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1940 Cole Bros. Circus fire disaster...
1940 Cole Bros. Circus fire disaster...
Item # 716802
February 21, 1940
NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, Feb. 21, 1940
* Cole Bros. Circus fire disaster
* Rochester, Fulton Co., Indiana
* Death of several performing animals
Near the bottom of the front page has a three column heading: "Pigmy Hippopotamus Boiled in His Tank As Fire Destroys 170 Circus Beasts in Cages" (see images)
Complete with 30 pages, light toning light toning, some small binding holes along the spine, a few small archival mends at the margins, generally very nice.
background: On February 21, 1940, a fire broke out in the winter quarters of the Cole Brothers Circus in Rochester, Indiana. The blaze destroyed several buildings and caused the deaths of over 100 animals, including elephants, lions, tigers, and horses. The fire reportedly started in the elephant barn and spread rapidly due to wooden structures and high winds. The tragedy was a significant blow to the circus, which was one of the last major rail-based circuses in America at the time. The cause was never definitively determined, though electrical faults were suspected. The fire drew national attention and sympathy for the loss of both animal life and livelihood.
Category: The 20th Century
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