The Great Circus Train Wreck of 1918: Tragedy on the Indiana Lakeshore

by Richard M. Lytle

In the cool, pre-dawn hours on a June night in 1918, a train engineer closed his cab window as he chugged toward Hammond, Indiana. He drifted to sleep, and his train bore down on the idle Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus Train. Soon after, the sleeping engineer’s locomotive plowed into the circus train. In the subsequent wreckage and blaze, more than two hundred circus performers were injured and eighty-six were killed, most of whom were interred in a mass grave in the Showmen’s Rest section of Chicago’s Woodlawn Cemetery. Join local historian Richard Lytle as he recounts, in the fullest retelling to date, the details of this tragedy and its role in the overall evolution and demise of a unique entertainment industry.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American, American History

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2010

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I've been fascinated by the Showman's Rest memorial at Woodlawn Cemetery by my house, but this book did not meet my expectations for an in depth look at the tragedy. The book is short, just under 100 pages (which I'm not opposed to), but it opens up with a history of the founder of Hammond, Indiana, as well as the circus, and the text reads like straight facts. Compared to other nonfiction texts I've read, this lacks the narrative cohesion and drive that can make a story compelling. It also has the feel that this could easily be used for a junior high research paper source. The listing of fact after fact can drag, and the author includes details that I assume I should have been significant (for example, he states the number of victims who were listed as "Negro" and then moves on to another topic) but lacks the authorial engagement to make those facts come alive.
I feel guilty about this rating, but I would have honestly stopped reading by chapter 3 if the book wasn't so short I knew I could just power through and finish. I feel like the information in this book about the Wreck itself would be presented in a clearer and more entertaining manner in another account, so I would not recommend this.

[Mimi_fragpants · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the history is fascinating, the manner in which this is written is dry.

[L.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's actually very little information in this book about the train wreck. There were a lot of kind of meandering facts about random things like the origin of the town of Hammond and the history of the different railroads and tracks. The facts were presented in a very sanitized, academic format that was hard to follow and overall uninspiring. It felt like a bit of a vanity project for the local history room and historical society. Nothing wrong with that, but I was hoping for more information on the train wreck itself.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being from Hammond, I really enjoyed this book! Also fun to see the Reeders mentioned (old friends from High School days.) You know, I’m kinda miffed that this was never talked about in school, all the iconic Hammond names, yes, but I don’t recall any of my teachers ever mentioning the train wreck. What a horrific history lesson.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those with interest/passion for history, The Great Circus Train Wreck is a extremely detailed account of such an event. And whether you're from the Calumet Region (as I am), a Hoosier by birth or fate or design, or a student of history, this is a fascinating account. Mr. Lytle obviously spent a great deal of time and energy in researching his subject. I wish there had been more direct accounts from witnesses interplayed with the testimonies from the survivors. And I would have expected more description of place: from experience, I know that area to be windy, bringing in the scents of Lake Michigan; and the top ground was sandy soil. There would have been a great deal of noise and smells coming from the nearby steel mills as well, I would think. All in all, an informative read about an event of which I had always heard yet never knew the details about the actual occurrence or the reasons why.

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

For as much information as the author compiled, you would think that the narrative would be gripping. Instead, it turned out to be a dud.

What Richard M. Lytle accomplished was writing a detailed account of the origins of Hammond, Indiana and a chronicle of railroad activities through the area. The book is small at a mere 99 pages, and at least half of that had little to do with the incident.

However, it served as a good point of origin for the further research on this subject. If you know very little about it, it's a good primer. If you are familiar with circus history and railroad history, you could probably skip this book. It was a detached viewpoint, dry narrative and poorly edited. Instead, we are left thinking, "what might have been" if a better writer had access to the same information as Lytle did.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good little book. Only 99 pages long but pretty thorough considering. I would love to find a more detailed account of this tragic event. It was definitely worth the time it took to read it. Which wasn't much time at all.

[Rachel Fritz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Yes there were facts and details and I agree with other reviewers that I wanted
to hear more personal stories. Based on the conclusion they exist so I wonder why they were not included.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dry & superficial

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of history surrounding the wreck and the Circus Industry at the time. Not to mention the railroads and wars...
I was hoping for more personal accounts of the wreck or more about the circus. But there's more general history of everything and everyone connected to the Hagenbeck/Wallace Circus and the wreck.
I did learn a lot about Indiana around 1918, which was cool, since I'm from there.
It connected me to the history of some of the places I've been or where I've had family living in more recent years (The dunes up north & Wabash).
The Hagenbeck/Wallace Circus was connected to a lot of the great Circuses of it's time. Ringling, Barnum & Bailey, etc... And I'm surprised they went through a flood and some other troubles before the wreck... But I was proud of the other Circuses providing them with replacement performers, workers, whatever they needed at the time.
The wreck itself was shocking. I can't believe it... Those wooden cars were still being used, even though they had the Steel (I think) cars available to buy at the time, and they practically turned into toothpicks. And the way the cars were split and some people were thrown away from harm, it's just astounding that any survived it... Human error, in many places, caused it... It was like dominos, so many little things went wrong, but they blamed it mainly on a man who fell asleep in the engine of the train that hit them... Poor man...
Sadly there is no markers there anymore to commemorate the dead along the tracks. They really should have some sort of plaque...

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1918. Traveling circuses were an exciting event for townsfolk. The circus business had its ups and downs like any business, but still performers and circus acts were a welcome sight. The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus was coming to Hammond, Indiana. The rail cars were of an older design, made of mostly wood. They were only allowed to travel at speeds less than 25 miles per hour. On the morning June 22, 1918, at 2:57 a.m., an empty troop train with engineer Alonzo Sargent at the controls headed toward Hammond, on the same tracks the circus train was traveling at a slower speed. Engineer Sargent was sleep deprived and dozed off. Overtaking the circus train, the steel engine plowed through the middle of cars, pushing broken cars and broken people ahead of it. A fire engulfed the wreckage, burning and killing the trapped circus people. By time it was over, the accident will have killed 86 men, women, and children and injured another 127 people. This account by Richard Lytle is an updated version of a previous book by Warren A. Reeder Jr., now out of print. New material recently discovered has been added. It’s a fascinating story of a time long past. Included are period pictures that set the scene. Many facts about circus life in the early twentieth century are included. This well-researched book is a fascinating rendition of a tragic event. Recommended for anyone who likes a personal take on a historical event.

[Brenda Ricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a horrible tragedy. All because of failures at several points, the worst being the engineer of the 2nd train falling asleep, 87 people died and 127 were damaged for life.
The book was too short, with not near enough details, A very dry read considering the gripping story he had available to tell. I realize researching this story was very difficult, but I always like more detail of the accident itself and what happened to the survivors Still overall, I was fascinated and horrified and admire the story. I think it’s a shame Indiana doesn’t do more to honor the memory of these lost souls.

[Apriel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty disappointing. I went into it expecting to learn about a horrific event in the history of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus and instead I get a few short chapters about the wreck while the rest of the book is a history lesson on trains and the founding of Hammond, Indiana. I can think of a million ways this book could have been made more engaging and informative. It’s not a long book so if you have a spare hour or two and are so inclined read it or you can Google it and get the same information sans the bits about trains and Hammond.

[Isaac Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definite written as a historical account and not a narrative story. Many of the pieces are nicely tied together, but there are so many details and people to keep track of, that is can get pretty confusing. However, I finished the book truly feeling like I had a good understanding of the event, and feeling connected to those involved. And the description of the wreck itself and the accounts of those present was so vivid that is had to stop reading and process it all. In short, it is an historical account but it was inspiring nonetheless.

[Ski Croghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story!!!

This is very similar to the movie Circus which starred Jimmy Steward. The last half of that movie is about a circus train wreck. I don't know if it was based on this incident or not. It has always been one of my favorite movies. I had not seen this book previously but I enjoyed it very much. Very sad, a real tear-jerker. Highly recommended.

[Ally Hecht · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love learning about where my family is from, so this was an easy pick-up. However, the editing was pretty rough and I often found the organization lacking. Plenty of Hammond and local train information, less-so about the people it impacted.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was really well written and concise. It also rated on key details and characters when needed to round out the story. I enjoyed the focus on the heroes and good acts after the wreck.

[Cathy Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history because I grew up in the area but rather dry storytelling style.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

so glad I read this and learned about the great circus train wreck
more people here in NW Indiana need to now about this
it saddens me to think there is no marker to indicate where this occurred

[Julie Bihn]

It's been some time since I read No Performances Today; June 22, 1918, Ivanhoe, Indiana, the other major book about the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train wreck. "No Performances Today" was heartbreaking. I don't know if it was the style or just that I already knew many of the details, but "The Great Circus Train Wreck of 1918" read to me as rather detached and clinical, despite the tragic subject matter. I don't agree with some of the ways things are phrased. (Read the last paragraph of the book and you might see what I mean.)

There was some detailed and useful information about the circus itself, but the parts about the wreck and the rescue attempts were short--just 2 chapters with a total of 30 pages. That's probably not enough room to add in all that much that wasn't already published online or in "No Performances Today."

Overall, this is not a bad introduction to the wreck, but it's not as detailed as I'd hoped.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was of interest to me because I grew up in this area. I do not remember ever hearing of this terrible tragedy in the region's history. An easy, interesting read.

[Carter Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy reading, short but informative.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, just very dry.

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems like someone's thesis rather than an actual book.