In this video I mention the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944. Here's the full video I made on that disaster in case you want to learn more: kzitem.info/news/bejne/yaVvu4aVemKrmqw
@deletdis6173
7 күн бұрын
Thank you for covering this, I remember Horror Stories having a video on this before he went crazy and deleted almost everything. Love your channel ❤
@thejudgmentalcat
7 күн бұрын
Didn't know the Wallendas were there 😢
@TekniCaliSpeakin
7 күн бұрын
I knew that disaster sounded familiar
@TekniCaliSpeakin
7 күн бұрын
@@deletdis6173wow what happened? With the deletions? I wasn't aware
@deletdis6173
7 күн бұрын
@@TekniCaliSpeakin Yea, he went nuts.
@Lemmon714_
7 күн бұрын
Yet another thing I have to quit. You made me quit cave diving, flying, trains, skydiving, pills, fractal wood burning, hotels, discos, going to work, whiskey, tunnels, racing cars.. Thanks a lot dude
@pengwino828
7 күн бұрын
Fractal wood burning should never even be an option tbf
@corneliusmcmuffin3256
7 күн бұрын
damn it, there goes my vacation plans. here I was gonna race cars in a tunnel while drinking whiskey on my way to work before heading to the disco in my hotel room where I will fractal wood burn while taking pills before skydiving onto a flying train which then dives into a cave. damn.
@scobra5941
7 күн бұрын
No Darwin Award for you then...
@alphgeek
7 күн бұрын
You still have camping with grizzly bears.
@reachandler3655
7 күн бұрын
But you still go to theatres, markets and funfairs?
@d.t.eklund1148
6 күн бұрын
I was 13 when I saw Karl Wallenda walk the wire across Veterans Stadium in Philly between a Phillies double header on Memorial Day 1976. I was scared of heights as a youngster and I was absolutely petrified. He performed a headstand midway across, then unfurled a US flag from both ends of his balancing rod. He later said that when the flags flapped in the breeze they almost spun him right off the wire, but he wanted to do it for Philly and the Bicentennial. I still have the newspaper about it and my ticket stub.
@ItsJustLisa
6 күн бұрын
So we’re the same age. I remember being absolutely fascinated by the feats of the Wallendas. I’d guess that their grandchildren are a bit older than us or around the same age. His great-grandson Nik was born in 1979. I remember seeing a program on TV about them and how they trained.
@jessicalightwarrior7276
6 күн бұрын
LO VE
@d.t.eklund1148
6 күн бұрын
@@jessicalightwarrior7276 Took a long time for Philly to get that sculpture…now housed in Love Park.
@cindys.9688
5 күн бұрын
It's so awesome that you got to see him perform live! You got to see a fascinating piece of history.
@DARWINZOO
3 күн бұрын
I was 16
@leandervr
7 күн бұрын
That three tier human pyramid traversing a highwire is insane. I can't even begin to imagine being able to coordinate and keep that stable.
@stedydubdetroit
7 күн бұрын
Mental illness and greed for fame will make you do weird 💩
@casbyness
7 күн бұрын
Always with you what cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?
@californiahiker9616
6 күн бұрын
I’m glad I can balance my walk on a hiking trail! 😂
@rawcado
6 күн бұрын
@@casbyness Backwards speak too much you.
@Transilvanian90
6 күн бұрын
@@casbyness Master, crossing wires alone is one thing, but this is totally different...
@TheRealChristopherB
7 күн бұрын
I never actually knew that the wire itself was partially at fault for Karl’s death. I always thought Karl’s advanced age was the primary cause (he was in his 70s) but an improperly assembled and supported wire line on a windy day like that is a whole different story
@scobra5941
7 күн бұрын
Always pack your own parachute.
@mikesmith-po8nd
7 күн бұрын
You'd better believe that if my life depends on a piece of equipment I'm going to inspect it myself.
@deletesomething5564
6 күн бұрын
In the end, it seems complacency got to him anyway. That's part of taking a risk. When it stops feeling like one, it collects its due. Respect for the legacy though
@Mrsjam96
6 күн бұрын
It sure is!!!
@dawnreneegmail
6 күн бұрын
Perhaps Karl was ready for the beyond and just went with it?
@warehound
6 күн бұрын
Karl is my Great-uncle, I’m the of the 8th generation of Wallendas. Gunther is my grandfather. It makes me very proud to see people still awestruck by him. I’m blessed with an incredibly talented and gracious family. If you liked this video, please go see our family perform next time they are near you! (I don’t perform myself, but I do love to slackline and vault on horseback lol)
@nysockexchange2204
6 күн бұрын
At what age do family members get exposure to the high wire? I mean how do they even get over the natural fear of heights? I sure hope these children are given a choice and not pressured to do it.
@warehound
5 күн бұрын
@@nysockexchange2204 no one is pressured into anything, that’s a crazy thing to accuse or assume. Many were born already living with the circus and growing up around it. It’s not scary if you’re trained and know what you’re doing. It’s a source of pride, carrying on the tradition is an honor. Not everyone does though, and that’s ok too. My mom walked the wire regularly through her teens and then went to college and got her masters.
@cindys.9688
5 күн бұрын
You come from an awesome family! I bet conversations were lively and rich - talking about the acts they did; acts they were going to do; their travel schedule...etc. I would have loved to listen in! Thank you for commenting and sharing your story!
@GoldiJapLox
5 күн бұрын
Holy hell that's stupid
@warehound
5 күн бұрын
@@GoldiJapLox ?
@benjaminrealy5661
7 күн бұрын
My favourite wallenda memory was Nick crossing Niagara falls. He did it with such ease, I was amazed. One quirk about it was he crossed international border so once he crossed, he had to show his passport. Although it was a tiny detail, it helped me remember his performance.
@GoldiJapLox
5 күн бұрын
My God the Stone age before we had internet
@ashotofmercury
2 күн бұрын
@@GoldiJapLox what?.... 🤷🏻♀🤔
@ejthedhampir507
7 күн бұрын
“I can handle the grief better from up there.” What an unbelievably inspirational quote. Rest in peace, Karl, the great, flying Wallenda.
@MamaBearAngela
6 күн бұрын
Made me cry a bit. 😢
@TheNinjaDC
6 күн бұрын
It's not hard to believe or understand. One of the most common ways to process grief if by throwing yourself into your work and routine. This was his work, and his life.
@Torero2901
6 күн бұрын
"Inspirational"?? His blood own son died the day before. What a "father", nothing "inspirational" about him.
@phattjohnson
6 күн бұрын
@@Torero2901 His son didn't die, but he got paralysed :(
@Torero2901
6 күн бұрын
@@phattjohnson thanks for that correction. Even worse, instead of caring for his son and being on his side his dad just jumped back on the same rope that paralyzed his own child... """Inspirational""", some people have amoebe intelligence.
@user-ll8be9vt4u
7 күн бұрын
Thank you for including the mention of his great grandson. I've seen a couple of his walks on TV and he's great
@Nikki0417
6 күн бұрын
I wasn't expecting to hear that his great-grandkids were still doing highwire acts. That really is a family of performers.
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
In 2013, Nick Wallenda became the first person to tightrope the Grand Canyon. 1400 feet long and 1500 feet high. More than 20 minutes on the wire. No harness. Live national TV. He insisted that if he fell, it be shown live.
@ShearGenius88
7 күн бұрын
I somehow never fully realized the Wallendas were real people and not just totally embellished folk history.
@juliapierce7413
7 күн бұрын
Sadly, a lot of history is the same for many people these days. Some don't believe the holocaust was real. 😢
@oneminuteofmyday
6 күн бұрын
I was surprised how many people didn’t realize the Titanic was a real ship until the 100th anniversary in 2012. Time moves on, generations pass, and people and events start to fade into just something you hear tell about.
@mybodymychoice6557
5 күн бұрын
Doing what they do for centuries, no less. Wow.
@cindys.9688
5 күн бұрын
Same here!😐
@dbooker0410
6 күн бұрын
When Nik returned to finish the walk in Puerto Rico for his grandfather, his grandmother also walked the wire from the other side & they passed each on the wire in the exact spot his grandfather fell as a memorial to him. It was powerful to see & I did cry for them. ❤
@owangejewice
7 күн бұрын
Some people are old, and some people are bold. Very few people are bold and old.
@TheRealChristopherB
7 күн бұрын
Fun fact, one of those bold old people is Philippe Petit, famous high wire artist, known for his iconic walk between the Twin Towers in 1974 Dude’s still alive and actively walking at age 75.
@owangejewice
7 күн бұрын
@@TheRealChristopherB Amazing person. His doc man on wire and free solo are the only two documentaries I've seen that activate my severe vertigo.
@tomsdottir
6 күн бұрын
You should try driving in Glasgow on a Sunday morning.
@cindys.9688
5 күн бұрын
Love your comment! 😁
@GoldiJapLox
5 күн бұрын
And fewer people are old bold and that stupid@@tomsdottir
@elielliott2375
7 күн бұрын
Thank you for refraining from showing his death. This is one of the only true horror channels that really treats its subjects with the respect and reverence that they deserve - as well as being very well researched and presented ❤ EDIT TO ADD: many of you really, really want to see an old man explode onto concrete. Maybe those people should do some internal questioning instead of accusing this creator of censorship.
@_kaleido
7 күн бұрын
Just realizing I was watching a clip of him seconds away from falling made me feel a little squeamish, poor guy RIP.
@keetahbrough
7 күн бұрын
I would have preferred to see the entire scope of it, because I can take reality and process it as it exists. It's tremendously important to do this, in reality, for reality. We need to stop avoiding reality.. because it's twisted reality. The lack of respect shows up when its' taken out of our hands, to decide for ourselves, how to process something. So no, it's not respectful, it's controlling behaviorr.. and controlling behavioir always turns into tyrannical behavior.
@Iconoclasher
7 күн бұрын
@@keetahbrough Well said 👍
@user-ln2go4xp6d
7 күн бұрын
@@keetahbrough tyrannical? to show respect to someone and their family? you’re the reason sensational gorey trucrime channels are so big.
@user-ln2go4xp6d
7 күн бұрын
@@keetahbrough go somewhere else if you want gore, this channel is for the respectful.
@aceckrot
7 күн бұрын
I remember when this happened, but was not aware that the Flying Wallendas were still performing. Thank you for sharing this story.
@Howiesgirl
7 күн бұрын
I remember seeing The Flying Wallendas several times on TV as a child. They were truly amazing to watch, as was Carl Wallenda's solo act. I was 13 when he died, & remember being very shocked when hearing about his horrible accident on the news. Very talented man. 😢
@dawnstorm9768
7 күн бұрын
I was 14. I remembered the news actually showing the fall--very disconcerting to say the least.
@Howiesgirl
6 күн бұрын
@@dawnstorm9768 Yes, it really was awful.
@averyeml
7 күн бұрын
This is a name I have known sort of passively but didn’t really know why other than “they did acrobatics/wire/something circusy.” I’m not surprised how he went out, just sort of statistically speaking it’s probably something he’d considered, but it is always too bad and tragic. Shout out to you for having that footage and being chill enough not to show the actual fall. That’s why I love this channel!
@keetahbrough
7 күн бұрын
because you cannot handle the reality, you choose to avoid it. I get it. But understand that is what makes you harmless.. a coward. I'm not trying to be mean; I want to be CLEAR. For this human species, as they clutch their pearls at anything hard to do and requires personal investment. definitely not strong enough to take anything on that might be difficult, eh? These are the daily things we do that exposes who we are. Cowards in the collective is normal, don't worry.
@crow-jane
7 күн бұрын
@@keetahbroughAn unwillingness to watch a man fall to his death isn’t a moral failing, stranger, but pestering the entire comment section over it might be. Are you this weird all the time?
@Cats-TM
6 күн бұрын
@@keetahbrough Pretty sure it actually might be a good thing they do not want to see a man's death. In fact, most people do not want to see others die not because they are cowards, but because they care. Even people who deal with death on a daily basis generally dislike seeing people die, it is just not something that people are really made to deal with well.
@voidilitesingularis
6 күн бұрын
@@keetahbroughLemme guess, you're a "strong alpha" too? Criiiiinge Being desensitized to death doesn't make you 'not a coward' it makes you desensitized to death
@bluegreenglue6565
7 күн бұрын
As an undergraduate student, I became acquainted with a woman a few decades my senior who had performed with the Wallendas. She was every bit a performer and a fearless woman. Karl's legacy is impressive.
@Curly34584
7 күн бұрын
Back in 1977 during a Baseball doubleheader at Cleveland Municipal Stadium I watched Karl Wallenda walk across the top of the Stadium during a light rain. What a great thing to watch👍
@stevetournay6103
7 күн бұрын
A flyover that doesn't involve an aircraft. Rather cool, that.
@Curly34584
7 күн бұрын
@@stevetournay6103. ??
@joeyjamison5772
6 күн бұрын
Back then the way the Cleveland Indians played, he probably put on a better show!
@timnoel511
7 күн бұрын
I just woke up from a bad nightmare, decided to watch some KZitem, "oh good a new Fascinating Horror video to calm me down from my bad nightmare" 🤣
@kollow
7 күн бұрын
I hope you have better dreams tonight.
@casbyness
7 күн бұрын
Wednesday Addams is that you? :D
@rebekahwolkiewicz449
6 күн бұрын
Dude I get the weirdest nightmares sometimes. The other night it was sting rays…
@bjbrown
6 күн бұрын
It is all okay. Now just lie back down and cross your arms over your chest and breathe. You will be just fine.
@brophy182182
6 күн бұрын
Same
@Northern.Town.
7 күн бұрын
I remember him. I was young when he passed, but my parents were very sad. I have been interested in the high wire act my entire life thanks to the Flying Wallendas!
@Ozymandias1
7 күн бұрын
The 70s was quite the decade for crazy stunts. You had Evel Knievel trying to jump the Grand Canyon in a rocket in 1974 and in the same year Philip Pettit another high-wire artist walked between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (which was the subject of the 2015 movie The Walk).
@adamolupin
7 күн бұрын
Didn't someone also try to climb the World Trade Center without a rope and without permission in the 70s?
@zabadazidit
6 күн бұрын
I have such a fear of falling that when I saw the trailer for "The Walk," I had to turn off the TV. Too realistic!
@Zombertino
7 күн бұрын
My parents told me this happened on live television back in the 70's when there was no technology to censor a live broadcast. Very sad, but then again, I doubt he would have wanted his end to be any other way.
@chrisvickers7928
7 күн бұрын
His final fall was shown on the news. I watched and was horrified.
@dawnstorm9768
7 күн бұрын
You and me both.
@rafanifischer3152
6 күн бұрын
It was actually broadcast live. When Wallenda fell the narrator screamed "He fell! How is this possible!"
@WobblesandBean
7 күн бұрын
Oh god, I remember this. Thank you for not showing the actual fall, everyone else does and I find it distasteful and disrespectful to Karl and his family.
@joemontano71
6 күн бұрын
I remember the 5:00 news showing most of the fall. I’ll never forget the terrified look on my mom‘s face.
@MarsJenkar
6 күн бұрын
It's par for the course for this channel. Fascinating Horror tends to stick to the factual parts of the story, not the sensational ones. And showing the fall would have been too sensational for the channel, I think. I keep returning to this channel _because_ it sticks to the facts.
@BrenMurphy1
7 күн бұрын
A 19 year old kid attempted a world record motorcycle jump at Maitland in Australia and landed with his chest on the handlebars. RIP
@rotn50
7 күн бұрын
Maitland in the 80s was awesome. Even the Newcastle earthquake shook Maitland big time.
@daniels7717
7 күн бұрын
When did this happen ?
@rotn50
7 күн бұрын
@daniels7717 2013 the young fella passed away. Tyrone Gilks
@JourneyJankings
6 күн бұрын
How is that pertinent to this video, about tightrope deaths? Looking for likes or something? Fuck outta here.
@aaronando1218
6 күн бұрын
2013 not sure why old mates bringing that up now
@charlotteinnocent8752
7 күн бұрын
His poor wife and family. He loved his life though. Compared to the lives of many, he lived well and had a wonderful life. I hope his family find ways to introduce safety measures that work well.
@RegHoldsworth-ri7hh
7 күн бұрын
Now there's real talent coupled with NO fear, just wow. Cheers brief
@DylanDoesArt
7 күн бұрын
These videos get posted so early that they're like a morning newspaper, except way out of date
@hushingsilence
7 күн бұрын
Fascinating Horror has taught me to never walk on a high wire.😳
@daffers2345
7 күн бұрын
It's taught _me_ never to stay at an overcrowder venue, and to have an exit plan for fires.
@hushingsilence
7 күн бұрын
@@daffers2345 That's *exactly* what I've said on other Fascinating Horror videos. 😳
@stevetournay6103
7 күн бұрын
...nor to do plenty else! The caving videos, especially, are pure nightmare fuel...
@Popeye1963-q6u
6 күн бұрын
Or walk a wire high.
@bjbrown
6 күн бұрын
I used to be a reckless sort but now that I get retirement funds I have a strange penchant for wanting to live. Retired in Florida ❤
@trevorregay9283
6 күн бұрын
Well, what an extremely nice tribute to this man and his family and his legacy! God Bless.
@ozzyyzzoful
7 күн бұрын
He wasn't able to check the configuration of the cables himself beforehand?... that's incredible...
@Mrsjam96
6 күн бұрын
You would think he would insist on checking every time he walked! Never trust others people’s work when it comes to your life!
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
Nick Wallenda has stated for the record his belief that had a Wallenda family member checked that rig, Karl would not have fallen.
@Mrsjam96
6 күн бұрын
@@sturmovik1274 I agree 💯
@kaycwtchmahoney2940
7 күн бұрын
Such a heartbreaking end to an amazing career , I believe he was very much one of the best high wire performers
@peckishpagan
7 күн бұрын
Am I the only one that breaks it down to the music? Like… my husband knows when I’m listening because I do my little dance. I’m awful😩
@313gypsy
7 күн бұрын
Yes I like to throw a little twerk in there 😂
@Unownshipper
6 күн бұрын
I personally don’t need the performers to do their show without a net or similar supplementary safety equipment. Whenever I’ve seen an acrobatics performance at a circus, I still gasp in fear and wonder in amazement as they do their aerial feats. I get wanting to push yourself to greater and greater heights, and no judgment meant to Karl Wallenda, but in my mind the show is no less spectacular with a net. Stepping out on that wire is a far braver thing than I could manage.
@aluvrianne
7 күн бұрын
I was 11 the last time I went to the circus. Several people fell during a trapeze stunt and one of them hit the ground. I don't even know the outcome since we were evacuated while EMS came in. Just thinking about it is making me break out in a bit of a sweat. Hearing that Karl was inadvertently dealing with improperly installed equipment is sadly not a surprise. Hearing that, I thought, but of course. . .
@LilAnnThrax
7 күн бұрын
Love getting these notifications. Thank you for all you do. This guy has always been really fascinating to me. He didn't have to do any of this but he was compelled, I suppose, by something I couldn't understand.
@xr6lad
7 күн бұрын
By something you can’t understand? Like insanity and ego?
@seanluzdeluna8153
7 күн бұрын
@@xr6ladOh, you mean like your MOTHER?!
@evanepic3599
7 күн бұрын
@@xr6lad why do people always jump to the conclusion that people like this are insane, egotistical, etc. To me it just seems like the things they happen to be interested in, happen to be somewhat dangerous
@bjbrown
6 күн бұрын
He enjoyed the challenge of the walk. His children and grandchildren learned and also enjoyed the challenge of flying. It isn't ego, it's a challenge.
@Dulcimertunes
7 күн бұрын
Wire walking after 70 is even more impressive as the natural ability to keep balanced decreases.
@JimmyMatis-h9y
6 күн бұрын
true though most 70s year olds aren't nearly as active as he was. you don't use it, you lose it as they say.
@joeyjamison5772
6 күн бұрын
I'm in my mid 70s. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and getting down the stairs, let alone walking a tight wire.
@seandelap8587
7 күн бұрын
I suppose he died doing what he loved doing because otherwise he would have just stopped doing it after his previous accounts but he didn't
@AC-ih7jc
7 күн бұрын
Interesting fact: one of the audience members at the Connecticut circus fire was a young Charles Nelson Reilly. He never felt relaxed in a theater, and when he was directing operas, would do so from the back of the theater, near the exits.
@Beth_Alice_Kaplan
6 күн бұрын
Wow, I never knew that about him! He was lucky that day.
@evey89
7 күн бұрын
I'm sorry... they used gasoline to waterproof the tent? How could that possibly go wrong...
@Coolcarting
7 күн бұрын
Don't be sorry, it's ok.
@Play_fare
7 күн бұрын
Older recipes for waterproofing canvas used some form of wax, and a distillate of some type. A popular one used paraffin wax, turpentine, and linseed oil. Sometimes kerosene was used. Anyone familiar with old canvas tents or tarps will instantly recognise the distinctive smell of the waterproofing. Nowadays most canvas waterproofing uses silicone, a much safer and less flammable alternative.
@nopcshere6097
7 күн бұрын
In that time they used a mixture of paraffin wax and gasoline to prolong the life of the canvas. Which of course created a firetrap.
@David_C_83
7 күн бұрын
The comment I was looking for, I thought I was the only one who thought that wasn't the best idea one could've had back in the day...
@joshuabessire9169
7 күн бұрын
You thing that's bad, don't compare the Hindenberg's doping to the composition of space shuttle booster fuel.
@janmcguire5268
6 күн бұрын
Thank you for covering this family! I met some of his surviving family members at a fair some years ago. They were a most kind and gracious group.
@BlakkYaya
3 күн бұрын
Thank you so much for covering his story. My mother watched it live and it still haunts her to this day. She always told me about his story with such sad eyes. It is still engraved in the memory of many people back home. Truly a sad horror.
@rf159a
7 күн бұрын
I hate heights!!
@Rhonda9199
7 күн бұрын
Me too; acrophobia!
@stevetournay6103
7 күн бұрын
It's not the actual height you likely fear, but the perceived likelihood of falling. I'm mildly acrophobic, hate ladders or high balconies...but absolutely love flying in airplanes. In a plane, I don't feel like I'm about to fall...
@casbyness
7 күн бұрын
You're vaguely magnetized to the side of a moldy spinning iron ball that's hurtling in circles around a spherical explosion. Remember this when you lay on the ground outdoors and look up at the sky, it'll make you feel better about "heights". XD
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
@@stevetournay6103 Same. It's the perception of being in control of the immediate environment.
@joãoAlberto-k9x
7 күн бұрын
We ❤ the narrator too. He is fascinating too. 🎉.
@seandelap8587
7 күн бұрын
Always look forward to a Tuesday morning video by FH
@reddog-ex4dx
6 күн бұрын
I remember his fall. Although you don't show him falling off, my memory finished the video. I remember his fall being attributed to the wind. It was so sad.
@ladyjane9980
6 күн бұрын
Living in Buffalo in the early 90's, the circus was in town. I ran a shoe store. The "younger" Wollendas came in and all purchased shoes. They were so kind and funny. It was a real treat to meet them.
@Traderjoe
7 күн бұрын
I remember seeing this live on TV and it really affected me because he looked just like my grandfather and when he fell, it looked really terrifying to him and to us. They had hyped it up for a week on the TV news
@joeyjamison5772
6 күн бұрын
I'm in my mid 70s. I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and getting down the stairs, let alone walking a tight wire.
@toni5431
7 күн бұрын
I wobble like mad on a basic step ladder, I think wire walking is a tad out of my skillset thankfully!
@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823
6 күн бұрын
Try nutritional yeast. B vitamins food is said to help.
@tiberiusgracchus4222
7 күн бұрын
The thing with something like this is that people are never perfect regardless of their skill. The very best musicians sometimes miss a note. The world's best basketball players have off games. It's really just a matter of time with something like this. You can also never completely remove chaos from the situation no matter how meticulous your preparation is. The incorrectly adjusted support wires in this case are a perfect example. I realize there are high wire performers who make it through their entire careers without an accident but there's some good fortune to that. Given enough time and enough attempts something will eventually go wrong.
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
Yes. And, there had been incidents for him where things HAD gone wrong. He'd fallen, he'd seen people die. He knew it could happen... and he kept doing it anyway.
@barberdoug6930
4 күн бұрын
Great Story. I was at the Shrine Circus the day after fall in 1962 as a young kid in Detroit.
@kitsunekun2345
6 күн бұрын
I was scared of heights before this video and this has justified my fear forever
@elliottprice6084
7 күн бұрын
What a fearless individual. The fact that Karl Wallender was still high wire walking in his 70s speaks volumes of his courage and daring
@danielthoman7324
7 күн бұрын
He was an idiot.
@daniellapan232
7 күн бұрын
Since you mentioned the Hartford circus fire,perhaps you can tell the story of " little miss nobody ", the little girl who went unidentified for decades despite numerous inquiries and photos of her sweet little face distributed around the country. Love your channel my friend.
@Ozymandias1
7 күн бұрын
Fascinating Horror did a video about the Hartford fire three years ago. kzitem.info/news/bejne/yaVvu4aVemKrmqw
@Rhonda9199
7 күн бұрын
Yes, would love to see that too. Also, Charles Nelson Reilly escaped that circus as a child.
@daniellapan232
7 күн бұрын
@@Rhonda9199 that's interesting, I never knew that.
@geocelta1961
7 күн бұрын
He did that all ready. Three years ago. He did an entire thing about the Hartford circus. Should check it out. Look up "Hartford fascinating horror".
@dawnstorm9768
7 күн бұрын
@@Rhonda9199I think that's been done--check the channel's playlist.
@TheSaneHatter
6 күн бұрын
A little note for comic-book fans everywhere: the Flying Wallendas are said to have been an inspiration for the Flying Graysons, who were Robin's family.
@scoutz0rs
6 күн бұрын
Circus history (and the Wallendas) is something I find endlessly fascinating and have read about for years and years, been to Circus World, Ringling Circus Museum, met a Wallenda, etc. These were athletes who lived and died for their art, who were elite by modern stands, better than many of their contemporary Olympic athletes in the early 20th c. I can’t recommend enough reading every memoir of every old timer circus performer and worker you can find.
@CyrusChennault
7 күн бұрын
I remember watching his great grandson Nick walk across Niagra Falls on a wire with my great grandmother (rip)
@jeepliving1
7 күн бұрын
How did he convince your great grandmother to go across with him?
@jraklo88
6 күн бұрын
😂😂
@mph1ish
6 күн бұрын
@@jeepliving1 Maybe she was the one who convinced him? 😅
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
The Grand Canyon walk was truly unreal. My mother couldn't bear to watch; she had to leave the room until we told her he was done.
@jenniferbrewer5370
6 күн бұрын
I'm a simple person. I see a new Fascinating Horror video, I click.
@ellenbryn
7 күн бұрын
I remember the Flying Wallendas from the Ringling Bros of the mid 70s, although I assume Karl was not with the troupe when I saw them. I was very young, probably five or six. I remember the bicycle.... bicycles? with the horizontal poles and everyone standing on one another in one of thoss terrifying human pyramids - more of a spiderweb, really. I think the act started with them all dressed in white and moving their arms as if they were flying in slow motion, so they came out onto the wire in formation like geese. but I may be mixing them up with a Russian act, or it may be a child's imagination set off by their name, hazy details that have embroidered the original memory barely recalled almost 50 years later. it's awe-inspiring when one stumbles across a tradition out of the late middle ages or Renaissance (or in this case I suppose early modern, but it was still a long time ago) that's survived into the modern era. Performers like this go back hundreds of years, although the high wire act as it is today depends on modern technology to keep it steady. I can't believe Karl was still going into his 70s, and that it was not an older person's loss of balance but younger people's carelessness (probably) that did him in. still, I'm sure he would not have lived any other life or chosen any other death.
@vustvaleo8068
7 күн бұрын
it is kinda touching that his great-grandson basically "avenged" him by completing the failed stunt that caused his death.
@stevetournay6103
7 күн бұрын
Yes, like Linda Finch completing Amelia Earhart's flight or Steve Fonyo finishing Terry Fox's trans-Canada run...
@raymartin3527
7 күн бұрын
I wouldn't even want to watch someone do it.
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
My mother couldn't watch Nick Wallenda's Grand Canyon walk. She had to leave the room until we told her he was done.
@AngelMartinez-zn7ks
7 күн бұрын
What a life 👏🏽,awesome video 👌🏽
@nr4930
6 күн бұрын
I was working in a bar in Toronto and one of my bosses was calling long distance from Puerto Rico and he saw the fall live and we heard his reaction over the phone. Crazy!
@mikelarry88888
7 күн бұрын
I saw that footage of his fall on 'faces of death' vhs video in the 80s when i was about 14. At that time, I found it really graphic. And i felt strange for several days afterwards.
@АлександрОрлов-п9ч
7 күн бұрын
I've never seen faces of death but I'm pretty sure it's pretty tame comparing to the stuff you can see on the internet today
@P_RO_
6 күн бұрын
@@АлександрОрлов-п9ч It was groundbreaking for it's time. Now there are simply more people to share such things, so they do.
@Beth_Alice_Kaplan
6 күн бұрын
That’s how I felt after I watched footage the Pennsylvania state treasurer take his own life live in 1987. I thought “Oh, I can handle it.” Guess what…😖
@emeliamarie7291
7 күн бұрын
What an incredible and inspiring man. Thank you for telling us his story, for doing him justice. I'm always a big fan of your channel and your manner.
@nomoretwitterhandles
6 күн бұрын
Deaths like these are sad in the sense that you can't really say or do much about it. He knew what he was getting himself into, he knew the risks, and he did it anyway. While the wire and weather may have played a part in his death, he still did this knowing that falling to his death was a very real possibility. He would have been delusional to think otherwise. He is still at the fault of his own shortcomings. Now what? Experience cannot save you from the lack of safety equipment. End of story... and the end of his story, too.
@katyc.8663
3 күн бұрын
I talked to my grandma about the Hartford circus fire. Even over seven decades later, I could hear the sadness and horror in her voice as she remembered hearing about it later that day.
@kathleencummings8081
6 күн бұрын
Thank you for this, the Wallendas are an amazing family of performers. I've watched a number of Nik's walks, and remember especially the one in NYC with his sister, it was the first time she was back on the wire performing after the fall she had that basically shattered her face.
@capt.bart.roberts4975
7 күн бұрын
You couldn't get me up there at the point of a gun!
@debbiebalnaves4842
7 күн бұрын
He was great . I remember him and his death 😢 He only did one thing wrong , he didn't check his equipment again before going out .
@sturmovik1274
6 күн бұрын
Nick Wallenda has always believed that if a Wallenda had checked that rig, Karl would not have fallen.
@stratocasterguy
16 сағат бұрын
I remember watching his final walk on TV when I was 10 years old. The cameras showed his fall all the way to the ground. I will never forget it.
@rogersmith4834
9 сағат бұрын
In 1964, I was assistant to Clyde Beatty and his wild animal act, and the Wallendas were on the show. That act consisted of Karl's daughter, Carla, her husband, and a young American, Ray Whitty. I answered a knock on my sleeper door to find Karl Wallenda offering me a spot with his family's wire act. I was working for Beatty, my boyhood hero, and was breaking in on his big cats, so I politely declined Karl's offer. NOTE: "Flying act" describes the flying trapeze act, when flyers drop the bar, turn the trick in mid-air, and are caught by the hands of the catcher swinging up to them. That is the flying act. The High-Wire Wallendas use the common misnomer of "The Flying..." as it is familiar to the public ear. PS: A neighbor here describes seeing the Wallendas fall in Detroit, in '62.
@billlonee9470
6 күн бұрын
Back in the day, the nightly news showed the entire fall. The horror is forever etched in my memory.
@TheGreatDanish
18 сағат бұрын
Break time at work, time to listen about tradgedy, the highlight of my work day
@leswatson
7 күн бұрын
Nobody trying to sleep here 🇦🇺. At least not after watching The Great Walenda!
@tubthump
7 күн бұрын
I witnessed an escapologist fail to get out of his strait jacket while he was suspended from a burning rope. He didn’t survive the fall.
@asavannah7439
6 күн бұрын
Who?
@tubthump
6 күн бұрын
@@asavannah7439 Trevor Revell
@Marchingvenusaur
7 күн бұрын
Horror Stories was the only other channel I watched that brought attention to this story. Thanks for covering him!
@AidanOAArch
7 күн бұрын
Fascinating, I'd heard of Karl Wallender but i'd never known the details. Thank you.
@seandelap8587
7 күн бұрын
Tightrope walking is risky business so there's always a possibility of something like this happening
@AKcelsior
5 күн бұрын
I saw The Flying Wallendas do the pyramid at a state fair in Michigan when I was younger. I'll never forget it.
@taze317
5 күн бұрын
If it was the Shrine Circus, I may have been there too.
@AKcelsior
4 күн бұрын
@@taze317 It was the Shrine Circus.
@taze317
4 күн бұрын
@@AKcelsior I thought you seemed familiar. I was a nervous little boy when people were doing anything on a wire. Take care 🙂.
@phylliswurm9473
6 күн бұрын
I remember this unfortunate event. Good video with great narration.
@pmberry
7 күн бұрын
Hello, Tuesday people.
@rose72545
5 күн бұрын
6:02 Karl not only caught the wire as he fell, he also managed to grab hold of his niece Jana as she fell from her place at the top of the pyramid. He and his brother Herman held onto her until a net was improvised. One of the men killed was her brother (the other man killed was Karl's son-in-law.)
@dfuher968
7 күн бұрын
He died, like he lived, and by his own choices. Isnt that, how we all would like to go? Tho not in this exact way, but to each their own.
@xr6lad
7 күн бұрын
No. Stupidity is never to be admired nor not taking precautions.
@casbyness
7 күн бұрын
"Tho not in this exact way" is doing a LOT of heavy lifting in your statement. :D
@davidhudson5452
7 күн бұрын
Very brave Family
@danielthoman7324
7 күн бұрын
They were also very foolish.
@barbllm
5 күн бұрын
I visited Tallulah Gorge a couple of years ago, and some of Wallenda's equipment is still there.
@cathe8282
6 күн бұрын
I've been waiting for this one. My youth was full of fascination in circuses, oddities, dynasties of performers. I always found the Wallendas fascinating and unfortunately watched this pretty much in real time. I must have been hooked to this sort of content early from watching "That's Incredible". The footage is bringing back memories.
@rentslave
7 күн бұрын
I saw Karl doing his act between games of a doubleheader at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia on May 31,1976,walking from the right field foul pole to the left field foul pole. During the entire performance,Phillies organist's,Paul Richardson,played the classic "You'll Never Walk Alone." All the while I was thinking:"If he falls,there will be no second game."
@stevetournay6103
7 күн бұрын
The left field foul people? Nasty bunch he was walking toward, eh? Adds to the challenge...😁
@alolkoydesigns
5 күн бұрын
Very respectfully done
@bold810
5 күн бұрын
I remember watching your video on that circus fire. I still can't believe they used gasoline to waterproof canvas. It was like the wreak of the Karang. I watched on ABC's Wide World of Sports when Karl had the accident.
@anrun
6 күн бұрын
On a related note, the documentary film Man on Wire about Philippe Petit is well worth watching. Petit, of course, is the French wire walker who walked between the two towers of World Trade Center in 1974. The Walk, also about Petit and directed by Robert Zemeckis, is pretty good as well.
@melindakinnaird
5 күн бұрын
The first time I ever heard of the Flying Wallendas was the 1988 reboot of That's Incredible called Incredible Sunday. A young woman named Angel Wallenda had lost a leg to cancer and walked across a high wire on the stage using a prosthetic leg. Sadly, she passed away in 1996.
@SimpleJack-mc4cg
7 күн бұрын
Guy was a bloody legend mate.
@bokoblinee1392
6 күн бұрын
While working at an archive I saw a recording of the Flying Wallenda's lead by Karl and subsequently learned their history. Neat to see you cover it now
@JessicaNield-r5l
7 күн бұрын
Once again, a fascinating presentation from the one and only Fascinating Horror. Maybe Karl knew. Maybe he realised, with his lifelong experience with the high-wire, that it would only be a matter of time before he had leave up there for the last time. Maybe he saw elder wire-walkers forced to get down, condemned to the earth and filled with loss and sorrow. Maybe he wanted to make sure that being up there would be his final act.
@toni5431
7 күн бұрын
I clicked sooo fast. I think this is the earliest I've been!
@jamiespinks3657
5 күн бұрын
Using gasoline to waterproof a circus tent. Genius
@susangreene9662
14 сағат бұрын
Saw some of the troupe in Syracuse, NY many years ago. Amazing! This video was scary to watch even the static pics!
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