A DAY AT THE CIRCUS

What was it like for a little boy at the Great Hartford Circus ire!
I" #$%% I was the fi&e'year'old so" of the Co"(re(atio"al )i"ister i" *ortla"d+ Co"",+ a
s)all tow" #- )iles south of Hartford, Dow" the street fro) our .arso"a(e li&ed a /-'
year'old Su"day school teacher+ Ruth Ca).bell+ who drea)ed u. fu" thi"(s for us
.reacher0s kids that would"0t occur to our hi(h')i"ded .are"ts,
Ruthie+ who li&ed with her )other a"d ste.father+ hatched a .la" to take )e a"d a boy
"e1t door to the circus i" Hartford o" 2uly 3, The "ei(hbor boy0s )other decli"ed the
i"&itatio" because her so" was too you"(, Ruthie the" i"&ited a" older boy+ 4ill Co"kli"+
whose father ow"ed the dru(store where she te"ded the soda fou"tai",
I" the weeks before the circus+ )y .are"ts .ro)ised a Sur.rise 4i( Treat if I was a (ood
boy, I could ear" (old stars by clea"i"( )y .late+ brushi"( )y teeth a"d hel.i"( )y
)other, I ear"ed .le"ty of (old stars+ but I resisted (oi"( to the circus without )y
.are"ts+ which )y )other later attributed to .re)o"itio" rather tha" a"1iety,
5y first recollectio" of the fateful day is sitti"( o" the fro"t law" of the .arso"a(e
waiti"( for a car dri&e" by Ruthie0s .i.e's)oki"( ste.father+ who) we k"ew as *o., The
2uly su" was already be(i""i"( to dis.el the shade'filled cool of early )or"i"(, The .arty
fi"ally arri&ed+ a"d I cli)bed i"to the back seat with Ruthie a"d 4ill,
6ur ride fro) *ortla"d to Hartford was u"e&e"tful+ e1ce.t for the crowded back seat,
After .arki"( "ear the circus area+ we walked alo"( a dirt .ath throu(h woods a"d a
)eadow u"til we e"tered a (ate leadi"( to a field of te"ts,
We had little ti)e i" what was left of the )or"i"( to &iew all the attractio"s, I do"0t
re)e)ber seei"( a"y of the sideshows+ but I do recall touri"( the a"i)al ca(es a"d
s)elli"( the odor of hay+ sweat a"d .oo., We sto..ed at a sou&e"ir sta"d+ a"d I chose a
toy whi. that I s"a..ed throu(hout the after"oo",
After waiti"( i" the hot su" to e"ter the bi( te"t+ we we"t i"side to our seats, I was
7uickly fasci"ated by the circus acts a"d lost )y a"1iety about the tri., I "e&er "oticed
the lick of fla)e that cli)bed u. the side of the te"t+ causi"( .a"ic a)o"( the o"lookers,
4ill scooted .ast )y k"ees toward the e1it+ but I re)ai"ed ri&eted to )y seat, *o. be(a"
(esturi"( i" the sa)e directio" a"d ur(i"( )e to ru", Whe" I did"0t res.o"d+ he sho&ed
)e alo"( to a woode" raili"( o&erlooki"( the e1it, He the" .icked )e u. a"d dro..ed )e
o&er the side,
The dista"ce fro) the raili"( to the (rou"d was"0t (reat+ but I would"0t ha&e 8u).ed o"
)y ow", I la"ded o" )y ha"ds a"d k"ees o" so)e lo"( boards a"d 7uickly scra)bled to
)y feet, I 8oi"ed the crowd )o&i"( out throu(h the fla.s of the e1it+ which had bee"
o.e"ed earlier by circus atte"da"ts,
5y relief at esca.i"( a" u"k"ow" da"(er 7uickly e&a.orated as I looked i" &ai" for a
fa)iliar face i" the crowd, I rushed arou"d cryi"(+ 95o))y: 5o))y:; Thi"ki"( I
)i(ht "e&er be fou"d+ I .icked out a "ice'looki"( lady who could ser&e as )y "ew
)other, 4efore I could tu( at the wo)a"0s dress+ Ruthie (ras.ed )y ha"d a"d hel.ed )e
dry )y tears a"d blow )y "ose, To(ether we s7uee<ed i" a"d out of (rou.s of .eo.le+
searchi"( for her .are"ts,
*o. had 8u).ed fro) the sta"ds+ a"d Ruthie0s )other followed, She had falle" dow"
u.o" la"di"( a"d bee" ste..ed o" by the 8ostli"( )ob 8a))i"( the e1it, She 8oi"ed *o.
after they ca)e outside+ a"d they fou"d Ruthie a"d )e, 4ill had already .roceeded to the
.arki"( lot without difficulty,
We 8oi"ed a lo"( .arade of )e"+ wo)e" a"d childre" )o&i"( toward the .arki"( area,
Eyes tur"ed away fro) the dirt .ath to the fla)es a"d s)oke risi"( skyward fro) the
doo)ed te"t, I was afraid the i"fer"o would 7uickly co"su)e the te"t+ tra&el swiftly
across the )eadow a"d de&our us all i" o"e )i(hty swoo., 4ut the .ath took us throu(h
trees that blocked our &iew of the te"t+ a"d our co"cer" the" shifted toward (etti"( ho)e,
Eddies of choki"( dust s.ewed fro) the tires of su"'baked cars as we e"tered the .arki"(
lot, 4ill was sta"di"( by our locked car+ as e1.ected, *o. fished i" his .ockets for his car
keys without success, Howe&er+ the old car had a" au1iliary starter that did"0t re7uire a"
i("itio" key, If o"ly we could (et i"side the doors+ the day would be sa&ed,
6"e of the car0s side wi"dows was o.e" about two or three i"ches, I"side the o..osite
door was a .ushed'dow" door lock that could be .ulled u. by a stick .oked throu(h the
o.e" wi"dow, *o. )ade "u)erous frustrati"( atte).ts before o.e"i"( the door, 6"ce
the car started+ we waited e&e" lo"(er i" li"e for other late'de.arti"( cars fi"di"( their
way o"to the streets of Hartford,
At ho)e i" *ortla"d+ it had bee" a hot after"oo", I"side the .arso"a(e the shades were
draw" to kee. the roo)s cool, If )y .are"ts tur"ed o" the radio+ they would ha&e heard
re.orts of casualties fro) the circus fire, Howe&er+ they were outside worki"( i" our
warti)e &ictory (arde", They did "otice "ei(hbors asse)bli"( i" the back yard "e1t door
for what they later lear"ed was debate o&er "otifyi"( the) of the fire,
As su..erti)e drew "ear+ the circus'(oers had"0t retur"ed, 5y )other heard the .ho"e
ri"( i" the .arso"a(e a"d hurried i"side, 9There has bee" a fire u. here+ but we (ot out all
ri(ht+; Ruth said o" the .ho"e, 9All of us are all ri(ht,;
I occasio"ally describe )yself as a sur&i&or of the Great Hartford Circus ire+ althou(h I
(ot off &ery li(htly, I was"0t bur"ed or i"8ured or directly threate"ed by the s)oke a"d
fire, 5y o"e )o)e"t of .a"ic occurred whe" I lost co"tact with the adults i" our .arty,
E&e" )y .are"ts were s.ared+ lear"i"( of the fire o"ly whe" told we were safe,
4ut the fury of those lea.i"( fla)es+ see" briefly fro) a dista"ce+ caused )e for weeks
afterward to draw .ictures of the 4i( To. destroyed by fire,
I )our" the #3= adults a"d childre" who .erished i" the bla<e a"d .ity the dead
childre"0s .are"ts+ who are "ow likely dead as well, I0) >- )yself a"d ca" o"ly
s.eculate as to how )a"y years I ha&e left, 4efore lo"( there will be "o o"e ali&e with
first'ha"d )e)ories of the Great Hartford Circus ire,
Ste.he" Cla..
2efferso"to"+ ?ir(i"ia