The Hammond Circus Train Wreck | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

"On the 22nd of June, 1918, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was on its way to its next scheduled performance in Hammond, Indiana..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - History Of The Circus
02:30 - The Hammond Wreck
07:16 - The Cause Of The Crash
09:10 - Showmen's Rest
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
► "First Light" by Futuremono
​​​​​​​#Documentary​​​​ #History​​​​​​​​​ #TrueStories​

[@BretGammons]

One tragic detail that separates the Hammond Wreck from other catastrophes that result partially from human error is that you rarely have someone like Oscar Timm doing everything exactly right in a bid to avert disaster. You can really feel his desperation.

[@crossfire2045]

More or less being criminally negligent, but he isn't the first conductor to fall asleep when they are supposed to be controlling the train which is why they put something called the dead man's pedal to stop the train if pressure isn't applied at all times, but it isn't like that helps either because conductors place something heavy on it to continuously apply pressure which defeats the purpose of the pedal.

[@lexprontera8325]

@@crossfire2045 ...which is why, for decades now, this switch (pedal, lever, or button) needs to be PERIODICALLY activated, not continuously, and stops the train after X minutes since last activation.

[@Etainshewolf7140]

@@crossfire2045Are you suggesting Oscar Timm fell asleep?

[@johannacxiii]

I was expecting this story to begin another way, with that train stopping willy nilly. But the flare guy sprinting towards the troop train and yeeting a flare at it really did everything he could.

[@chaoticcatartist]

I feel bad for the flare guy. Trying his best to warn the train yet it did not stop and he just watches the train zoom past into the train where his family are unaware.

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

That man is a hero

[@ShadowWizard123]

@@TheEnabledDisabled that man was a tragic story, I'm not sure hero is appropriate. I'm sure he would agree.

[@PowerTrain611]

This was long before radio communications and efficient signals. Many railroads at this point in time were still using timetables to determine where trains should be and when. Example: Train A is a passenger train which departs from station 1 at 10:00 am, scheduled to stop at station 2 at 10:47 am. Train B is a freight train passing through from yard 1 to yard 2. Train B cannot be on the same track as train A but is scheduled to pass station 2 at 10:50 am, so it must divert onto siding 1 until train A passes, then it may continue. Unfortunately, many trains ran behind schedule and were forced to pick up the pace to make up for lost time.

[@Rickety3263]

Or at least... that’s how the story is told today...

[@sheepkind]

the fact that other shows lent their performers so that the circus could continue warms my heart. it’s like regardless of who you’re performing for, showmen are family. and showmen’s rest sounds like a lovely place for passed performers to be at peace 💖

[@HerrAirburst]

It is somewhat similar to the Chapecoense plane crash in 2016. After the crash devastated the team, their rivals for the upcoming Copa Sudamerica final (Atletico Nacional) offered to forfeit the game so that Chapecoense would win. Similarly, other clubs from around Brazil offered players to Chapecoense free of charge to enable them to rebuild.

[@dianevanderlinden3480]

Yes this was beautifully and respectfully done

[@CloverPower01]

@Samson Holdsworth wdym bruh

[@sahave5042]

@Samson Holdsworth That is the kind of the cringe bruv man

[@brisolo8586]

@Samson Holdsworth Anyone that calls anything “cringe” must have an underdeveloped brain. Go be bitter somewhere else.

[@TheRealChristopherB]

I can't imagine the terror that Oscar Tim experienced watching the other train plow full speed into the circus train. Just the thought of all of your fellow circus performers getting decimated by a speeding locomotive is a horrifying thought

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Yes!! Watching that train coming full speed, doing EVERYTHING he could to STOP IT....only to have to helplessly watch it happen and “hope” for some kind of a miracle. That kind of a situation is what nightmares are made of. 😔💔

[@Laurenimaoo]

@@user-qv4np3ur5w I expect so, as he had run down the track to the other train. He was probably at a distance when the crash happened

[@Silkke]

@@user-qv4np3ur5w Oscar Timm died in August 1968. Nor sure if I can link it but his findagrave id is 101289726: www.findagrave.com/memorial/101289726/oscar-august-timm

[@sureokk]

I think they got worse than decimation

[@kidyomu89]

Just imagine it, your mind racing, realizing that the train isn't stopping. You don't know why, but what you do know is that you're about to witness many, many people you know being violently killed and traumatized, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

[@vsanchez7158]

I’ve been on Showmen’s rest. A lot of the headstones don’t have their real names because no one knew them. I remember seeing “unknown male” or “horse driver.”

[@foxesofautumn]

For many the circus was a place to escape. They may have had a nickname to be called by but many went to the circus to be someone new and so never have their real name, even after years.

[@daffers2345]

It reminds me of the National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Many of the soldiers were buried with grave markers that simply say UNKNOWN on them. Some luckier ones had their rank, but there were many who were never identified.

[@gentlespiritjw4904]

@@daffers2345 😭😭😭😭

[@Sunshine-rq1ow]

That’s so sad.

[@ACDBunnie]

Even if they went by a fake name I'd imagine it would be better to put that down than say "unknown person". Didn't the survivors eventually know who of their crew was missing and this probably dead? I feel like they could have identified who had died

[@KeylimeTim]

Growing up in Chicago, my dad told us about the circus and took us to Showman's Rest. Most of the graves have no name because a lot of the workers weren't documented or travelers. It's incredibly sad.

[@robertgrantz6639]

I lived near Hammond until I was 20 and this is the first I've ever heard of this...

[@doggiemaina11]

I used to live in Maywood and my mom talked about Showman's Rest one time. Apparently there were rumors that they had buried the animals as well at that cemetery and you can hear their spirits at night. Not that the cemetery is right nextdoor to Brookfield Zoo.

[@KeylimeTim]

@@doggiemaina11 Dad mentioned the spooky elephants in the wind, luckily didn't hear that. I just remember graves like 'Unidentified Male' and similar ones.

[@Nyx773]

Odd that the video doesn’t state that the cemetery is in Forest Park

[@samanthab1923]

Supposed to be haunted. 👻

[@nicholaslewis862]

The final section about showmen's rest was touching. I'm continually impressed by your tact and well written script. Keep it up!

[@selfhealer6339]

Came to say the exact same thing, very moving! Beautiful tribute.

[@hunterwise9412]

Aven 45 and Self Healer, I absolutely agree with you both! His voice so compliments any story he tells...

[@laurakeylon778]

I have been watching this channel for some time and I had never teared up until today. Truly tactful and moving.

[@satansalley6526]

Yeah,he's a good unn.

[@barbarathesecretary]

Woodlawn Cemetery isn't too far from my home and we see the elephants from the road when we drive by.

[@saragrant9749]

That survivor's account was chilling. You could just sense the fear they must have felt.

[@jmiller297]

OMG, I was just sick listening to that part.

[@HaileyGotsIt]

@Some Guy i was recently in a car accident(t-boned off the highway at 80 MPH) that left our car totaled- i was in the backseat asleep and awoke to smashing my face against a large metal lantern. can agree that the shock of it doesn’t really hit you until you fully wake up. my only memory is a firefighter walking up to me and saying “you’re in shock, i need you to take a seat in my car” bc i was just staring at the highway after being pulled from wreckage. the guy who knew the train was coming, i can’t imagine the anxiety he felt watching a train plow high speed into another carrying multiple people he knew, or might’ve been close with.

[@Jenny_Lee_]

"head split open" is all I heard. 😬

[@WiscoKnight0806]

Having been in a 90 mph car wreck, I was hit with phantom pains just thinking about how much pain that person must have been in. My god...

[@gentlespiritjw4904]

@@HaileyGotsIt I am so glad for you that you survived such an awful crash! Angels all around you. 😇 Jean in California

[@Furiousa96]

My mom always told me about showman's rest because we live right by it and pass it frequently, but incorrectly told me that it was a grave for the elephants who died and they couldn't move them. Glad to know the actual story and how it honors the performers.

[@TheSecretLover]

Tell your mom thanks for the laugh. Now I’m picturing a giant hole next to a dead elephant as the circus tries to figure out how to push the body in.

[@naudiatf2791]

@@TheSecretLover not really a laugh, but more of a decent human being of a mother telling a child a variation of a story that was otherwise traumatizing to hear.

[@jackie0604oxon]

That's the reason why Britain's worst rail disaster at Quintinshill had such a high death toll; wooden carriages and lighting, which in Quintinshill's case was gas. Thanks for a very interesting and shocking story that I had not heard of before.

[@BritanniaPacific]

I believe this was also the case of the harrow train disaster of 1952, minus the gas fire part.

[@therailfanman2078]

I'm fairly positive the bryn athyn train wreck was one of (if not the) reason wooden coaches were pretty much banned in the US

[@od3910]

I remember subscribing to you when you just started. I'm not surprised you are so big now. You are informative, sensitive, tactful and entertaining. That is an incredibly hard balancing act. My favourite disaster channel

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@R D. Yes, mine also!

[@squeekymoon]

Mine too

[@hannahblurp9360]

Me, thinking, "how did the train not even slow down?? Was the engineer asleep?" *Watches further* "..oh."

[@GlennDavey]

Fatigue kills, folks. A 15 minute powernap can save your life.

[@reachandler3655]

@@GlennDavey Unless you take it whilst driving...

[@angryotter9129]

Seems like there should have been a rule about keeping two people on watch in case one fell asleep, like the one about ensuring more than one pilot in the cockpit of planes now. Of course, I know why rules like that didn’t exist back then, but it just seems like common sense.

[@TymP321]

It's just a train. What could go wrong?

[@tamiwu0346]

@@TymP321 *nervously points to video*

[@kringe700]

I started to see a pattern with these train disasters; a lot of death by impact and fire caused by ignorance, and the guy who's responsible for this always escape unharmed and were never punished.

[@Rickety3263]

Like every drunk-driving tragedy today

[@tamiwu0346]

Ina-mogus

[@quillmaurer6563]

You could argue that this was all a human-factors incident, the driver had gotten little sleep in the previous 24 hours, as well as the meals and motion. Wasn't intentional negligence as is seen in a lot of these cases, so I wouldn't consider it to be reasonable to punish this person. Nowadays the justice system has become more a vengeance system, people want the closure of someone being blamed and punished. Though there sure are plenty of cases where someone very knowingly did something wrong yet got off free, which is unacceptable - usually because they're rich and powerful.

[@Transilvanian90]

@@quillmaurer6563 Nope dude, falling asleep while conducting a train is 100% criminal negligence.

[@sambradley9091]

@@Transilvanian90 it is negligence, but criminally charging him wouldn't do much in terms of retribution

[@TotoDG]

"The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus would suffer one of the worst tragedies it would ever endure." I'm sorry, *one of?*

[@katesteventon5296]

Exactly what I thought! What other shit went down?!? 🤣

[@bogdangabrielonete3467]

Stay tuned, for the next episode of... Fascinating Horror

[@SecondAccountMP666]

Read about "The Gran-Circus Norte Americano fire" or "1961 Niteroi Circus Fire". About shows and circus, the worst tragedy (mostly because it was a combination of crime and negligence). The official death toll is 503.

[@bogdangabrielonete3467]

@@SecondAccountMP666 wasnt that the one where the main tent caught fire just after they pulled out the animal shows?

[@Kkubey]

Apparently they got into a flood in 1913.

[@MissSkyNet]

It's horrifying to see how stupid little human mistakes can cause so much pain and devastation **as many decided to point out that falling asleep isn't a mistake, I should clarify. I didn't ment that this specific story, there's plenty of stories on this channel, that could have been avoided but happe because of neglect or simple ignorance **

[@garethlewis6633]

Because we all think we can do things tired... once the chin drops, it's time to pull over...

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

@@garethlewis6633 probably before that, really

[@TheNewRobotMaster]

It's hard to call falling asleep a "mistake". People alive today fall asleep while driving and cause wrecks all the time... It is hard to defend against that sense of sleep because of how slowly it sets in. Your brain doesn't realize what is happening until too late. It is quite literally unaware. I think it was right those involved didn't to jail.

[@chatteyj]

@@TheNewRobotMaster Nonsense everyone knows when they are tired and if you are tired when driving then stop for a sleep somewhere safe and if you can't do that then open the windows wide open so its freezing in the car and turn the radio on full blast. Its what my mother used to do and what I do if I'm ever in that situation.

[@that.ll_do_pig]

@@chatteyj cool. It's what you and mommy do so it must mean every human is exactly the same and should react exactly like you and mommy. 🙄

[@homeequityloan1746]

“Then everything was quiet.”

[@sketchyskies8531]

Why did I think of, "And everything was still. Absolutely still", from the Magic Tree House books

[@medicbabe2ID]

I bet that silence was LOUD.

[@ferrisbueller9991]

TOO Quiet

[@Sinc3r3ly]

@@sketchyskies8531 you resurfaced some memories of mine

[@drewsommerville9152]

*we watched the video*

[@pennie2387]

Every time with these disasters it seems those clearly to blame escape any punishment. It's baffling.

[@nyotamwuaji6484]

If you have the cash/influence/blackmail material you can make those in power look the other way...

[@kathyjones1576]

I think it's more on the heads of the company than the conductor. Back then, they didn't know, or understand, the dangers of overworked drivers or train conductors. Owners of shipping companies are more interested in getting their cargo to its destination than in the safety of their workers, which is why there had to be laws written about it. This conductor was very likely overworked, it isn't as if he tried to fall asleep.

[@nyotamwuaji6484]

@@kathyjones1576 that would fall under influence maybe because it was a troop train, which I think were government owned? For soldier transport?

[@pollypockets508]

It's infuriating

[@AlexGreeneHypnotist]

@@nyotamwuaji6484 You would think so. But the ones who go to trial are often unable to afford the fancy lawyers. It's something about disasters - few juries ever seem to come to a decision about whom to blame, and even if they do find someone to blame, the punishments are often lifted six months down the line, or are derisory to begin with.

[@ChicoEscuela]

There’s folklore in Jalisco Mexico of a derailed circus train that freed tigers that still live to this day

[@bonefetcherbrimley7740]

Tell me more, Jim.

[@MisterDramastic]

I mean, the Escobar Hippos turned out to be real.

[@ChicoEscuela]

I wish I could, I was hanging with some locals outside of Quimixto, riding horses and smoking the local herb and it came up. Not a one day tourist thing, I hung for a week and my buddy six months. Fascinating, they mentioned seeing tigers and I said you mean puma or jaguar? Nope, tiger. Crazy.

[@grapeshot]

Yeah during the Victorian and Edwardian time periods. Train collisions and derailments as well as steamboat fires and explosions where the airline disasters of those time periods.

[@ecm84ee]

Very true, well put.

[@blueberrypirate3601]

Boy did they love to just stand there and gawp at the wreckage without bothering to help anyone injured or dying..

[@garethlewis6633]

"WERE"...

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@Smoked Yan. Heh-heh, the EDWARDIAN era!! You know, size matters!

[@allangibson2408]

More people died in individual train wrecks and ship wrecks than die in a year worth of aircraft crashes…

[@joyhill7315]

All these "Short Documentaries" are Informative, with sensitive and knowledgeable commentary, solid research, not overly dramatised, AND a very fine narrator. Thank you for the whole series.

[@catcoaster]

The camaraderie of show folk has always astounded me, but no more than in this story. It's truly the skill of a showman to grieve so terribly and still go on to preform again. Wonderful job FH

[@donaldmiller9130]

What an amazing coincidence to catch this video! I have a family connection to this event, and always wanted more details. My grandfather, whom I never met, was a "first responder" from the local police department when this accident happened. The gruesomeness of the events he experienced that night, as related by my mother -- then only nine years old -- still linger in my mind. I've always wanted to know the back-story of the "Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus" train wreck, and I still have a silver dollar keepsake he recovered from the wreckage 114 years ago. Ironically, he would be killed years later in night-time grade crossing accident caused by sleeping train engineer, traveling without a headlight.

[@carolwebster4181]

Wow! That's terrible, im so very sorry 😢 we never know when the sun comes up what awaits for us or if we will see the sun come up again, take nothing for granted, don't assume you will have tomorrow, tell your families you love them and be kind , so very very sorry for your loss 😢❤

[@EikeSwegat]

For those (germans) who are wondering: Yes, it's the same Hagenbeck as in Hagenbecks-Tierpark.

[@odyssea-the-seeker]

Apparently, he pioneered the use of rewards to train animals instead of fear and the use of animal enclosures without bars that were closer to their natural habitats. I mean, he also displayed human "savages", but not bad for the late 19th century.

[@scoutz0rs]

@@odyssea-the-seeker Yeah. By today’s standards we’d judge Carl Hagenbeck and his family (they were exotic animal traders, after all), but by the standards of his day, they were considered very progressive.

[@hertzair1186]

Danke

[@julieray3447]

Thank you, I was wondering if there is a connection

[@loam6740]

Wow the bit about showmen's rest is incredibly heart warming. The elephant's trunks lowered in respect and the idea they could have all been friends in another life brought a tear to my eye

[@oaktadopbok665]

An overheated wheel bearing was called a "hotbox" and was a fairly common ocurrence before the advent of roller bearings for railroad bogeys. I've seen quite a few back in the 1950s and early 60s - one nighttime hotbox was glowing fiery red and smoke streamed backwards for 100s of yards. There was a trough full of oil which lubricated the oil-soaked felt pads wrapped around the bearing, and the oil often caught fire and burned wooden baxcars to the ground or caused derailments. The railroad worker's signal to those in the caboose was to stand holding their nose while pointing at the train going by so the train caould be stopped before disaster ensued. Roller bearings, trackside hotbox and dragging equipment detectors obviated the need for men on the ass end, and those jobs and the caboose went the way of the disnosaur.

[@nanuq83]

Very interesting! I can't imagine the constant stress those men felt trying to advert disasters. That's an insanely stressful and dangerous job.

[@bjornholmqvist3230]

Great explanation, thank you. And I like your nick, good one! LOL.

[@PistachioDean]

Speaking of rail disasters, maybe you'd be interested in doing a video on the Granville Rail Disaster. In Granville, Sydney in 1977, a morning commuter train derailed, crashing into the supports of a bridge, which then collapsed, killing 84 and injuring another 213 people. It remains as Australia's worst railway disaster, and was apparently caused by poor fastening of the tracks.

[@marvindebot3264]

Yes that would be a good one, so would the Whiskey Au Go Go fire in Brisbane once the currently running second inquest winds up.

[@willsen8908]

The real cause of the crash was lack of maintenance on the locomotive 4620

[@Bughugger]

I was raised in Hammond Indiana, and actually lived 2 blocks from Woodlawn cemetery. I live across the country now, but I'm just blown away that I had never heard of this event before now.

[@RosinGoblin]

Same here! Never heard of it until now. Its weird seeing your town in one of his videos haha

[@Bughugger]

@@RosinGoblin Totally! In fact, I lived on Chestnut Ave, and one street away were abandoned railroad tracks that we would use to walk to school, and I'm thinking that's where this happened.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@@Bughugger Wow, that's very possible! Find out, do some research. Let the rest of us know!!

[@RosinGoblin]

@@Bughugger oh wow I'll have to check those tracks out sometime. I live on Olcott near the university. Small world

[@melanie6014]

I was born and raised in Hammond too! Isn't that such a coincidence? I never heard of it either.

[@Lyndiloo]

I knew there was a decent reason to stay up until 4 am on a Monday night and here it is.

[@sunnyjohnson992]

The Hither Green Train Wreck on November 5, 1967 almost killed “Bee Gee” singer Robin Gibb. 49 people died and he was a hero rescuing many of the passengers.

[@eadaoinmurphy20]

Ah yes, My favorite thing on a Tuesday morning. Have you ever thought about doing the Stardust Nightclub Fire in Dublin, Ireland, I think the total death count was 83, and still affects the vast majority of the Irish population.

[@pfadiva]

Qxir does a great vid on this.

[@g.sergiusfidenas6650]

The closing lines of this episode are quite poignant, beautiful words.

[@christinebicanic751]

"We who gave you laughter and cheers now bring you sorrow and tears." I think this is on a Showmen's Rest marker but cannot verify.

[@erinrow399]

This was so respectfully told, what a beautiful show of support they were given, what a sad tragedy so easily avoided :(

[@Mediacriti]

These stories are so tragic, yet so beautifully executed. You do the victims justice in your heartfelt retellings so their stories may still be heard. I don't know about the vast majority of the events you cover and it means a lot to me to be able to learn about them in such a respectful way. Glad to have been here from the start and see the channel continuing on this path. Thank you.

[@marvindebot3264]

Well said sir.

[@ANWRocketMan]

Would you consider taking a look at the Coalbrook mining disaster in South Africa? Killed more than 400 miners in the collapse and explosion of a coal mine in South Africa, 1960.

[@snakeinateacup869]

Wow, looking this up rn.

[@snogglewort1]

Not heard of this. Sounds horrific x

[@ANWRocketMan]

@@snogglewort1 It truly was. The more horrifying part is that this is nowhere near the largest mining disaster. Multiple others have happened from then-Rhodesia, China, Japan, etc. Mining today can be a dangerous job, it used to be MUCH more dangerous though.

[@202Feyn]

You should check out the Ozone Disco fire that took place in the Philippines on 1996. 162 died and most of them had just graduated from college and were celebrating. They found the bodies piled up waist high in front of the door which were stupidly designed to just open inwards.

[@Bopomama]

That's quite common that a nightclub is designed with a doorway that makes exits difficult. It's to stop patrons from skipping out on their tabs. The Station nightclub fire in Long Island also had bodies piled up 5-6 high in a narrow entry doorway at the end of a slim corridor. It makes me sick to think of it.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

Electric and diesel trains have the "dead man's handle", that stops the train if pressure from an awake / alive human isn't put on it. This dates back to the very early days of such trains, I suppose steam engines didn't have them because there'd be at least two men in the cab (fast expresses had a whole team of firemen who took turns, sometimes there was even a corridor through the coal, and bedrooms in the first carriage for them), so you'd expect one to wake the other!

[@johndavies9270]

From memory, the 'dead man's handle' was introduced after a fatal wreck on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. The motorman had tied the regulator down, it is believed so that he could spy on a courting couple in the leading compartment. For whatever reason he was leaning, facing backwards out of the cab, and didn't see an approaching bridge. With no one in the cab and the regulator tied down, the train ran on, pitching into the back of a preceding stationary train.... Sadly it wasn't unknown for an engine driver to nod off, even briefly, at the regulator, long enough to miss signals. The Charfield, Gloucestershire disaster is a classic example. And it still happens now, with motor vehicles.

[@hamsterama]

@@johndavies9270 Nodding off has also caused at least one major plane crash that I'm aware of. See Colgan Air Flight 3407, which went down in upstate New York in 2009.

[@daviddunsmore103]

@@hamsterama Technically, they hadn't actually nodded off to a state of unresponsiveness, but acute fatigue was a major factor in that accident, to be sure. That accident was also a huge wakeup call, no pun intended, to the punishing work schedules and crazy low pay in the regional airline industry.

[@hamsterama]

@@daviddunsmore103 That's true, the pilots didn't actually fall asleep. But imagine trying to drive a car when you've barely slept. Now, imagine flying a commercial airplane. It's too bad that people had to die before any action took place. There was an episode of the show Mayday about this crash, that aired on National Geographic and the Weather Channel. I recall that in the episode, the captain was reported to have been seen sleeping in the pilot's lounge of the airport, right before he flew. By the way, from that show, I learned that one of the passengers that died in the Colgan Air crash was the widow of a 9/11 victim. Talk about bad luck!

[@GGigabiteM]

​@William Marten Steam engines can most definitely be quickly turned on and off, you just change the amount of steam being admitted to the pistons via the valves. The boiler is the part that takes a long time to build up steam pressure, and a long time to cool down. When steam is not being used from the boiler, it is vented to atmosphere to maintain a working pressure and prevent it from exploding.

[@garyreid6165]

That is one sick train wreck. And the dedication of the surviving performers to rescue their fellow members is very brave and commendable. The grave site dedicated to those lost looks great.

[@darksteed11]

Makes you think, even if the circus train hadn't stopped, it moving at only 25mph means the troop train would still of caught up to it, and the accident still happening.

[@cathystockton2721]

Yeah, I wonder about the speed of the troop train. Even without being stopped, having the impact happen at troop-train mph - 25 mph the impact would have been bad. 😥

[@Cat-tastrophee]

True, but it would have had fewer casualties

[@eclectic_nerd]

You're right...he was asleep, it would have happened regardless

[@YaBoiZackbannedmefordissent]

It's like a really sadistic math problem. If a circus train leaves a station doing 25 mph and an unladen troop train leaves on the same track traveling faster than 25 mph, how many circus performers will die when the troop train catches up?

[@ketz_165]

“Circus train wreck” sums up my life pretty well

[@sophierobinson2738]

Me, too.

[@elcorrado56]

Underrated comment

[@emapheonix]

There's always a dislike on the video, even when it's new. It's hilarious to me that one one turned notifications on just to dislike every video. Now that's some dedication

[@justandy333]

Sadly there is a trend out there to be the first to dislike a video. And other sad people might of taken a dislike to something said or shown in a previous video and then seen it as their mission in life to dislike every subsequent video from the channel. Usually just loosers with nothing else better to do with their time than to troll people.

[@emapheonix]

@@justandy333 it doesn't effect the KZbinr at all. YT doesn't stop recommending the videos because of dislikes. If anything it's a good thing because he gets the view

[@justandy333]

@Don’t get Banned! 😂😂😂

[@justandy333]

@Don’t get Banned! I suggest you go back and re-read what I said. You've clearly misunderstood. Somehow you've drawn a conclusion that disliking it makes them a looser. No, this is not what I said. As to my insecurities, well, you brought it up which would suggest its at the forefront you your mind, not mine.

[@justandy333]

@@emapheonix I agree

[@dapperdavid3193]

I'm not surprised something called "Hammond" was involved in a wreck

[@operator5352]

i wonder how many times Hammond goes home not riding a air ambulance

[@TylerTheBassCreator]

@@operator5352 definitely more times than hes driven a Rimac home for the day🤷‍♂️😂😂

[@ctt7971]

Well bringing dinosaurs back to life didn’t turn out so well either 🤷‍♀️

[@jonasaman9104]

It May be a coincidence with Hammond but at least there where no Clarkson

[@puresomenessd2146]

HAAAAMOOONDD!!!!

[@timwright4263]

"On the 6th July, 2021, sitting in his bedroom innocently watching a KZbin video on his home computer..."

[@daffers2345]

Ugh, my friends and I say they hear the music and narration in our heads too - and at the most random times! These videos have certainly encouraged me to be safer.

[@timwright4263]

@@daffers2345 You'll be OK, just don't board any trains, planes, trams, ships or cars. Oh yeah, and don't venture into any theme parks, malls, theatres or race tracks. Really, you'll be OK 👌

[@AhSatan]

@@timwright4263 So, essentially never leave the house? Alright, perfect!

[@dellahicks7231]

I cannot imagine what must have been going through Oscar Timms mind when the other train just kept barreling along. I thought perhaps it would be a more complicated reason, something long the lines of Leslie Newson. So much tragedy among heartwarming assistance from other circuses!

[@IAmMisterTterevel]

Remember, Never Sleep on the Job. Because something like THIS will happen.

[@snickerdoooodle]

This is why dead-mans-switches are a thing. Humans are not infallible and if you're tired, there needs to be a backup safety mechanism.

[@ethribin4188]

This is why you never drive alone. No matter the vehicle. Any vehicle is a deadly projectile, simply by nature of kinetic energy and momentum.

[@Ozymandias1]

Today trains have deadman's switches to prevent this kind of accident.

[@akitachristian]

It's interesting how things like this are forgotten. I lived in the area my whole life and never heard anything about this.

[@stephanievines8072]

I work for a rail museum. I have heard stories from employees who are not given to imagination yet many of them claim this stretch of track has a different vibe. Sometimes people have heard animals, the voices of people shouting in fright or screaming, and the smell of smoke when nothing is around.

[@ReesieandLee]

There is a channel called Faces of the Forgotten that wanders around cemeteries, he does a whole episode on this that is very very good!

[@sophierobinson2738]

Have to check that out. I'm working on my genealogy and came across a grave marker (Find a Grave) with the dates rubbed off, the name of the person I was looking for, but the inscription said "9 years old". No way to tell if she was the daughter of the person I was researching or not. Records back in the early 1800s were often poorly kept. (Except New York. I swear they took a census every 5 years and stored them very carefully.)

[@ReesieandLee]

@@sophierobinson2738 I’ve been working on my genealogy this last year too. I’m a Mormon in Utah and the church has such amazing records! I found the passenger manifest for the steamer they came across from England which was pretty cool. I also found out my family was baptized by John Smith himself which I thought was kinda cool (I’m not active but I’m sure it would be excellent bragging rights at church haha). I love find a grave, and walking around cemeteries is my happy place

[@jessicarizzo227]

That crash happened in Forest Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I grew up right across the street from Woodlawn cemetery. The cemetery does have a section for those who died from this tragedy, and also has statues of elephants and other circus animals throughout! Fun fact: Woodlawn is only one of many cemeteries in Forest Park. Forest Park is literally known for having more dead bodies in it than living residents.

[@MioRaem]

You should make a video about the ICE train crash in Germany in 1998. That was some serious freak carnage.

[@the_rover1]

do you mean Eschede?

[@snakeinateacup869]

Wow, I'm looking this up rn

[@moestrei]

Or the Transrapid magnetic levitation train crash.

[@stephaniesews6603]

I'm... not sure about this. I was nowhere near a train this day, but I still have memories about it (I'm German.). The crash is still very in peoples minds and the families of the deceased still meet up yearly in Eschede. But I think Fascinationg Horror could do a sensible video about Eschede. (That said, hey Fascinating Horror, if you ever do a video about Eschede, I can help translate sources! For example the English Wikipedia article isn't very good, if you need help with the German one, just contact me!)

[@nuclear_war_games]

You know I completely forgot that you upload on Tuesdays so this was a nice surprise

[@fixitdad1955]

I 4got as well about it being Tuesday's... I was freaking out yesterday like WTF 😂

[@ShadowXII]

I look forward to your covering of the Surfside collapse when we have more answers.

[@veryberry39]

I wonder how many of us had this channel as our first thought when it happened. I feel SO bad for all those people, so I don't mean to sound flippant. But it does still somehow amuse me that so many of us think of him first when we see stuff these days. I was watching a video that began with a dude driving to the roof of a parking garage, and all I could think was "Hell no, man, get off there!"

[@jensaugust743]

This seems to be the agreed-upon cause, at least for now; "Long-term degradation of reinforced concrete support structures in the underground garage due to water penetration and corrosion of the reinforcing steel is being considered as a potential factor in, or cause of, the collapse. The issues had been reported in 2018 and noted as "much worse" in April 2021. A $15 million program of remedial works had been approved at the time of the collapse."

[@funpheonix9752]

I actually thought of FH when I heard about the condo collapse. It would be interesting to hear him talk about it! Especially since it happened so recently and it’s still even ongoing with 4 more bodies pulled out today. But oof, I feel so terrible for the people involved. 😭

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

@@jensaugust743 And that $15 million would never have fixed the underlying, biggest issue: Not enough rebar placed in support columns. Severely weakening them as a deviation from original design. Even without rust, it was carrying a load too heavy.

[@galactic-hamster7043]

I was just thinking about how I was waiting for it to be a Fascinating Horror video

[@janes.1559]

Since so many are asking and I just gave it a goog... no animals were involved, they went out earlier on a separate train.

[@ampersand.]

Thank you Jane - I can watch it now!

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

It baffles me that people care more about animals than human lives. And yeah, I know I'm going to get shit for this comment but I don't care.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@Jane S. Thank you for doing some research. People need to educate, themselves more, today.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@@WouldntULikeToKnow. 'Animals' don't F*CK us over. That's why, we have 'MORE SYMPATHY', towards them!!

[@babecat2000]

@@rogerrendzak8055 human hating sucks

[@kandicejanusz1829]

I've paid my respect at Showmans Rest many times. It's only 15 minutes from me.

[@sarahewson3607]

This has to be my favorite video so far 🥺 I got goosebumps learning about how the other circuses shared performers and crew. Such triumph of the human spirit.

[@eliz_scubavn]

I’m meant to be studying but it can wait for this video.

[@lukep.5957]

The steel troop train sliced through their train/ carriage like a hot knife slicing through butter and split the train in half.....holy shit..

[@Pu46373]

I wanted to thank you for doing this. My great grandparents worked the rail lines and I grew up with the stories from the circus train wreck!

[@mordecai8305]

Please never change that intro/background music!

[@chrish352]

Growing up in Hammond, this was always a story my grandparents would talk about, interesting to hear what really happened.

[@WoWHunterkari]

Wait wait wait, Carl Hagenbeck? Like in Hagenbeck Tierpark in Hamburg, Germany? Please Someone remind me to google that later, if Carl was someone related to the German Hagenbecks. Edit: oh wow, yes he is the one opening the Zoo in Hamburg. Thank you! And thanks to you all for reminding me ❤️

[@Peacich]

Have you googled it yet?

[@GradeEhCanadian]

How bout now?

[@centrifugedestroyer2579]

Have you googled it yet?

[@rokkraljkolesa9317]

don't forget to google it

[@the_rover1]

avoid google, use duckduckgo instead.

[@nicolecotter-ziller4892]

I went to Showmen's Rest with a group of people from Richard Crowe's haunted tours around the Chicago area. One of our stops was there. I remember just feeling really sad looking at the headstones. A lot were unmarked but one stood out from the others. I was an unknown female and people would leave flowers for her on Mother's Day. Not sure if they did that with all the female headstones but I just remember hearing the story from a local. I grew up in Hammond and the Circus was always a big thing there at the Civic Center. I remember hearing stories about that awful night that took the lives of people and animals.

[@rayreineu]

“They were still made mostly of wood” oh nooooo - I’m not even halfway in and I’ve got chills, another excellent upload as always

[@irondolphin]

Even though circus has been just my hobby, I feel deeply when I hear tradegies about circus. We are family in circus; be it your career or just a hobby.

[@suziepotter2370]

Love this channel. The narrator is perfect for these stories. Hi from Australia xxx

[@mathieuleader8601]

the solidarity by the other circuses is really heartwarming

[@NGMonocrom]

Noticing a trend with this channel.... Horrific events in History in which the blatantly guilty parties get off completely scot-free! Wouldn't mind hearing of an event in which some appropriate punishment was dished out. Either in the courts, or out on the streets.

[@hillerychan9483]

Alonzo Sargent was arrested

[@callowaymotorcompany]

@@hillerychan9483 room temp iq

[@GrisouIII]

@@callowaymotorcompany no need to be insulting

[@Drummerchef13]

@@hillerychan9483 and due to mistrial got off Scott free

[@TymP321]

...in that case they should cover the WTC. Owner made $5 billion, defense dept scooted out from under several trillion in missing funds, and all the asbestos covered steel that the EPA said had to go was no longer a prob. Overall a profitable day.

[@CommodoreFloopjack78]

Damn, I can't even begin to imagine what living through something like that could be like. And of course, the engineer that caused it all walked. That's just insane.

[@TheNadinucca]

I know, right? So much pain, and the guy who literally fell asleep at the switch walks away without any punishment? Maybe his conscience was punishment enough...

[@quillmaurer6563]

You could argue that this was all a human-factors incident, the driver had gotten little sleep in the previous 24 hours, as well as the meals and motion. Wasn't intentional negligence as is seen in a lot of these cases, so I wouldn't consider it to be reasonable to punish this person. Nowadays the justice system has become more a vengeance system, people want the closure of someone being blamed and punished. Though there sure are plenty of cases where someone very knowingly did something wrong yet got off free, which is unacceptable - usually because they're rich and powerful.

[@colt508]

You should look into the Great Wallace Brothers Circus Train Disaster. It occurred on August 6, 1903 in Durand, Mi.

[@elliott_the_elliphant9227]

The ShowMans rest made me way sadder than I thought it would. It’s such a touching remembrance to those who have passed away

[@casuallyceltic]

I knew I had heard of this story before! It's mentioned in the documentary "Killer Legends" when discussing the fear of clowns and where some of the fear originates from. One of the clowns they discussed was Joe Coyle (one of the performers that survived; I believe he might be the one in white at the 0:26 mark) and how he took on a sadder and darker persona after losing his wife and children in this collision.

[@bitchimgordie]

Wow, your telling of this story was so perfect. So glad I found your channel.

[@LindaFromSeaAtTull]

*you're telling

[@bitchimgordie]

No, your. I was using the possessive adjective, not telling them they are telling the story.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Oh my goodness- I‘ve been HOPING you would cover this, ever since your last circus tragedy video reminded me of this horrible incident!!❤️💔

[@bestbi3587]

Showman's rest is so beautiful. I'm so so glad you covered this. I love when you read first hand accounts and I certainly wouldn't be upset to hear more per video.

[@AnnieE2013]

I'm from this area and was wondering if you'd ever cover this on your channel. The respect and sensitivity you show when telling these tragic stories is always wonderful to see, thank you. Very well done.

[@scoutz0rs]

If anyone can get to Showmen’s Rest, I recommend it. It’s incredibly powerful. This particular one is located in Forest Park, IL.

[@matbroomfield]

It amazes me that so many lives are in the hands of a single person.

[@matbroomfield]

@Noodle Danger And more if he crashes into another vehicle and causes a pileup.

[@JubeProductions]

I love the pictures of the old circus, especially the big top with the side show tent next to it.

[@Anfidurl]

I am quite heartened by how little known and forgotten tragedies from my little corner of the world are remembered by this channel.

[@tammoratya9504]

I literally live at the area where this happened, hearing town names around me feels surreal

[@thefonzkiss]

Literally

[@funpheonix9752]

What?! I can’t believe the engineer who caused this got to walk away scot-free. Falling asleep behind the wheel nowadays and killing even ONE person will likely give you an involuntary manslaughter charge (unless you’re rich). And not only did he kill and injure a lot of people, I’m sure even the ones without physical injuries had mental scars, and I’m sure some of them even got PTSD.

[@SixArmedSweater]

He was sleep-deprived and on meds that made him barely lucid, apparently. Someone should have relieved him.

[@IanAC]

I'm literally from Hammond, Indiana, and it's very surreal to see one of your favorite KZbin channels make a video about something that happened in your town, just a couple miles away from you.

[@djwomprat2001]

With the recent building failure in Miami, a history of some of the worst building failures would make a fascinating episode.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Hearing about that, and especially hearing the building was not built to code and some people were aware of the dangerous corrosion yet nothing was done to address it, this channel's theme song played through my head. I'm sure he'll do an episode on it eventually, it seems like his exact fare, but probably not for several years. He'll want to wait for the investigations to be completed and published, the trials to happen, the aftermath to settle, so he can tell a complete story.

[@stogieguy7201]

Is this the tragedy that inspired the train wreck in the movie the greatest show on earth from the 50's? I remember watching it as a kid with my dad and he told me about a real circus wreck but I certainly don't recall all the details. What stood out was how the cars were overturned and trapped people inside and since they all used oil lamps back then they also fell and starting fires with no way for the performers to escape. Truly horrific.

[@youtubeenjoyer1399]

God, these videos are so good. You’re like a morbid defunctland. Can’t get enough.

[@melissag9160]

I find your channel fascinating, yes! Here's a topic suggestion: The fire at the Barnum Museum in New York City in 1865.

[@JamesFromTexas]

That's crazy and awesome that rival circuses sent their own folks over to help keep them afloat. That's incredibly restorative of my faith in humanity.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@jhilyard1. Where's that 'humanity', today?? Politics and the economy, killed that off.

[@katrinawendel2647]

This was exceptionally well written. You usually do a great job, this is outstanding.

[@jpozzoli]

Hammond just crashes everything. James and Jeremy are going to have a field day with this.

[@byst33]

Honestly this is the best PSA channel on KZbin! Packaged in a eerie and thoughtful manner. Love it!

[@spid3rdan]

I pass by Showman’s Rest all the time. Never knew the history behind it. Thank you, kindly!

[@twophan]

this one especially has this consistent theme of "but wait, it gets worse" all over it :(

[@erynlasgalen1949]

I remember seeing circus wagons with the Hagenbach Wallace name on the side during Milwaukee's Schlitz Circus Parade every summer. Trains would bring the wagons down from Baraboo, where they are housed. I think they used every team of draft horses from the surrounding counties to pull them. Those were the days.

[@pamelaulrich3928]

I remember seeing those parades!

[@wilfmarshall7299]

Your videos are informative and retain respect while still being interesting. You deserve a tv series.

[@friibird]

I doubt this comment will be seen by the video's creator, but I will try anyway. I am a traveling roadie for festivals, essentially a modern circus laborer. Our industry's history is not often discussed, and when it is discussed it's still discussed as a freaky sideshow. I had never heard of this story, nor of the showman's league, nor the cemetery. Thank you for telling this story so compassionately, thank you for honoring the traveling family with your informative presentation. I've seen with your channel that no matter who you're speaking about, fancy rich people in burning theaters or nameless, estateless laborers from small villages Somewhere Else, you always speak about human life, loss, and fear with great respect and dignity. Every video of yours I've seen, it's clear how much time you've taken to ponder over the human lives and how to respectfully present their drama without being dramatic yourself. Your nuance is valued. Thank you for telling this story, I'd love to hear more from you about American travelers/ stage crews, especially since many of us don't know our own history and legacy.

[@rebeckarydberg]

I love these videos. I learn so much of historic events i never even knew take place. If i can recommend two events id love to know more about its Estonia and the discotheque fire in Göteborg, Sweden in 1998.

[@cynthiaolivares8275]

I'm from Hammond so I was hoping you were going to cover this one day! My grandparents are actually buried in the same cemetery where Showmen's Rest is, though I've never had the opportunity to go visit the memorial myself.

[@thatchanguy]

Beautifully written. Thanks for sharing about this tragedy. It’s so sad that those who labored to bring a smile to others’ faces were lost in near anonymity due to tragedy.

[@FFEMTB08]

You always give tribute at the end. It’s so simple, yet beautiful.