240 - Fire Under the Big Top

One of the worst fires in US history occurred on July 6, 1944 in Hartford, Connecticut.  The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus had just arrived in town and set up for their first performance at 2:15.  Since it was midday, during the work week the crowd consisted of a large number of women and children, excited to see the circus after their parade from the train station.  During the performance a fire broke out and the big top which had been waterproofed with flammable materials quickly went up, killing at least 167 people and injuring 700.  We discuss the events of that day and the resulting difficulty of identifying several of the victims.