The Circus Fire
The Circus Fire

Author: Stewart O'Nan

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2008-12-10

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0307482987

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The acclaimed author of Emily, Alone and Henry, Himself brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism—the great Hartford circus fire of 1944. It was a midsummer afternoon, halfway through a Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus performance, when the big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds it was burning out of control. More than 8,000 people were trapped inside, and the ensuing disaster would eventually take 167 lives. Steward O'Nan brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of the great Hartford circus fire of 1944. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, O'Nan skillfully re-creates the horrific events and illuminates the psychological oddities of human behavior under stress: the mad scramble for the exits; the perilous effort to maneuver animals out of danger; the hero who tossed dozens of children to safety before being trampled to death. Brilliantly constructed and exceptionally moving, The Circus Fire is history at its most compelling.

The Hartford Circus Fire
The Hartford Circus Fire

Author: Michael Skidgell

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2019-04-08

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 1625845227

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Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors and a gripping collection of vintage photographs, author Michael Skidgell attempts to make sense of one of Hartford's worst tragedies. Almost 7,000 fans eagerly packed into the Ringling Brothers big top on July 6, 1944. With a single careless act, an afternoon at the "Greatest Show on Earth" quickly became one of terror and tragedy as the paraffin-coated circus tent caught fire. Panicked crowds rushed for the few exits, but in minutes, the tent collapsed on those still struggling to escape below. A total of 168 lives were lost, many of them children, with many more injured and forever scarred by the events. Hartford and the surrounding communities reeled in the aftermath as investigators searched for the source of the fire and the responsible parties.

LIFE
LIFE

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1950-07-17

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13:

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LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

Women and Children First
Women and Children First

Author: Donald H. Roy

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13:

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Twenty-three days after the horrible Hartford circus fire, July 6, 1944, I was born in Hartford, Connecticut. My mother and aunt lived but 700 feet from the circus grounds. Growing up so close to the circus grounds caused me to be haunted by this fire, which no one spoke about much and no one adequately explained. In the 1980s, I began some research on the circus fire and eventually discovered a unique way of retelling this fire's long story. First and foremost, remember the personal characteristics of those who died, then read the documentary account of the fire over the years, and in the process consider this author's reflective commentary. Starting in the late 1980s, I began writing public policy dialogues, which turned into five books: Dialogues in American Politics, Public Policy Dialogues, Reuniting America: Eleven Multicultural Dialogues, The Dialogic Resurgence of Public Intellectuals, and State Governments: Institutions and Issues. My preferred way of writing is dialogic, since in politics there are always many different, compelling voices and perspectives to consider. In this circus fire book, there is a dialogue between the documentary evidence (the many voices) and my own commentary. Growing up a New Englander puts me in that tradition of seeking public accountability, thus the underlying, persistent theme of this book.

A Matter of Degree
A Matter of Degree

Author: Don Massey

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781930601246

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A MATTER OF DEGREE, bound in a high-quality hardcover first edition, is a haunting tale of personal loss and public controversy, a superior work of narrative nonfiction filled with passion, purpose and poetic imagery. Don Massey humanizes history by placing a dedicated fireman's spiritual quest for an unknown and unclaimed child against the backdrop of a public tragedy.

Cleveland's Greatest Disasters!
Cleveland's Greatest Disasters!

Author: John Stark Bellamy

Publisher: Gray & Company

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1598510584

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Recounts sixteen of the most tragic disasters in the history of Cleveland, Ohio, including the Ashtabula Bridge disaster, the Cleveland Clinic fire, and the Terminal Tower tragedy, among others.

LIFE
LIFE

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1962-06-29

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13:

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LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

The Great Fire of Rome
The Great Fire of Rome

Author: Joseph J. Walsh

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2019-10-01

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 1421433729

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A thrilling and momentous account of the Great Fire of Rome and how a modern city arose from its embers. Peril was everywhere in ancient Rome, but the Great Fire of 64 CE was unlike anything the city had ever experienced. No building, no neighborhood, no person was safe from conflagration. When the fire finally subsided—after burning for nine days straight—vast swaths of Rome were in ruins. The greatest city of the ancient world had endured its greatest blow. In The Great Fire of Rome, Joseph J. Walsh tells the true story of this deadly episode in Rome's history. He explains why Rome was such a vulnerable tinderbox, outlines the difficulties of life in that exciting and dangerous city, and recounts the fire's aftermath and legacy—a legacy that includes the transformation of much of ancient Rome into a modern city. Situating the fire within the context of other perils that residents of Rome faced, including frequent flooding, pollution, crime, and dangerously shoddy construction, he highlights the firefighting technology of the period and examines the ways in which the city's architecture and planning contributed to the severity of the blaze. Introducing readers to the grim realities of life in that overwhelming and overwhelmed city while chronicling its later glories, The Great Fire of Rome is grounded in the latest scholarship on fire analysis and forensics. Walsh's multifaceted analysis, balanced insights, and concise, accessible prose make this book a versatile teaching tool. Readers interested in ancient (and modern) Rome, urban life, and civic disasters, among other things, will be fascinated by this book.

Fire on the Rim
Fire on the Rim

Author: Stephen J. Pyne

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2016-06-01

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 0295805226

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In this lively account of one [fire] season, Pyne introduces us to the tightly knit world of a fire crew, to the complex geography of the North Rim, to the technique and changing philosophy of fire management.Publishers Weekly

Case Studies in Disaster Response and Emergency Management
Case Studies in Disaster Response and Emergency Management

Author: Nicolas A. Valcik

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-04-28

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 1315459361

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Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Rio de Janeiro Floods and Mudslides, Brazil, 2011 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Item of Note -- 5. Case Studies: Disasters from Natural Forces: Tornadoes -- Natchez Tornado, Mississippi, 1840 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Stage 4 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Item of Note -- Goliad Tornado, Texas, 1902 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Item of Note -- Tri-state Tornado, 1925 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Item of Note -- Sinking of the MV Dong Fang Zhi Xing, Yangtze River, China, 2015 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- 6. Case Studies: Disasters from Natural Forces: Earthquakes and Volcanoes -- San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Stage 4 -- Stage 5 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Aleutian Islands Earthquake, 1946 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Great Chilean Earthquake, 1960 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Good Friday Earthquake, Alaska, 1964 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Mount St. Helens Eruption, Washington, 1980 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Sichuan Earthquake, China, 2008 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Haiti Earthquake, 2010 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note -- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, Japan, 2011 -- Stage 1 -- Stage 2 -- Stage 3 -- Key Issues Raised by the Case Study -- Items of Note