Draft:List of fatal circus accidents

This list of circus accidents includes deaths and injuries that resulted from circus acts. They may have occurred live or during practice. It includes damage to personnel, animals, and the venue.

1800s

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Massarti the Lion-Tamer

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Thomas Macarte, also known as Massarti the Lion-Tamer was attacked and killed by lions during a performance in Bolton, England. He had lost an arm to his profession the decade prior. Already nervous about performing he gave his final performance on January 3, 1872. When trying to drive the five lions from one end of the ring to the other, they attacked him. Despite others attempting to intervene continued to tear into him. He died on the way to the hospital, age 34.[1]

St. Louis Trapeze Accident

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In 1872, well-known trapeze artists Fred Lazelle and Billy Millson fell to the ground after their trapeze mechanism failed. Millson likely broke 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

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Great “Wallace Brothers” Circus Train Disaster

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On August 8, 1903, one train of the Wallace Brothers was idle in the yard of Grand Trunk Railway in Durand, Michigan 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

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During a Barnum & Bailey show, on April 21, 1915, champion trick rider Otto Kine died in front of five thousand people in Madison Square Garden.[5] He lost his grip on his horse's saddle and struck his skull against a box, fracturing it. He was attempting his famous leaping act, vaulting over the horse and back again while it ran at top speed.[6]

Red Eldridge and Mary the Elephant

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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.[7] In reaction, Mary curled her trunk around Eldridge's body, slammed him to the ground, and trampled the body.[8] After the incident occurred on September 12, 1916, the town of Kingsport, Tennessee publicly hung the elephant by a crane.[9]

Hammond Circus Train Wreck

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On June 22, 1918, the famous Hagenbeck-Wallace team suffered a horrific train accident while traveling to a show in Hammond, Indiana. The second of the team's trains pulled off to the side to fix an engineering issue and left five cars, including four that were wooden sleepers, on the main track. An empty train used to transport soldiers cam barreling down the main track. It crashed into the five cars and ignited a quickly-spreading fire.[10] 86 people died and over 100 were injured.[11]

Cleveland Circus Fire

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The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus came to Cleveland, Ohio and disaster struck.[12] A fire of unclear origins began in the tent where the animals were housed. Over 60 animals were killed or badly burned.[13]

Hartford Circus Fire

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Known as one of the worst disaster's in the history of Hartford Connecticut, the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus had another fire on July 6, 1944. While it's unclear exactly what happened, it's likely that someone tossed a cigarette near the tent canvas which immediately caught fire. Unable to get the fire under control and animal cages blocking the exits, the thousands of attendees panicked and stampeded.[14] In the end, several staff members were convicted for negligence, many survivors suffered physical and mental trauma, and 167 people died.[15]

Flying Wallendas

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A long-running family circus act, the Great Flying Wallendas continue to impress stages around the world.[16] During a performance in Detroit, Michigan on Jan. 30, 1962, two of the seven Wallendas performing a pyramid formation on a high wire fell to their deaths. The others survived by hanging onto a wire, but suffered injuries.[17]

Oscar Garcia

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On June 11, 1989, Oscar Garcia was performing on a revolving wheel when he lost his balance. In front of 35,000 people at Busch Stadium, he fell 25 feet to the ground, dislocated his left wrist, and broke his right elbow.[18]

2000s

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Eva Garcia

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During a performance at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom, aerial performer Eva Garcia lost her grip and fell. Despite her decades of experience, she plunged 30ft to the ground after starting her act, dying at the age of 38 on August 8, 2003.[19]

Dessi España

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In St. Paul, Minnesota, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performer Dessi España fell 30ft to her death. Twirling on aerial silks, a scarf loosened and the 32-year-old fell onto the concrete floor. The show, which took placeo on May 22, 2004, continued despite her accident.[20]

Sarah Guyard-Guillot

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During a Las Vegas performance of Cirque du Soleil's "Ka", 31-year-old Sarah Guyard-Guillot died. She was hoiseted up too quickly, causing the safety wire to detach. The company's investigation found that this was due to insufficient training on the equipment.[21] On the night of June 29, 2013, Guyard-Guillot fell 94ft, head first, to her death.[22]

Providence Hair Hangers

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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.[23] 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.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "DEATH OF MASSARTI, THE LION TAMER. HORRIBLE SCENE. - Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904) - 21 Mar 1872". Trove. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  2. ^ "10 Most Horrific Circus Accidents In History". Listverse. 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  3. ^ "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 2024-08-21.
  4. ^ "1903 — Aug 7, Brake fails, Wallace Circus trains collide, Grand Trunk RR, Durand, MI–26". shiawasseehistory.com. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  5. ^ "Otto A.E. "Otto Kline" Kreinbrink". Find a Grave. May 1, 1915.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ Howard, Krissy (2016-10-11). "The Tragic Tale Of Murderous Mary, A Circus Elephant Hanged By A Tennessee Town". All That's Interesting. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Boissoneault, Lorraine. "The Hammond Train Wreck of 1918 Killed Scores of Circus Performers". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  11. ^ IHB (2022-07-06). "Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus / 1918 Circus Train Wreck". IHB. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  12. ^ "1942 Cleveland circus fire... Ringling Brothers Circus... - RareNewspapers.com". www.rarenewspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  13. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "The Circus Fire: A True Story - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  16. ^ "CELEBRATING 8 GENERATIONS OF CIRCUS ARTISTRY". The Flying Wallendas.
  17. ^ Zurowski, Monica (Jan 30, 2024). "Tragic falls and dizzying heights: The Wallenda tragedy, 62 years ago today". Calgary Herald.
  18. ^ "Circus performer stable after fall - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  19. ^ Thompson, Tony (2003-08-09). "Performer dies in circus fall". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  20. ^ "Circus performer dies after fall during show". NBC News. 2004-05-23. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Gross, Michael Joseph (2015-05-29). "Life and Death at Cirque du Soleil". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  23. ^ "Several circus acrobats injured during show in Rhode Island - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  24. ^ 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.