Bandwagon, February 1946

Bandwagon, February, 1946. Note: Only some articles are included in this online edition. Illustrations are not included.

Wallendas Have Own Show - To Tour Under Auspices

The famous high flying Wallendas, currently starred in their own Circus, the Great Continental, now touring Florida, will have their own show under auspices in 1946. It is understood that half a summers bookings have been made under strong auspices and show will probably play indoors all summer. Carl Wallenda, manager is to enlarge the present show and continue on the road thru Oct. A large wild animal act is being contracted along with other big acts. The Wallendas are under contract to the R. B. B. B. Circus for the season of 1946 and whether two wire acts were to be formed or not was not stated. However, it is likely that Wallenda will continue in his present position as organizer of the show. There is said to be an outlay of $250,000 involved. Tige Hale will have the band and anticipating a record season has purchased band uniforms for the musicians and lamp stands. A 30 passenger bus (Reo) has been purchased by Hale for the band and will be converted into a semi passenger sleeper to furnish the finest accommodations possible for the band. Hale says he will have one of the best bands of his life on the road. The present Great Continental Circus opened the season at Lakeland, Fla. December 1, then played stands at Ocala, Daytona Beach, Fort Meyers, Fort Lauderdale and Key West. The show has the feature acts of the Ringling Show.

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Frank Norton Notes

Lions Let Loose - 1893, Tyrone, Pa. May 20

A special train on the Tyrone and Clearfield railroad composed of Walter Main's circus, got beyond the control of the trainmen yesterday morning, and rushed down the mountain. At Vail station the train was wrecked and animals, men and broken cars were piled up together.

Several tigers and lions escaped and only after the greatest exertion were they recaptured and then not until one of the tigers had killed several domestic animals in the neighborhood.

Five men were killed outright and 12 or 14 others badly wounded. Some fatally. The circus is a complete wreck and it will take several days to get the property together.

The wild animals all got out from the cages. Two injured sacred oxen were killed to put them out of their misery. A tiger killed a cow of Alfred Thomas, a farmer. His wife was milking the cow at the time Thomas killed the tiger with a rifle. Three lions escaped, one was captured immediately. Another was lassoed and tied to a tree after biting the lassoer, James Chamber, severely on the hand. The other lion is at large, but is the quietest of the three. A tiger, water buffalo, hyena, bear, alligators and a large collection of snakes got away, but were captured. The elephants and camels were uninjured. A black panther, silver tiger, a lot of monkeys and valuable birds are at large. Almost every ring horse was killed. The total number of horses killed is 49, with all the others cut and bruised.

Mr. Maine estimates the loss at $100,000. All the killed and injured except Crain and Heverly were helpers around the circus and cook tents.

Last evening the snake charmer caught one of his big anacondas in the bushes.

The neighborhood is greatly alarmed about the wild animals at large but the show people say there is no need for fear.

The coroner will hold an inquest today.

Those killed are:

Frank Crain, treasurer and ticket seller of the circus, Indianapolis.
William Lock, Newport, Ky.
John Strayer, Houtzdale, Pa.
William Multainer, Gainesville, O.
William Heverly, brakeman, Tyrone, Pa.
Unknown man.

The injured were brought to the Altoona hospital. They are:

Willis O. Banon, Chambersburg, scalp wound.
David Jones, Harrisburg, leg badly sprained.
Frank Morse, Rochester, N. Y., wounded about head.
William Evans, Williamstown, ankle injured.
William E. Patchell, Dubois, Pa., leg injured.
James W. Haney, Alberton, Pa., body crushed.
Louis Champagn, Rochester, side hurt.

Circus Trains In Collision 22 Men Killed - 1903

Detroit, Aug. 7 - 2 p.m. - The list of dead in the Durand wreck is now placed at 22 and injured at 70.

Wallace Bros. circus trains running in two sections over the Grand Trunk road, was wrecked half a mile east of Durand, Mich., at 3:45 o'clock this morning and 19 persons were killed and injured.

The list of dead in part follows:

A. W. Large, special agent for the Grand Trunk, with headquarters at Battle Creek; J. W. McCarthy, Grand Trunk trainmaster, between Port Huron and Battle Creek; John Purcell, Peru, Ind., showman; Lars Larson, Cambridge, Ohio, showman; C. Thomas, home unknown, showman; John Leary, Springfield, Ill., showman; Andrew Haviland, New York, showman; Frank Thorpe, Dundee, Mich., showman; Robert Wright, home unknown, showman; George Smith, home unknown, showman; Charles Sando, Peru, Ind., showman; Joseph Wilson, Pittsburg, showman.

The trains were running from Charlotte, where the circus exhibited last night, to Lapeer. The two sections were running about half an hour apart. The first section was standing on the main track near the city when the second section crashed into it. The engineer of the second section said he was unable to stop his train when he saw the train ahead of him on the track because of the failure of the air breaks to work. James W. Foley special agent of the Grand Trunk is reported to be dying.

Dr. B. P. Broule, chief surgeon of the Grand Trunk and a corps of Detroit surgeons left Detroit on the early morning train for the scene of the wreck.

The cause of the collision was the air brake on the second train getting out of order, and failing to work. Nobody seems to be to blame. The second train was half an hour behind the first train. When the first train reached the Durand yards, half a mile from the depot it stopped and a red lantern was promptly hung on the rear car.

The engineer could do nothing to check his train and it crashed without any check into the first train and seven rear cars of the first train and forward cars of the second train in which a good many people were sleeping were totally wrecked.

One elephant was killed also two camels and a $1,000 bloodhound. A good many other animals were hurt. Some of the animals escaped from the cages.

Death Toll in Circus Wreck Placed at 85 - 1918

Gary, Ind., June 22. - Sixty-two bodies of Hagenbeck-Wallace circus employees who were killed in the train wreck six miles west of here on the Michigan Central railroad early Saturday, lay in temporary morgues, here and at Hammond, Ind. while circus officers made efforts to compile an accurate list of dead and injured. Only 24 bodies have been identified. Most of the others were charred and mangled beyond recognition.

Edward M. Hallard, general manager of the circus, issued a statement saying figures, compiled indicated that probably 85 persons had been killed. He said a hasty tabulation of scattered employees showed that 61 are missing in addition to the 24 identified dead, Most of the missing were said to be "razorbacks," many of them negroes. F. S. Whipple, railroad trainmaster also has been given up as dead.

Parts of two bodies cremated in the furnace of tangled steel and timbers which was the circus train, were dug out last night. The authorities said that if the death list is as great as estimated by circus men, the additional bodies probably were reduced to ashes.

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