Posted on 08/04/2019 12:12:45 PM PDT by robowombat
CIRCUS HORROR AT RIVER FALLS, SEVEN PERSONS WERE KILLED
And Thirty or Forty People Injured by Lightning While Attending the Afternoon Performance of the Ringling Circus
From The Sun, Spring Valley, Wisconsin Friday, June 23, 1893 Page 1, Column 4
RIVER FALLS, WIS., June 21 [1893]—During a severe thunderstorm this afternoon at about four o’clock lightning struck the first center pole in the menagerie of Ringling Bros. Seven people were killed and quite a number injured, none of the latter fatally. The killed are:
ALEX. O. DEAN, EUGENE REYNOLDS, CHARLES SMITH, CLARK MAPES, — ALDRIDGE, JAMES GLENDENNING, LESLIE GLENDENNING.
The greatest consternation immediately arose. The rain continued falling in great sheets, and the bodies of the dead were soaked through before they could be removed. Soon as possible Ringling Brothers and their employees did everything in their power to alleviate the condition of the wounded. The dead were taken down town and laid out on the floor of the engine house, where they were, with the exception of one boy, identified in a few minutes after their arrival. One elderly gentleman, the father of young Dean, a handsome and intelligent young man, who was suddenly taken from life, fainted and was carried out of the engine house moaning. Women were present looking for relatives. The clothing of some of the dead was torn in shreds, while others presented no external evidences of fatality except for the awful stare and fixed, rigid features. The number of wounded is estimated all the way from ten to thirty. Most of them were taken home as soon as possible, and are now doing finely.
The Injured
Among the injured are Patrick Collins, a farmer, unmarried, injured seriously, now at the Gladstone hotel. Two strangers, supposed to be railroad graders, are also at the hotel badly injured.
Jay E. Loucks, proprietor of the Gladstone hotel, with his wife, three nieces and one child, were passing through the tent when the shock came. Mr. Loucks and family fell to the ground, but none of them were seriously injured. Mrs. Loucks’ arm was hurt by a man who was killed falling against her.
The wife and another son of J.A. Glendenning are seriously injured, thus nearly annihilating a whole family. Mrs. Glandenning has recovered consciousness, but the fact of her husband’s and son’s death has been kept from her. She thinks they have gone home.
Six men carried the paralyzed form of a young man named Lewis Rosses, whose face and breast were terribly burned, and whose lower extremities were paralyzed. At a late hour he had recovered consciousness and was receiving every care from a nurse. Without difficulty he managed to tell that he was a laboring man and that his relatives live at or near Spring Valley, Minn. While he is seriously burned and his lower limbs at present benumbed, he is not fatally injured.
Another badly injured young man is William B.L. Horme, aged 18, whose parents live at Norman, Oklahoma.
Among the incidents was the twisting of a buggy to pieces from the seat by a bolt of lightning. None of the occupants were injured. Al Ringling, master of ceremonies in the circus proper, thinks there were three distinct bolts of lightning. The first shock nobody felt. The lightning went right down the pole.
The second shock caused the fatalities, and the third knocked down thirty of the circus horses. Fire started, but was put out. The presence of mind of the Ringlings and their employees alone prevented a stampede, which would have been attended with still greater fatality. All the Ringlings did all in their power, and are highly commended by the citizens. The spectacle was the most saddening and heart-breaking ever looked upon in River Falls. That none of the circus employees were injured in the slightest was marvelous.
Trumps fault.
Ban lightning.
Democrats declare lightning illegal.
Sad, but it was a long time ago: 1893, per posted date of article.
women and minorities most affected.
I was reading this, and noted that the newspaper writer was trying hard to write well. I also had thought that Ringling went out of business. Then I checked the date. Ahh!
It is so refreshing to read an article, where the core of the event is described, instead of writing as if a novel were being presented (”Something bad was in the air that night at the circus, and many lives would be affected. Hints of the impending disaster were presented by the darkening skies, yet no heed was paid by either the performers nor the attendees. Then tragedy struck ...”)
The circus tent fires were sadder.
Note the date of the event.
Now the left is going to want to ban rain.
(Insert picture of Roy Scheider on the “Orca” saying, “If you are going to post about Wisconsonian oddities, you are going to need more bandwidth.”)
Ban assault lightening.
Oh, and hey...lightening be raciss cause it’s white.
I just went to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI last weekend. It’s on the grounds of the original Ringlingville. Nice family friendly way to spend the day. I highly recommend if you’re ever in the area.
Now the lightning grabbers will come out in force.
Laws will be passed preventing ball lightning — only simple forked lighting will be allowed.
It’s from 1893, folks.
We need to outlaw lightning strikes; the voltage of each bolt; the amount of bolts per storm; the disparity of strikes urban vs rural; and it’s all Trump’s fault, since the government forecasts the natoonal weather!!
So it was Grover Cleveland's fault then!?
But it is started by a big, black cloud.
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