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#Post#: 3751--------------------------------------------------
HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford circ
us fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:14 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/nqqkL0i.jpg
Deceased is one of the unidentified victims from the Hartford
Circus Fire on July 6, 1944
#Post#: 3752--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:16 pm
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HTML https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/59502?nav
HTML https://i.imgur.com/CKEwr5T.png
Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP59502Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found
July 6, 1944
Location Found
Hartford, Connecticut
Estimated Age Range
30-50 Years
Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number
--
ME/C Case Number
2109
Demographics
Sex
Female
Race / Ethnicity
White / Caucasian
Estimated Age Group
Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years)
30-50
Estimated Year of Death
1944
Estimated PMI
--
Height
5' 1"-5' 5"(61-65 inches) , Estimated
Weight
148-150 lbs, Estimated
Circumstances
Type
Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found
July 6, 1944
NamUs Case Created
August 19, 2019
ME/C QA Reviewed
--
Location Found Map
General Location
Barbour Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06102
County
Hartford County
GPS Coordinates
--
Circumstances of Recovery
Deceased one of the unidentified victims of the Hartford Circus
Fire on July 6, 1944
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains
--
Condition of Remains
Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Physical Description
Hair Color
Brown
Head Hair Description
Light brown/blonde hair
Body Hair Description
--
Facial Hair Description
--
Left Eye Color
Unknown
Right Eye Color
Unknown
Eye Description
--
Distinctive Physical Features
No Information Entered
Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing Pink pants
heavy laced spencer corset
tan rayon socks On the Body
Investigating Agencies
Connecticut Office of Chief Medical Examiner
(860) 679-3980
Agency Case Number
2109
#Post#: 3753--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:17 pm
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[img]
HTML https://www.google.com/maps/vt/data=czh4YDjMjAloduYtDCNtMy88EIrL2r64SQyQVXGCCs53K4uroiRadFL7cZUBl5Ge7sF-UfHAY1Ra0blD7kZSJ2uFZaXwObCIrqUYWWfd_5xBV-nC03coH5GaIc0N14TsmUeO2Asl94ZT1YYEu0MLcwwGUP66Oc7tyNEHGz9rnUNrGT30lzoZ7Z0InxxkKSlgWBoTbYOzuB9XXANSgr8gfnHAQe344dIJsVDEytT_NkeTkMWQs5bld5B82838b2dvEnL-qDf7S5IB4fODNjvuZFc3HJ4wqCLkQq183g[/img]
Hartford
Connecticut
#Post#: 3754--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:18 pm
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[img]
HTML https://www.google.com/maps/vt/data=dwNmZRqUnJK92gjgXqtjgP49LQYHUdbM5SDAxHibj7n0RzQVZBXwqr1qi_ZEjuhWjNenqLXsPDXCbFjEI3gAgDuGp-LuOvq2A3eZgNuwfQI8TXVLepYMKU9qH6jFRf3HSu9pjoqpGsncUZDmea6-bHuPrY9tbsx_Y_SkBAoCLuAd1HtptGfnAFV2lnvFBFXQ7XW4j-6OO9eDyJYTAGo11ZgTe-0R1rzVUClyeIlHy02bYSaZIC7nCLiK3vSaCaJWeAv_O0U36yJHBO68nMtb4sep[/img]
Barbour St
Hartford, CT 06120
#Post#: 3755--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:19 pm
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HTML http://www.circusfire1944.com/memorials.html
The Hartford Circus Fire ~ July 6, 1944
Memorials
HTML https://i.imgur.com/SrenopF.jpg
Hartford Circus Fire Memorial
The completed memorial has been erected at the site of the
circus fire, behind the Wish School at 350 Barbour Street in
Hartford, Connecticut, and was dedicated on July 6, 2005. The
memorial consists of several bronze plaques that describe what
was happening at specific times during the fire. The center
plaque sits exactly where the center ring of the bigtop was on
July 6, 1944, and has the names of each victim of the circus
fire embossed on it.
Hartford Circus Fire Memorial at Northwood Cemetery
A memorial was erected at the Northwood Cemetery in Windsor,
Connecticut, and is inscribed as follows: "This plot of Ground
consecrated by the City of Hartford as a Resting Place for three
adults and three children who lost their lives in the Circus
Fire. July 6, 1944. Their identity known but to God."
HTML https://i.imgur.com/LLtK5og.jpg
The Frank Bradley Memorial
Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company
This granite and bronze sculpture commemorating Simsbury
firefighters is named after the first fire company member to
die. Frank Bradley and his wife Helen were victims of the
Hartford Circus Fire in 1944, just days after the formation of
the fire company.
Consisting of a cast bronze helmet on top of a six-sided granite
sculpture, each of the six sides of the memorial represents one
of the fire stations in town. A bell from the department’s old
ladder truck inside the sculpture is rung at the annual memorial
service. The surrounding Memorial Walkway honors deceased fire
company members who achieved honorary life status and those who
died while an active fire company member.
Hartford Circus Fire Virtual Cemetery
www.findagrave.com
Find A Grave members collect and publish information and
photographs of burial markers, including a virtual cemetery of
the victims of the circus fire.
#Post#: 3756--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:21 pm
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HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_circus_fire
Hartford circus fire
The Hartford circus fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944, in
Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in
United States history.[1] The fire occurred during an afternoon
performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
that was attended by 6,000 to 8,000 people. The fire killed 167
people[2] and more than 700 were injured.
Background
In mid-20th century America, a typical circus traveled from town
to town by train, performing under a huge canvas tent commonly
called a "big top". The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Circus was no exception: what made it stand out was that it was
the largest circus in the country. Its big top could seat 9,000
spectators around its three rings; the tent's canvas had been
coated with 1,800 pounds (820 kg) of paraffin wax dissolved in
6,000 US gallons (23,000 l) of gasoline, a common waterproofing
method of the time.[2]
The circus had been experiencing shortages of personnel and
equipment as a result of the United States' involvement in World
War II. Delays and malfunctions in the ordinarily smooth order
of the circus had become commonplace; on August 4, 1942, a fire
had broken out in the menagerie, killing a number of animals.
When the circus arrived in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 5,
1944, the trains were so late that one of the two shows
scheduled for that day had been canceled.[3] In circus
superstition, missing a show is considered extremely bad luck,
and although the July 5, 1944 evening show ran as planned, many
circus employees may have been on their guard, half-expecting an
emergency or catastrophe.[4]
The next day was a Thursday; the crowd at the afternoon
performance was dominated by women and children.[2] The size of
the audience that day has never been established with certainty,
but the best estimate is about 7,000
The fire began as a small flame after the lions performed, on
the southwest sidewall of the tent, while the Great Wallendas
were performing. Circus bandleader Merle Evans was said to have
been the first to spot the flames, and immediately directed the
band to play "The Stars and Stripes Forever", the tune that
traditionally signaled distress to all circus personnel.[6]
Ringmaster Fred Bradna urged the audience not to panic and to
leave in an orderly fashion, but the power failed and he could
not be heard. Bradna and the ushers unsuccessfully tried to
maintain some order as the panicked crowd tried to flee the big
top.
The only animals in the big top at the time were the big cats
trained by May Kovar and Joseph Walsh that had just finished
performing when the fire started. The big cats were herded
through the chutes leading from the performing cages to several
cage wagons, and were unharmed except for a few minor burns.
Though most spectators were able to escape the fire, many people
were caught up in the hysteria. Witnesses said some simply ran
around in circles trying to find their loved ones, rather than
trying to escape from the burning tent. Some escaped but ran
back inside to look for family members. Others stayed in their
seats until it was too late, assuming that the fire would be put
out promptly. Because at least two of the exits were blocked by
the chutes used to bring the show's big cats in and out of the
tent, people trying to escape could not bypass them.
The cause of the fire remains unresolved. Investigators at the
time believed it was caused by a carelessly flicked cigarette;
however, others suspected an arsonist. Several years later,
while being investigated on other arson charges, Robert Dale
Segee (1929–1997), who was an adolescent at the time, confessed
to starting the blaze. He was never tried for the crime and
later recanted his confession.
Because of the paraffin wax waterproofing of the tent, the
flames spread rapidly. Many people were badly burned by the
melting paraffin, which rained down from the roof. The fiery
tent collapsed in about eight minutes according to eyewitness
survivors, trapping hundreds of spectators beneath it.[7]
Because of a picture that appeared in several newspapers of sad
tramp clown Emmett Kelly holding a water bucket, the event
became known as "the day the clowns cried."
While many people burned to death, many others died as a result
of the ensuing chaos. Sources and investigators differ on how
many people were killed and injured. Various people and
organizations say it was 167, 168, or 169 persons (the 168
figure is usually based on official tallies that included a
collection of body parts that were listed as a "victim") with
official treated injury estimates running over 700 people. The
number of actual injuries is believed to be higher than those
figures, since many people were seen that day heading home in
shock without seeking treatment in the city.
It is commonly believed that the number of fatalities is higher
than the estimates given, due to poorly kept residency records
in rural towns, and the fact that some smaller remains were
never identified or claimed. Additionally, free tickets had been
handed out that day to many people in and around the city, some
of whom appeared to eyewitnesses and circus employees to be
drifters who would never have been reported missing.
Some died from injuries sustained after leaping from the tops of
the bleachers in hopes they could escape under the sides of the
tent, though that method of escape ended up killing more than it
saved. Others died after being trampled by other spectators,
with some asphyxiating underneath the piles of people who fell
over each other. Most of the dead were found in piles, some
three bodies deep, at the most congested exits. A small number
of people were found alive at the bottoms of these piles,
protected by the bodies on top of them when the burning big top
ultimately fell down.
In 1950, Robert Dale Segee of Circleville, Ohio claimed during a
police interview that he was responsible for setting the circus
fire.[9] Following the Ohio police interview, Segee signed a
statement admitting to setting the circus fire, a series of
other fires, and several murders since his youth.[9] Segee, a
16-year-old roustabout for the show from June 30 to July 14,
1944, claimed that he had a nightmare in which an American
Indian riding on a "flaming horse" told him to set fires.[9]
According to police authorities, Segee further stated that after
this nightmare his mind went blank, and by the time it cleared
the circus fire had been set.[9] Some of Segee's hand-drawn
images of his bizarre dreams, and images depicting his claimed
murders, appeared in Life on July 17, 1950.[10]
In November 1950, Segee was convicted in Ohio of unrelated arson
charges and sentenced to 44 years of prison time. However,
Hartford investigators raised doubts over his confession, as he
had a history of mental illness, and it could not be proven he
was anywhere within the state of Connecticut when the fire
occurred. Connecticut officials were also not allowed to
question Segee, even though his alleged crime had occurred in
their state.[9] Additionally, Segee, who died in 1997, denied
setting the fire as late as 1994 during an interview. Because of
this, many investigators, historians and victims believe the
true arsonist—if it had indeed been arson—was never found.
#Post#: 3757--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:23 pm
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HTML http://www.circusfire1944.com/the-victims.html
The Hartford Circus Fire ~ July 6, 1944
Victim List
The official death toll of the Hartford circus fire, as reported
by the board of health, was 168, which questionably included a
collection of unidentified parts as an individual victim. The
estates of 167 named victims were awarded death settlements by
the arbitration board, and in addition to these 167 victims,
three others died in the months following the circus fire, and
their lives appear to have been shortened as a result of
injuries and complications from the fire.
The names of the 167 victims, with their age, are embossed on
the bronze memorial erected on the site of the center ring of
the circus.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/xKu9fb1.jpg
#Post#: 3758--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:24 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/OL3uO23.jpg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/wnTucRl.gif
#Post#: 3759--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:26 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/TqZknwp.jpg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/4ft44vi.jpg
#Post#: 3760--------------------------------------------------
Re: HARTFORD JANE DOE (1944): WF, 30-50, victim of the Hartford
circus fire - 6 July 1944
By: Akoya Date: March 14, 2020, 1:36 pm
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/xO8SSc6.jpg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/8tH8Uxc.jpg
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