
Oscar Garcia
[edit]On June 11, 1989, Oscar Garcia was performing on a revolving wheel at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri when he lost his balance and fell 25 feet to the ground, dislocating his left wrist and breaking his right elbow.[22]
2000s
[edit]Eva Garcia
[edit]During a performance at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, England, 38-year-old aerial performer Eva Garcia lost her grip and fell 30 feet to the ground after starting her act, dying on August 8, 2003.[23]
Dessi España
[edit]In St. Paul, Minnesota, 32-year-old Barnum and Bailey Circus performer Dessi España fell 30 feet to her death when a scarf loosened as she was twirling on aerial silks. The show, which took place on May 22, 2004, continued despite her accident.[24]
Sarah Guyard-Guillot
[edit]During a Las Vegas, Nevada performance of Cirque du Soleil's "Kà" on the night of June 29, 2013, 31-year-old Sarah Guyard-Guillot fell 94 feet headfirst to her death after she was hoisted up too quickly, causing the safety wire to detach. The company's investigation found that this was due to insufficient training on the equipment.[25][26]
Providence Hair Hangers
[edit]During an act where performers hang by their hair in a formation like a "human chandelier". The metal frame from which there were hanging detached and the performers fell 25 to 40 feet. They fell onto at least one performer below, causing eleven people in total to be rushed to the hospital. All survived.[27] The Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an investigation into the incident. They found the carabiner was in fine condition, but failed due to overloading.[28]
References
[edit]- ^ "DEATH OF MASSARTI, THE LION TAMER. HORRIBLE SCENE". Queanbeyan Age. 1872-03-21. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "Saturday Evening Mail 17 August 1872 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ "23 KILLED IN A WRECK; Two Sections of a Circus Train Crash at Durand, Mich. Many Persons Injured and One Elephant and Two Camels Dead -- Engineer Says Air Brakes Would Not Work". The New York Times. 1903-08-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "The Great Wallace Brothers Circus Train Disaster". Shiawassee History. May 26, 1904. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "CIRCUS RIDER KILLED IN RING BEFORE 5,000; Otto Kline, Famous for Vaulting Over Back of Running Horse, Thrown Against a Box. LOST GRIP ON SADDLE Suffers Compound Skull Fracture -- Act Repeated at Night with Substitute". The New York Times. 1915-04-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Mchardy, Fiona (2005-10-06), "From Treacherous Wives To Murderous Mothers", Lost Dramas of Classical Athens, Liverpool University Press, pp. 129–150, doi:10.5949/liverpool/9780859897525.003.0008, ISBN 978-0-85989-752-5, retrieved 2024-08-22
- ^ Schroeder, Joan Vannorsdall (2017-06-17). "From The Archive: The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee". Blue Ridge Country. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "The hanging of Mary the elephant: TN town wrestles with legacy of circus animal's death". wbir.com. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Boissoneault, Lorraine. "The Hammond Train Wreck of 1918 Killed Scores of Circus Performers". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ IHB (2022-07-06). "Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus / 1918 Circus Train Wreck". IHB. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "1942 Cleveland circus fire... Ringling Brothers Circus... - RareNewspapers.com". www.rarenewspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Cleveland Police Museum (February 28, 2019). "SKIPPY, THE MORGAN HORSE". Facebook. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "The Hartford Circus Fire - Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project". Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project - Stories about the people, traditions, innovations, and events that make up Connecticut's rich history. 2019-07-06. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Green, Harvey (June 2001). "The Circus Fire: A True Story". The New England Quarterly; Boston. 74 (2): 335–337. doi:10.2307/3185487. JSTOR 3185487. ProQuest 215191412 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "250 Feared Dead After Circus Fire". Eugene Register-Guard. December 18, 1961. p. 1.
- ^ "323 Dead, 600 Injured Calamity Follows Circus Fire". Desert Sun. 18 December 1961. p. 1.
- ^ "50 anos do incêndio circo Norte Americano". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Zurowski, Monica (Jan 30, 2024). "Tragic falls and dizzying heights: The Wallenda tragedy, 62 years ago today". Calgary Herald.
- ^ "Venus Circus tragedy and the rings of fire". The Times of India. 2020-02-16. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Ap (1981-02-09). "Death Toll Raised to 66 In Fire at Circus in India". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Das, R. A. P. (1983-09-01). "1981 Circus fire disaster in Bangalore, India: Causes, management of burn patients and possible presentation". Burns. 10 (1): 17–29. doi:10.1016/0305-4179(83)90123-7. ISSN 0305-4179. PMID 6640383.
- ^ "Circus performer stable after fall - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Thompson, Tony (2003-08-09). "Performer dies in circus fall". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "Circus performer dies after fall during show". NBC News. 2004-05-23. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Trueman, Matt (2013-10-31). "Cirque du Soleil fined £15,600 for death of acrobat in Las Vegas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Gross, Michael Joseph (2015-05-29). "Life and Death at Cirque du Soleil". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "Several circus acrobats injured during show in Rhode Island - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Ayub, Mohammad (October 2014). "Investigation of the May 4, 2014 incident at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance in Providence, RI" (PDF). Occupational Safety and Health Administration.