The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-07-07

drab blankets from which little feet,
some Of them bare, some in the
well scuffed shoes Of active little
boys and the party shoes Of good
little girls. protruded. Parents,
fathers and mothers, moved along
the rows Of cots. A blanket would
be pulled back, revealing a white,
inanimate face, mothers lips
would sag and her facial muscles
would tighten and with scream,
perhaps, but more often, with a
dry sob that barely was audible,
she would turn away and q coroner's
assistant would ask her the name
and age and address, write It on
a green card and attach the card
to the blanket with wire.
This is big war industry town,
in the heart Of industrial New Eng
land, and parents don't have time
to take children to the circus.
Therefore, many Of the children
had gone unescorted, but in q num-
Der Of cases the bodies Of the father
or mother or uncle or family friend
who had taken child to the most
thrilling afternoon child can have,
were on cots nearby.
When authorities closed the
armory at / q. m, rs Of the IS re-
NAMED unidentified. The score or so
bodies OF children stYll rot identi-
ned were believed to have dead par.
entS nearby. From shortly after the
disaster at 2:42 p. m. until the doors
were closed, there had been an un.
ending procession Of sorrowing men
and women up and down the aisle
fringed by cots and 1t resumed
when the armory reopened at 8 q. m.
The matinee performance opened
In the Traditional way-with the
grand parade around the tent, ac-
companied by tumbling clowns, girls
on white horses and elephants. The
big circular cage in which Alfred
Court. master cat tanner makes
lions and tigers bow to Lis will, was
In place In the center ring.
The sleek cats were wheeled up
to II in their cages and urged into
1t and Court entered ana for IL
minutes held the 10000 silently in
tense on the edges of their seats.
Then, after tremendous applause,
led by shrieklny wllistling children
who seemed to line the trent Of the
rising tiers OF seats forming a con-
tinuous oval around the walls Of
the tent, he took his bows and de-
parted.
Then the spotlightS shot upward
and picked out thin wire stretched
across the width Of the tent, so feet
above the center ring, where 1.-THE
Flying Wallendas," glittering in
their silken tights, were poised 10
defy death. It was diversion Tor
the audience while the roustahouts
cleared the lion cage and prepared
the three rings for the following
acts. Herman rode out on the wire
on a bicycle from the left side ard
Karl rode out on his from the right.
They met over the center RUG,
backed away, advanced again, and
1t seemed that any instant they
would fall, defying gravity as they
were. Lovely Helen and Henrietta
were poised on the high platforms
Joe was on platform of his own.
They never got chance to per-
form. AS Karl and Herman backed
away from one another on their BIZ
cycles, the spot of flame appeared
and the performance of the great
est show on earth was over, prob
ably for many weeks to come.
Performances Cancelled
Authorities indicated thai neither
the circus nor any of its property
could be removed from the circus
grounds until all Investigations are
completed and that may be weeks.
Circus officials were busy cancel
ling scheduled appearances In 20
towns-today 1t was to have per-
formed In Springfield, Mass, they
said that when 1t could, the circus
would return to Sarasota. Fla, its
winter quarters, to be refitted for
what will remain Of its summer tour.
The circus lost only its big top
and three fourths of its wooden
seats. The menagerie was drawn
UP In an oval 20 feet from the big
top and q little TO the right of the
main entrance and the inmates of
the scores Of heavy cages mounted
on big wheels and parked end to
end, were not disturbed. Their at
tendants insisted that they weren't
even aware Of what was happening
behind them. The back Of the cages
were covered by canvas and behind
them strips OF canvas, called Sheets"
rose on poles fo1 height OF u