13 year old boy disobeys parents and saves hundreds

not2sharp

not2sharp

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I was just reading Circus Fire, by Stewart O'Nan (Anchor Books, 2000, ISBN 0385496850), about the 1944 Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey tragedy at Hartford Conn. 186 people died in the fire, mostly women and children, but hundreds of others were saved when 13 year old Donald Anderson kept his head and used folding fishing knife to cut a way out through the canvas side wall of the big top. Its a good thing he decided to ignore his mother and take the knife along.

I just wanted to share this with you since we seldom hear anything good about kids with knives.

There were many others who attacked the tent's wall with knives of all kinds, but Donald's actions were recognised, and he was awarded a medal for his efforts - Does anyone know what happened to him in later life?

This guy might have made a good spokes person for our hobby.

N2S


Here's a picture: Donald is the boy with his hands up in the lower left side of the picture.

View



[This message has been edited by not2sharp (edited 06-25-2001).]
 
An amazing story. I found this information at another link:

An American Circus Tragedy: The Day the Clowns Cried

Thirteen years old, Donald was the first to think of using a knife to cut through the sidewall to safety. Hundreds poured through the hole he had made, and others began to take similar measures to get out of the big top. Donald couldn't find the man he'd come to the circus with, so he cut another hole in the canvas to get back in. He found his companion next to a little girl who had been trampled, and picked up the girl and exited with his companion. Donald's heroics earned him a medal and he and May Kovar are perhaps two of the best remembered surviving heroes of the day.


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Welcome to planet Earth
 
This is a excellent reminder to parents to teach kids the purposes and proper handling of knives.

My 5-year old daughter is looking forward to the day when she gets her own!
 
N2S,
Excellant story!!!
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I would also love to hear about what happened to this young hero later in his life.
13 yrs old and he was so quick to react. Simply amazing!!!

Esav,
Thanks for your additional information. Very good.
smile.gif


I was just thinking though, as I read this post, that if a tragedy like that happened today would there even be anyone with a knife in the crowd to perform this same great act of heroism.
I seriously doubt it.
frown.gif

This story is a great lesson for us all.

Thanks for sharing.

--The Raptor--
 
Josh,

Thanks for updating us on this gentleman. I would still suggest we ask him whether he is willing to share the story in one of the knife magazines.

n2s
 
I think a good question is should we always disobey our parents when it comes to carrying knives or do we wait for our gut to tell us when? If he had obeyed he might have been one of the casualties, but since he didn't, he and hundreds more lived. It is a wierd question and thought but the consequences can be difficult either way (lets say someone disobeys their parents, gets in a car accident and is arrested for possesion of a "dangerous weapon").

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Cameron

"And shepards we shall be, for thee my Lord for thee, power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command, so we shall flow a river forth to thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be, En Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti"
A few of my first balisongs
My ClubPhoto albums of balisongs and misc knives and wallpapers
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I think a good question is should we always disobey our parents when it comes to carrying knives or do we wait for our gut to tell us when?</font>
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The general rule should always be obey your parents. But, there are different levels of commitment to rules and priorities; and one should also consider the consequences of disobeying the rules.

Only a fool would march on in blind adherence to the stated rules. Kids are given a mind and a value system in order to have good judgement. It would be a waste if the kid failed to use it. Wisdom does not come from following the rules but from the experienced gained from our mistakes. Kids have to be given a reasonable degree of leeway so they can grow up to be wise adults.

Many, like Mr. Anderson, have demonstrated remarkable wisdom at a very early age. Then again, we all know adults that seem incapable of exercising good judgement, and these tend to live the life of lemmings.

N2S
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Raptor:
...happened today would there even be anyone with a knife in the crowd...</font>
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If there were two or three Bladeforums members, there would be enough knives to supply each and every member of the audience.
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Holger :c{{{&lt;
AKTI Member No: A001324
CKG-F
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www.cockroachfarm.com
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by cockroachfarm:
If there were two or three Bladeforums members, there would be enough knives to supply each and every member of the audience.
wink.gif


</font>
Click to expand...

Cockroach,
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LOL
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Josh,
Thanks for the updated info on this gentleman.

N2S,
A magazine story on this gentleman is a great idea. Hell, I'd really like to see it on a TV show like 20/20.
smile.gif


--The Raptor--


 
Great story, thanks for posting.
Rules are there to be broken, but it takes wits to know when
wink.gif
or a bit of luck.
What about turning Dexter Ewing to the story?

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"Peace is not without conflict; it is the ability to cope with conflict" - Leo Giron
 
I was surprised to read that there were (apparently) as many unprepared people back then as there seem to be nowadays. I just can't imagine that many folks leaving their homes to go out into the world each day without a pocketknife of some sort. I would have imagined that back then every able-bodied man in the crowd would have whipped out his Case or Robeson or Keen Kutter and gone to work on the canvas. Guess that's why they call 'em sheeple.
Great story, though.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Raptor:

A magazine story on this gentleman is a great idea. Hell, I'd really like to see it on a TV show like 20/20.
smile.gif


[/B]</font>
Click to expand...

The History Channel aired a show on the circus fire within the last 1-2 months. I watched it on a Saturday afternoon just before "Tales of the Gun" came on. It was very interesting. They interviewed several survivors, including, IIRC, Mr. Anderson. I don't remember what the show as called but perhaps a search on http://www.history.com would turn up the name and possible rerun date.
 
mnblade,

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I was surprised to read that there were (apparently) as many unprepared people back then as there seem to be nowadays. </font>
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The sample is not representative of the norm.

The event occurred during a Thursday afternoon matinee just one month after D-day. While many of the men carried pocket knives there were very few able bodied men in the audience. Most would have been either serving in the military or at work at a factory. The lack of manpower complicated the operation of the circus and contributed to the tragedy.

n2s

 
n2s:
Interesting point. Thanks.
I, for one, would NEVER go to a circus without a knife - not with all those clowns around. And don't forget the midgets. When you put 20 midgets in a funny little car, there's bound to be trouble and a seat belt that needs cutting. Just my two cents.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mnblade:

.... When you put 20 midgets in a funny little car, there's bound to be trouble and a seat belt that needs cutting...</font>
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LOL
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gr8 story and good posts N2S...

 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Powderburn:
The History Channel aired a show on the circus fire within the last 1-2 months. I watched it on a Saturday afternoon just before "Tales of the Gun" came on. It was very interesting. They interviewed several survivors, including, IIRC, Mr. Anderson. I don't remember what the show as called but perhaps a search on http://www.history.com would turn up the name and possible rerun date.</font>
Click to expand...

Powderburn,
Thanks for the info & the link. I will do a search when I get a free minute. It sure would be nice to see a show on this subject.

--The Raptor--

 
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