1963 — Oct 31, Bottled Propane Gas Tank Explosion, Indianapolis Coliseum, IN –74-75

 

–81  Drabek, Thomas. Disaster In Aisle 13 Revisited. Conf. Proceedings, 5-18/19-1995.[1]

–81  Quarantelli.  “Emergency Accommodation Groups…” Ch. 9 in Shibutani, 1973, p. 120.[2]

–75  Blanchard high-end estimate of 74-75 fatalities.[3]

–75  NFPA. “The Deadliest U.S. Fires and Explosions.” Fire Journal, May/June 1988, p. 49.

–75  NFPA. U.S. Unintentional Fire Death Rates by State. December 2008, p. 21.

–74  Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. “Blast Claims 74th Victim.” 2-10-1964, p. 6.

–74  Indiana Public Media. Moment of Indiana History. “1963 Coliseum Explosion.” 9-11-2006

–74  Indianapolis Firefighters Museum.  “The Coliseum Explosion.”

–74  Indianapolis Star. “1963 Coliseum explosion Killed 74.” 7-10-2001.

–74  McGregor, Scott. “The Blackest Night.” Indianapolis Monthly, Oct 2003, pp. 122-127, 220

–74  NFPA.  National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. 1983, 137.

–74  TheINDYchannel, RTV6. “Coliseum Explosion Remembered.” 2007.

–73  New York Times. “Court to Divide $1 Million. 1-2-1964.

–73  Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Fairgrounds’ Blast Takes 73rd Victim.” 12-23-1963, 2.

–72  Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Death Toll Rises…Coliseum Tragedy.” 11-26-1963, 3.

–71  Linton Daily Citizen, IN. “Coliseum Explosion Ranks as One of Worst in….” 11-13-1963,1

–71  Tipton Daily Tribune, IN. “Coliseum Blast Toll Reaches 71.” 11-11-1963, 1.

–69  Anderson Herald, IN. “6 Remain Critical…Indianapolis Explosion Injuries.” 11-10-1963, 1

–69  Logansport Press IN. “Coliseum Tragedy Becomes Worst in State’s History.” 11-9-1963, 1

–68  Barlay, Stephen. Fire: An International Report. Brattleboro: Stephen Greene, 1973, p. 161.

–68  Logansport Press, IN. “Coliseum Blast Probe Planned By Grand Jury.” 11-6-1963, 4.

–68  Logansport Press, IN. “Grand Jury Begins Explosion Probe.” 11-7-1963, p. 4.

–68  Logansport Press, IN. “Memorial Services Held For Coliseum Blast Dead.” 11-9-1963, 8.

–68  Tipton Tribune, IN. “Two More Dead of Blast Injuries at Fair Grounds.” 11-4-1963, 1.

–66  Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, 1.

–64  Benson. The Greatest Explosions in History. 1990, p. 133.

–64  Logansport Press, IN. “Experts Probing Explosion in Which 64 Persons Died.” 11-2-63, 1

–64  Logansport Press, IN. “Indianapolis Blast Victims Listed.” 11-2-1963, 1.

–62  Oct 31. Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Fairgrounds’ Blast…73rd…” 12-23-1963, 2.

–60  National Fire Protect. Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).[4]

 

Narrative Information

 

Drabek:  Overview:  “On October 31, 1963, a violent explosion suddenly ended the performance of the “Holiday On Ice” show which was being presented in the State Fairgrounds Coliseum at Indianapolis, Indiana.  Fifty-four persons were killed immediately, either from the charring burst of flames or from the tons of concrete which, after being thrown high into the air, fell with crushing impact.  Nearly 400 others were injured.  Twenty-seven of the injured later died raising the final death count to 81, the highest single death toll ever to occur in an Indiana disaster.”  (Drabek, Disaster In Aisle 13, 1968, p. 1)

 

“Fortunately the lights remained on…Though one or two cases of slight panic flight were reported, most people immediately moved toward exits in an orderly manner…The focus of activity of persons remaining in the building was the pit more than 50 feet wide that had been created by the initial explosion which occurred directly below the box seats along Aisle 13.  In a tangled pile there were a mass of rubble, pieces of masonry, splintered wood, twisted girders, and human bodies.  After the second explosion, a small fire also burned in the crater.

 

“Dead and injured victims lay beneath pieces of concrete ranging  from the size of a fist to slabs weighing 5 to 10 tons.  Burns were suffered by many; some bodies were so charred that later identification could only be confirmed through indirect methods such as dental records.  Burns occasioned about one-fourth of the deaths on the scene.  Aside from burns, the other casualties were primarily caused by the massive chunks of concrete.  Head injuries appeared to have been responsible for perhaps half of the total killed.”  (Drabek 1968, p. 3)

 

An investigation into the cause concluded that a propane gas tank in a commissary under the mezzanine seats, apparently overfilled, became overheated and blew a safety valve.  The escaping propane came into contact with a popcorn heating element and exploded. (Drabek 1968, p. 186.)

 

Indianapolis Star, 2001:  “Oct. 31, 1963, will forever be ingrained in the memory of the people of Indianapolis. That night an explosion ripped through the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, claiming the lives of 74 people and injuring nearly 400.  It was one of the worst tragedies in Indiana history.

 

“It was opening night for the Holiday on Ice show, with more than 4,000 spectators on hand. Propane, being used to keep pre-popped popcorn warm, was leaking from a faulty valve. At 11:04 p.m. an explosion sent bodies flying nearly 60 feet. A second blast took place a few minutes later, caused by heat rising and air rushing into the vacuumized area. The victims were either severely burned or crushed by concrete.

 

“Indianapolis was not equipped to handle the volume of dead. Coroner Dennis Nicholas elected to use the Coliseum as a makeshift morgue. The bodies were placed on plywood and lined up on the ice according to gender and age.

 

“Family members passed through the rows of bodies to identify their loved ones. Sixty five people were killed that evening and eight others would die in the days and weeks that followed. The 74th victim died Feb. 7, 1964.

 

“On Dec. 19, 1963, a Marion County grand jury indicted State Fire Marshal Ira J. Anderson and Indianapolis fire chief Arnold W. Phillips on misdemeanor charges of failing to inspect the Coliseum.  Edward J. Franger, president of Discount Gas Corp; Fred Helms, Discount’s vice president; Richard Ensign, Discount’s Indianapolis manager; Coliseum manager Melvin Ross; and Coliseum concession manager Floyd James were charged with manslaughter.

 

“There was only one conviction. Franger was found guilty of assault and battery. That verdict was later overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court. In the end victims and survivors received about $4.6 million in settlements.

 

“The Coliseum was restored and is still used today for many events. It was renamed the Pepsi Coliseum in 1991.”  (Indianapolis Star.  “1963 Coliseum explosion Killed 74.” 7-10-2001.)

 

Newspapers at the Time

 

Nov 2:  “Indianapolis (AP) – Across from a makeshift morgue on ice, somber experts, scratched among piles of broken concrete tonight seeking the cause of a gas explosion which killed 64.

 

“The 64th victim, an Indianapolis boy, died Friday night.

 

“A flaming geyser of death erupted in the State Fairgrounds Coliseum around 11 p.m. EST Thursday night, only minutes before the scheduled final curtain of a gay Halloween Holiday on Ice show watched by more than 4,000.

 

“The blast spewed bodies, debris and blood-splashed mink coats onto the rink and carved a gaping cavity in the Coliseum’s choice box seats.  Hospital count showed 385 injured.  Fifteen were in critical condition; 6 serious.

 

“Bodies were stretched on impromptu slabs on the rink Friday as a towering crane gingerly picked at the rubble, unearthing what officials hoped would be a key to the tragedy.

 

“Fire Chief Arnold Phillips said fumes leaking from a cooking gas cylinder in a concession center beneath the box seats, apparently ignited, unleashing the upheaval which one eyewitness first thought was an earthquake.  ‘All indications point to a…tank valve knocked off,’ said State Fire Marshal Ira Anderson.  ‘However, we don’t have enough information of make a flat statement on that.’

 

“A spokesman for Gov. Matthew E. Welsh said officials had been unable to determine whether a permit for use of the liquid gas tanks had been obtained, as is required under state law.

 

“Anderson said a gas expert was flying from Boston to join the investigators, but added it could be ‘several days before we have something definite.’

 

“Damage to the 24-year-old Coliseum was estimated at $1 million by Fairground officials.  A structural engineer was checking the building against the threat of a collapse.

 

“The blast shook homes a mile from the Fairgrounds on Indianapolis’ north side.  Flames vaulted 90 feet in the air and seats and bodies were tossed toward the ceiling ‘like flies,’ according to one survivor, and plummeted down upon ring-side bleachers in an avalanche of concrete slabs as big as pianos.

 

“Fire marshals said the liquefied petroleum gas was being used to heat popcorn poppers in the concession supply center beneath the stands.  Wilbur Gauthier, 55, Indianapolis, an employee working at the center, said:  ‘I don’t have any idea what happened…It got dark all of a sudden, and then I was lying with concrete and timbers on me.’

 

“Fire marshals impounded four cylinders of bottled gas.  Gov. Welsh said, ‘The entire state is saddened.  A thorough investigation will be made by the state fire marshal immediately.’

 

“Only seconds before the blast, 36 gaily garbed members of the Holiday on Ice skating troupe glided onto the rink in the finals of their opening night of a 10-day stand.  Only 3 minutes remained in the show, then the volcano of death erupted, spraying bodies onto the ice.

 

“Jack Ladue, 35, Plattsburg, N.Y., one of the show’s stars, said the performance had begun 12 or 15 minutes late.  Had it started on schedule, many of the victims caught in the fury of the explosion would have been moving out of the building when the blast catapulted the 60-foot concrete section toward the arched ceiling of the coliseum.

 

“Firemen quickly snuffed out the blaze.  All of the city’s ambulances were summoned to rush the injured to hospitals.  The dead were left n the rink while rescuers tried to save the living.

 

“As daylight came, stunned relatives filed onto the rink, past the ice show’s props of red and green Chinese lanterns, its blue satin curtain, and the Mardi Gras decorations for the interrupted finale.

 

“Coroner’s assistants led survivors along the rows of bodies and pulled back blankets in the grim identification process common to catastrophe.  ‘These people are pure sorrow,’ said Fire Chief Phillips.  ‘We have done everything we can possibly do – yet we fell so helpless.’

 

“A heap of women’s shoes lay near the coroner’s table.  Splotches of blood stained the ice.  Beneath the blankets, the stark, Dantesque forms of the dead, stiffened by fire, were apparent.

 

“Red and white popcorn boxes were draped on a pile of debris pushed into a corner of the rink.”  (Logansport Press, IN.  “Experts Probing Explosion in Which 64 Persons Died.” 11-2-1963, 1.)

 

Nov 2: Indianapolis (AP) – The dead in Thursday night’s explosion at the Holiday on Ice show at the Indianapolis Coliseum, as released by the coroner [rearranged in alphabetical order]:

 

  1. Suzanne Brenner, 23, Indianapolis.
  2. Felix L. Broyles, 55, Pittsboro.
  3. Barbara Burkhardt, 8, Indianapolis.
  4. Mrs. David Burkhardt, 34, Indianapolis.
  5. [Glen E. Burtl, 68, Indianapolis; died Dec 21 at St. Vincent’s Hospital.][5]
  6. Iva Butler, 80, Indianapolis.
  7. James Butler, Indianapolis.
  8. Joseph H. Butler, 76, Indianapolis.
  9. Gwendolyn L. Campbell, 62, Indianapolis.
  10. Carroll W. Cowgill, 60, Anderson.
  11. Mrs. Velma Cowgill, 50, Anderson.
  12. [Mrs. Dora Currens, 53, Indianapolis.][6]
  13. Jesse Curtis, Indianapolis.
  14. Roxy Irene Curtis, 66, Indianapolis.
  15. Gregory Brent Dill, 5½, Indianapolis.
  16. [Melvin Eaton, 53, Thorntown; died at St. Vincent’s Hospital][7]
  17. Margaret Evans, 52, Rt. 1, Pittsboro.
  18. Archie John Everett, 69, Indianapolis.
  19. Geneva Everett, 65, Indianapolis.
  20. [Mrs. Bessie Ginns, 59, Muncie, IN, Sunday, Nov 3.][8]
  21. Herman Hoffler, 74, Indianapolis.
  22. Marjorie Hoppes, 60, Daleville.
  23. Kenneth Horton, 53, Anderson.
  24. Larry E. Horton, 19, Anderson.
  25. [Laura Howell, 60, Rushville, Ind.][9]
  26. [Mrs. Cecilia Huffer, 72, Indianapolis; died morning of Nov 11 at Methodist Hospital.][10]
  27. Josiah Hutchens, about 60, Rt. 3, New Castle.
  28. Barbara Ann Hutton, 14, Columbus, Ind.
  29. Bernice Hutton, Columbus, Ind.
  30. Laura Jaus, Indianapolis.
  31. Dwight Keim, 64, Lafayette, former Republican mayor of West Lafayette.
  32. Mrs. Lois Keim, 62, Lafayette.
  33. John Albert Mahr, 70, Indianapolis.
  34. [Stella Mahr, 73, Indianapolis, Marion County General Hospital, Nov 2..][11]
  35. Nelle Sherman Marshall, 65, McFarland, Calif.
  36. Mrs. Marietta Mason, 62, Indianapolis.
  37. Paul C. Mason, 67, Indianapolis.
  38. Mrs. Hazel McClung, Indianapolis.
  39. Dr. Marshall McClung, 68, Indianapolis.
  40. Earl H. Myer, 62, Indianapolis.
  41. Mrs. Myers, about 55, Indianapolis.
  42. [Harry Nolen, 57, Indianapolis, died at Methodist Hospital, Nov 2.][12]
  43. Loretta O’Brien, 62, Indianapolis.
  44. Thelma Mae Printz, 47, Indianapolis.
  45. [C. J. David Pyles, 53, Indianapolis; died Nov 25 at St. Vincent’s Hospital.][13]
  46. [Mrs. Mabel Sue Pyles, 49, Indianapolis; wife of C. J. David Pyles, an early fatality.][14]
  47. Ethel Reynolds, 54, Indianapolis.
  48. Russell G. Robbins, Indianapolis.
  49. John William Rhodes, 65, Indianapolis.
  50. Vallie Rhodes, Indianapolis.
  51. [Mrs. Eleanora M. Rickets, 81, Indianapolis; died Nov 10, Methodist Hospital.][15]
  52. Augusta Schissler, 78, Muncie.
  53. Mrs. Evelyn Schmitz, 62, Lafayette.
  54. Herman Schmitz, 73, Lafayette.
  55. George W. Schumaker, 68, Indianapolis.
  56. Mrs. Betty Sharp, about 50, Indianapolis.
  57. David Staten, 14, Indianapolis, whose parents and grand-mother were killed in the blast.
  58. Dr. Jesse C. Staten, 50, Indianapolis.
  59. Lena Staten, 70, Greencastle.
  60. Mrs. Mary Staten, 46, Indianapolis.
  61. Carl Talkington, 63, Indianapolis.
  62. Evelyn Talkington, Indianapolis.
  63. Bernice Tillison, about 51, Rt. 1, Manilla.
  64. [James Turner, 60, Casey, IL, evening of Nov 2.][16]
  65. Mabel Sue Tyles, Indianapolis.
  66. Ray F. Walters, 69, Indianapolis.
  67. Donna Jean Wentz, 35, Alhambra, Calif.
  68. Alfred M. White, Indianapolis.
  69. Mrs. Violet White, Indianapolis
  70. Genevieve Williams, 50, Shelbyville.
  71. Ann Margaret Worland, 15, Kokomo.
  72. Margret Worland, 79, Kokomo.
  73. Susan Irene Worland, 14, Kokomo.
  74. Louis O. Wuensch [unclear], 64, Indianapolis.
  75. Unidentified female.
  76. Unidentified female.”
  77. [Edna Johnson, 69, Indianapolis; Apr 16 heart attack after 4 post-event hospitalizations.][17]

 

(Logansport Press, IN.  “Indianapolis Blast Victims Listed.” 11-2-1963, 1.)

 

Nov 3: “Indianapolis, Ind. (UPI) — Two elderly persons, who were critically injured in Thursday night’s explosion at the ..Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum died Saturday, bringing the death toll from the blast to 66.

 

“Mrs. Stella Mahr, 73, Indianapolis, died at Marion County General Hospital, and Harry Nolen, 57, also of Indianapolis, died at Methodist Hospital.

 

“Earlier Saturday it was announced a grand jury will investigate whether possible ‘crimes of commission or omission’ were responsible for the blast, which also injured 338 others….

 

“Marion County Prosecutor Noble Pearcy studied official preliminary reports from the state fire marshal’s office that a broken valve on a tank of butane gas caused a leak of volatile fumes which were touched off in a might explosion by contact with a concession stand heating or cooking flame.

 

“Pearcy said a grand jury will be summoned to determine whether ‘crimes of commission or omission’ had been committed in connection with the use of bottled gas and the care of the gas-filled containers kept in a storage room near the concession stands and under the spectator seats of the state-owned Coliseum.

 

“Indiana State Fire Marshall Ira Anderson Saturday night reported ‘an unauthorized crew’ was found digging in the rubble at the explosion site.  Anderson said the group – about 10 or 12 persons – entered the coliseum after they presented a paper to guards allegedly giving them permission to enter.  He said the group disturbed steel tubing, regulators and unidentified items believed vital in the investigation into the cause of the blast.  Anderson said the items were not removed from the building but were taken from the crater caused by the explosion, and moved to other parts of the building.  ‘They left immediately when asked to do so,’ Anderson said.

 

“One big question was whether the Indiana Coliseum Corp., which leased the building from the Indiana State Fair Board, or the concession stand operators had a permit to use bottled gas.  A state law requires such a permit.  Anderson said he could find no evidence that any permit had been requested or received, and Mel Ross, head of the corporation, said he had never heard one was needed.

 

“Separate investigations were launched by Anderson’s office, which Governor Welsh ordered to make a thorough probe; the Indianapolis Fire Department, the Indianapolis Police Department, the county sheriff’s office, the Indiana State Police department, the county coroner, the State Administrative Building council, the corporation which leased the coliseum, and the company which insured the building for the State Fair Board…..

 

“…20 persons remained in critical condition in five Indianapolis area hospitals, some of them given a 50-50 chance of surviving.  Many suffered multiple fractures from the concussion of the explosion, and others were burned badly by sheets of flame which accompanied the blast.

 

“Police Saturday completed identification of the 64 persons who died earlier.  The 64th victim was identified as Laura Howell, 60, Rushville, Ind.”  (Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, 1.)

 

Indiana Law Blog: A summary of coverage of this event and the lawsuits which followed is at:  The Indiana Law Blog.  “Stage Collapse – The 1963 Coliseum Explosion, the End of Sovereign Immunity, and the Enactment of the Tort Claims Statute – Part I.” 9-10-2011.

 

Sources

 

Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. “Blast Claims 74th Victim.” 2-10-1964, p. 6. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=63987478

 

Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. “Blast Survivor Dies.” 4-17-1964, p. 10. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=63988215

 

Anderson Herald, IN.  “Coliseum Victim Suffers Relapse.” 2-15-1964, p. 14. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=63942811

 

Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “6 Remain Critical With Indianapolis Explosion Injuries.” 11-10-1963, 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=71829021

 

Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=71828938

 

Barlay, Stephen. Fire: An International Report. Brattleboro, VT: Stephen Greene Press, 1973.

 

Benson, Ragnar. The Greatest Explosions in History: The Fire, Flash and Fury of Natural and Man-Made Disasters. Carol Publishing Group, A Citadel Press Book, 1990.

 

Drabek, Thomas E.  Disaster In Aisle 13: A Case Study of the Coliseum Explosion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, October 31, 1963. Columbus OH: Ohio State University, College of Administrative Science, Monograph No. D 1, 1968, 187 pages.

 

Drabek, Thomas E. Disaster In Aisle 13 Revisited. What Disaster Response Management Can Learn From Chaos Theory Conference Proceedings (Edited by Gus A. Koehler) 5-18/19-1995. Accessed at:  http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/96/05/over_4.html

 

Indiana Public Media. Moment of Indiana History. “1963 Coliseum Explosion.” 9-11-2006.  Accessed at: http://indianapublicmedia.org/momentofindianahistory/1963-coliseum-explosion/

 

Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Collection. “The Coliseum Explosion.” Accessed 5-18-2012 at: http://digitallibrary.imcpl.org/ffm/ffmCol.php

 

Indianapolis Star, IN. “1963 Coliseum explosion Killed 74.” 7-10-2001. Accessed 5-18-2012 at: http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/accidents/history/coliseum_explosion/coliseum.html

 

Linton Daily Citizen, IN. “Coliseum Explosion Ranks as One of Worst in Indiana.” 11-13-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=165191466

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Blast Rivals Rail Wreck as Worst State Disaster.” 11-2-1963, 5. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400396

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Coliseum Blast Probe Planned By Grand Jury.” 11-6-1963, 4. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400457

 

Logansport Press IN. “Coliseum Tragedy Becomes Worst in State’s History.” 11-9-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400516

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Experts Probing Explosion in Which 64 Persons Died.” 11-2-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400392

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Grand Jury Begins Explosion Probe.” 11-7-1963, p. 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400471

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Indianapolis Blast Victims Listed.” 11-2-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400392

 

Logansport Press, IN. “Memorial Services Held For Coliseum Blast Dead.” 11-9-1963, 8. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=84400523

 

McGregor, Scott. “The Blackest Night.” Indianapolis Monthly, Oct 2003, pp. 122-127, 220. At:  http://books.google.com/books?id=0OkCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=indianapolis+coliseum+explosion&hl=en#v=onepage&q=coliseum%20explosion&f=false

 

National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)

 

National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1983.

 

National Fire Protection Association. “The Deadliest U.S. Fires and Explosions.” Fire Journal, May/June 1988, pp. 48-54.

 

National Fire Protection Association (John Hall, Jr.). U.S. Unintentional Fire Death Rates by State. Quincy, MA:  NFPA, 31 pages, December 2008.

 

New York Times. “Court to Divide $1 Million. 1-2-1964. Accessed at:  http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2011/09/stage_collapse_14.html

 

Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual: Second Edition (Appendix D:  Catastrophes Used as Reference Points in Training Curricula). Washington, DC: OJP, U.S. Department of Justice. Accessed at:  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/crt/pdftxt/appendd.txt

 

Quarantelli, Enrico L. “Emergency Accommodation Groups: Beyond Current Collective Behavior Typologies.” Ch. 9 in Human Nature and Collective Behavior (Papers in Honor of Herbert Blumer). Tamotsu Shibutani, editor. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1973. Google partially digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=6ivUNZl0Rq4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

The Indiana Law Blog. “Stage Collapse – The 1963 Coliseum Explosion, the End of Sovereign Immunity, and the Enactment of the Tort Claims Statute – Part I.” 9-10-2011. Accessed at:  http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2011/09/stage_collapse_14.html

 

TheINDYchannel, RTV6. “Coliseum Explosion Remembered.” 2007. Accessed 5-18-2012 at: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/466968/detail.html

 

Tipton Daily Tribune, IN. “Coliseum Blast Toll Reaches 71.” 11-11-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=142566081

 

Tipton Tribune, IN. “Two More Dead of Blast Injuries at Fair Grounds.” 11-4-1963, 1. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=142566036

 

Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Death Toll Rises in Indianapolis Coliseum Tragedy.” 11-26-1963, 3. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=51296376

 

Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Fairgrounds’ Blast Takes 73rd Victim.” 12-23-1963, 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=51296538

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[1] “The explosion killed fifty-four outright and twenty-seven more died shortly thereafter.” See, also, Drabek’s Disaster In Aisle 13, 1968, p. 1. Not used for our high-end of the range of fatalities; see Blanchard estimate footnote.

[2] Not used for our high-end of the range of fatalities; see Blanchard estimate footnote.

[3] We have been able to identify the names of 74 named fatalities. A 75th died of a heart attack, not injuries, on April 16th, almost 6½ months afterwards, after four post-event hospitalizations. The Logansport Press, IN.  “Indianapolis Blast Victims Listed.” 11-2-1963, 1, article which names most of the victims, notes two unidentified female fatalities which we believe show up later in the listing of names noted herein (we are sure of one such case). This would made 74-75 fatalities, depending on whether or not one counts Mrs. Johnson, the heart attack victim. If there was a “Jane Doe” then there would be 75-76 fatalities. Most retrospectives note 74.

[4] Note that above we cite three other NFPA documents – two which note 75 deaths and one which notes 74.

[5] Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN.  “Fairgrounds’ Blast Takes 73rd Victim.” 12-23-1963, 2.

[6] Logansport Press IN. “Coliseum Tragedy Becomes Worst in State’s History.” 11-9-1963, 1.

[7] Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN.  “Blast Claims 74th Victim.” 2-10-1964, p. 6. Article notes: “In spite of his injuries, Easton carried his wife, Elsie, from the explosion scene after the blast.  She was hospitalized and later was released.”

[8] Tipton Tribune, IN.  “Two More Dead of Blast Injuries at Fair Grounds.” 11-4-1963, 1. Her daughter and mother were also killed. Anderson Herald. “Coliseum Victim Suffers Relapse.” 2-15-1964, p. 14.

[9] Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, 6.

[10] Tipton Daily Tribune, IN. “Coliseum Blast Toll Reaches 71.” 11-11-1963, 1.

[11] Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, 1.

[12] Anderson Sunday Herald, IN. “Grand Jury to Study Coliseum Explosion.” 11-3-1963, 1.

[13] Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Death Toll Rises in Indianapolis Coliseum Tragedy.” 11-26-1963, 3.

[14] Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso, IN. “Death Toll Rises in Indianapolis Coliseum Tragedy.” 11-26-1963, 3. In that Mabel Pyles did not appear among the fatalities in the Logansport Nov 2 listing, either she was one of the two unidentified female victims, or we missed her death notice in earlier reports.

[15] Tipton Daily Tribune, IN. “Coliseum Blast Toll Reaches 71.” 11-11-1963, 1.

[16] Tipton Tribune, IN.  “Two More Dead of Blast Injuries at Fair Grounds.” 11-4-1963, 1.

[17] Anderson Daily Bulletin, IN. “Blast Survivor Dies.” 4-17-1964, 10.