Its amazing how the Yarmouth people firefighters and Circus people all team work together to get all the animals off the burning sinking ship great story.
Thank you for a fascinating video! I've heard of circus trains, but never circus ships. This one should've never left St. Petersburg! The fact that 99% of the animals made it out alive is a testament to the trust and bond they had with their humans. I've trained many horses, dogs, and even cats in my life, and I can tell you that once you have that bond between you and those creatures, they will literally trust you with their lives. It's not something to be taken lightly. And the dedication of the firefighters and everyone else that day is absolutely amazing. ❤
As a firefighter myself. I can attest to how vital it is to stay (Flexible) while doing 1st responder duties. You nvr know what the incident will look like til you have boots on the ground. Thx for bringing this story to light explorer.
That was a really great one. My favorite stories are the ones with examples of heroism. I cried a lot. Especially when the dude swam under the wharf to save the horse. So brave. Thanks so much for your work.
For any of my friends who are also touchy about animals being involved in a disaster, here is a breakdown so you can make an informed decision about whether you'll be okay watching this video: Obviously, these animals are in peril and very scared, but as far as casualties, only a single zebra didn't make it, (no other details are given.) There was a veterinarian on hand who worked very hard in the rescue efforts and treat any animals who were hurt, the only one mentioned specifically is a leopard(?) and it was revived sucessfully. I know, I thought the list was going to be a lot worse as well, but Tom goes on to say how much of a testment it is to how hard the circus workers and fire department worked to save all of the animals on board, even at the cost of all of their material goods. Tom also talks about a previous circus ship wreck in the same area, most of the animals and people were lost, but he doesn't go into any detail. And there are also some sweet little stories about the animal survivors after they're saved from the sinking. Take care, everyone, and thank you Tom for yet another excellent video!
You're a legend, thank you.... I know a fair number of people will be having that exact thought & hesitating, despite knowing how fantastic Tom's videos always are. Personally, I just need to be in the right headspace for watching certain content & it's great to get a heads up so I know where to park it in my playlist. 👍
@@medea27 Pretty much exactly why I made this comment. Caring for animals is practically my whole life at this point, and while I've seen/dealt with plenty of instances of animals being injured or dying, I know myself well enough to know that I have to be in a good enough mental/emotional state to potentially put myself through thinking about it intentionally. That being said, I was feeling fine this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find that despite this disaster having the potential to be horrific for those of us who care about animals so much, it actually turned out a LOT better than I would have assumed. And that giving that people knowledge ahead of time may let them know they'll be okay watching the video! Thank you though, your reply was very sweet and gave me a good smile, I'm so glad I could help! ☺️
I was hoping you'd mention the Royal Tar. Absolute legend in my home town, an island in the Penobscot Bay. Nowhere near Yarmouth, though. Downeast Maine. We have performances about it. There's a (fantastic) coffee named after it. I know people who have artifacts from her, including her anchor, which came up in a dredge. I'd love it if you'd follow up with a full presentation on her. Our local historical society has heaps of information about the wreck. To this day, the Royal Tar lives on strongly in the minds and hearts of locals.
Born in Yarmouth and still living here now, I’ve never heard of this before. Thank you for the history lesson about my home town :) I’ll have to ask some other locals about this sometime
I just, accidentally, ran across this channel while surfing UA-cam for something to watch. I don’t know how I am just now discovered him. Considering this is the type of stuff that I like to watch. This and stories like the Appalachian storyteller and MrBallen.. I will have to join his Patreon and I’ve only watched three of his videos. What a spectacular storyteller with visuals. Thank you.
Theres no such thing as a "good fire" but the outcome of this by all logical explanation should have been a complete tragedy. To have such limited resources and still manage to save all but one poor zebra. Thats a testament to the crews of the fire companies and the people who lived in the surrounding area. I was an infant when this happened but hearing how those people pulled together and saved so many animals makes me proud to know that people were still selfless enough to endanger themselves to rescue those animals. Sadly I don't think even with modern equipment, should it happen again, the outcome wouldn't be as miraculous. Great video as usual and not the outcome I was expecting. Thank you for presenting us with another fascinating story.
Honestly it may have been a stroke of luck that the captain had gotten drunk. If they had been out at sea when the fire started it would have been much worse
Well told story. You have a talent for mixing the technical with the tragic with the individual dramas taking place within chaos and confusion. Focusing on Sparkle having a hoof wedged really grabbed my heart and I was glad the poor horse survived. I can't imagine the combination of noises from people, machines, and large frightened animals.
My Dad is from Yarmouth and I spent nearly every Christmas there hearing stories about the circus ship fire. I was just there in October and got to see the photos and artifacts from it at the Fire Fighters Museum. Thank you so much for covering it! It was wonderful to learn more about it and debunk all the stories of "ghost animals" in the harbor my older siblings filled my little child head with!
Just discovered your channel. It's a great job bringing a historical tragedy to life. I braced myself for a heart-wrenching story, so glad the majority were safely evacuated.
I have watched or at least tried to watch every single one of your videos on your channel. I love your pacing and that you're just a humble family dude who has massive amounts of knowledge and use this magical internet to find others of your ilk and Cher said knowledge. That being said, I absolutely love something. I have not seen other people 's channels do with as much consistency as you do. The inserting of the old photographs on top of the new images of the same location. It helps so much for people such as myself who are not as inclined towards the visualizing things. Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say thanks for making it easier for the less intellectually gifted, such as myself
I think it’d be interesting if you talked about the burning of the MV Artensis that took place in the summer of 1961. The cargo ship, built in 1959, exploded while loading newsprint on board and led to the burning of the ship, a newsprint facility nearby, the wharf it was docked at and 4 unlucky homes. 2 bodies were recovered and 3 died. I’ve actually met and asked witnesses about what they saw. “I could see a bellow of black smoke raising in the air.” “Ray wanted to go out on the boat but I begged him not to go.” “The first thing that come to my mind, is my house is on fire.” Were some of the things they said to me. There’s video footage that you can find online in full colour too, and a massive gallery of photographs during and after the fire on Facebook. The ship itself actually continued service for two different companies afterwards until 1983 when it was scrapped, but the interiors and superstructure had to be completely gutted after the fire. If you do decide to make this a video, I can put the link to my interviews (an in-person one and an online one) in the replies
Excellent video as usual. Several notes: if the people on many of the shipwrecks you've featured, acted together with wisdom and compassion and courage like the circus employees, firemen, and townsfolk did in this instance, those other wrecks would've been far less tragic. That being said, it's easy to judge from one's living room. Kudos to the man who saved the horse! That's one of the bravest and loving acts I've ever heard of. FYI...I just read that, as of 2023, Carnival Cruise Lines had the highest accident rate (51) of any cruise line. What are the odds? lol.
Wow total chaos that day! The raw video of the event shows so many emotions in everyone’s faces! This was a great story you covered. I’ve never heard of this before. You find some good ones. Thanks
Dr. A.B. Hawkes was my father. I grew up with one of those Fleurus Panama life preservers hanging I our cottage, along with the stories I heard. Thanks for this video, it's great to see it all in one place. (Just as an aside, I was born 9 months after this incident. )
I really enjoy watching your video's, because you cover thing's I've never heard of. This was such a touching story, because so much effort was made to save the animal's, even over anything else. I also liked the fire engine's that still exist today, thanks to those who care enough to save history for future generations. G-d bless.
The man in the first part of this story who is holding a rifle was my grandfather, James Amirault. He was a firefighter and was asked to take out the lions if they got loose. He talked about that day for many years.
Wow, what a remarkable story, sparkles was a very lucky horse as were those lions. The white dogs were absolutely georgous, tragic end for the zebra but considering the extent of the disaster one fatality could be construed as a blessing thanks to the crane and someone's quick thinking. Luckily for history it was caught on film too, although I don't expect that was their intention at the time. Thanks for another insightful upload.
Tom, I just want to stop here and just say I am a huge fan of your work not appreciated nearly as much as you should be the overall time you put into your channel and the overall quality is just superb would love to meet you one these days and you met parks Stevenson and Ken Marshall I could talk to those 2 all day all year if ya feel me haha anyways man keep doing you and thank you for your hard work, it’s appreciated immensely
There is a fun picture book based on the story of the Royal Tar. In it the residents save the animals and prevent them from being taken back to another circus
This Story is F#@$ing Amazing! How is THIS not a movie? Don't let Cameron or Burton near the story! Can You Imagine? Also every time I think you can't tell a better story...you nail it! Thank you Sir.
Always appreciate the dedication that you show in these videos. I feel you tell the story very well and the facts very well done. The history is fascinating to finally understand and your commitment to relaying it is very enjoyable. Thank you and keep them coming !
I'd love to see more history from yarmouth. Thank you so much for putting this together for people to watch. There used to be a ship off the shore by Tim Hortons Wendy's that I'd love the history on as it was lost some years ago to arsen
As someone who has worked for over a dozen circuses as a steel rigger. This has been incredibly informative. It proves how awesome circus people are in the back that we can basically make anything happen. Which is not really something you can say about a lot of people of this generation.
I've loved your work for about a year now and these unique stories of humanity and danger are always incredible, especially with minimal casualties and a bit of humor compared to the news' favorite death and total destruction. They really show that humans have not only always been humans, but that life can afford moments of opportune bravery, which never fail to surprise and embolden me. Amazing story and video, as always!
Indian elephants can be trained to a degree but never African elephants. Also fire around horses is a disaster as they will actually run toward the fire in their terror. Yarmouth certainly had its problems w/circus ships. Thx Thomas.
Growing up on a working farm in the 60s & 70s I heard many stories from old timers about barn fires. Horses were notorious for wanting to go back into burning buildings. Once you got them out you had to make sure every opening was blocked to keep them out. Despite this knowledge a big draft horse is very powerful and a human is like fly, they do what they want if panicked. I also heard about cattle and pigs doing that also but horses were the worst.
Tom, some of my very favourites of your videos are the ones where you illuminate a piece of history I didn't even know about in my own backyard of Atlantic Canada. I grew up spending many summer afternoons poring over the exhibits of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, which was an easy way for my Nana (a local history buff herself) to keep me easily entertained for a few hours while chatting with her friends in the Lunenburg Genealogy Society upstairs. As a teen and young twenty-something working at a summer camp just outside Annapolis Royal, I would hop across the road from the sail school on my days off to spend my spare change on admission to Fort Anne (and its incredible historic graveyard, including a memorable beer-aided candlelight 'ghost tour' with coworkers), or the O'Dell House Museum, or especially the Sinclair Inn which with its unassuming facade hiding those incredible murals upstairs always felt like a particular hidden treasure (you would likely love Annapolis if you've never been - Two Scoops Ice Cream is a must if you visit). Honestly I think every little town in this part of the world has some little treasure of a small, lovingly maintained museum or two, and a rich collection of history to be shared. It's lovely to see you share it with the world every now and again, and delightful to learn something new along the way! Enjoy your next adventure :)
My dad saw the circus in Yarmouth when he was a kid. He's mentioned it before, while we were living there, and there was always this little wreck on a small island in the harbor, and my dad couldn't remember where it came from. He always said it was just "some ship they dragged up there". But this video made me realize that it was in fact the Fleurus that I'd been seeing, decayed and rotten, slowly becoming less and less recognizable as a ship. She used to be there, on that little island that was shown at 25:35, but as was stated in this video, she's been scrapped, vandalized and ripped apart. Edit: I've been informed by my sister that the SS Fleurus was actually removed, sometime in the past few years. According to her, the remains of the boat were leeching all sorts of nasty stuff into the water
A circus ship is a such an ingenious idea, and one that I am surprised that I have never heard of before this video. Had misfortune not intervened, this vessel might have been able to make up for its early breakdowns.
This is an amazing story! Can't wait to share with some local firefighting friends in my area. We too have a very cool firefighters museum representing our large northwest metro. However I don't recall any such event that called upon so many creative actions from both firefighters and community. Thank you for sharing this fascinating history!
You actually have me kicking myself for not going to that museum now … my family and I made fun of it when we saw it on the “to do” list of things in Yarmouth
Hey, I'm an Effects Artist who works in Unreal. I've seen you sometimes make cgi recreations of the crashes. If you ever want help with one of the explosions or destruction sims, I'd be happy to help. Your channel is awesome.
Tom your channel keeps getting better and better. Where were you when I was in school watching film strips? Wait, your grandparents hadn't been born yet back then. All the best to your family.
So many amazing folks worked for the Kelly Miller show. I shared this on my page. Its full of history of circus. The john Ringling birth-site. Thank you for your hard work. I hope i help you in spreading your great work and hope people follow your stories by me sharing this. I love your stories.
Ships on fire in Nova Scotia? It’s more likely than you think. I’ve never heard this tale before as someone who’s lived in the province for over a decade so THANK YOU
Huh, I thought this was a video about the SS Yarmouth Castle fire. I didn't know about the Fleurus, fantastic job in sharing her story and the story of those survived the fire!
Thank you so much for bringing this marvellous lost media to the masses. Your retelling of the events was compelling! Congratulations to the whole team. You even interview someone who experienced this astounding event first-hand. Really, First Class Documentary. 😊❤
I really like how you show local attractions such as the Firefighter Museum and the Yarmouth County Archives in many of your videos. I hope they get some visitors thanks to your videos. If I ever get back up to that part of Canada, I'll try to visit them.
You, sir, were born to tell story's Not like most who spin a yarn. Your stories are full of facts. You have a gift to tell a story and keep me informed and interested. I'm not sure if you write books. But you should.
Hi Tom! Thank you for the excellence in your work over the years. Your passion is palpable. I've grown my own over time largely due to you and most recently visited the Columbia River Marittime museum some 2 weeks ago traveling from Minnesota!
Oh! I just saw a glimpse of the Fresnel lighthouse lens in the county museum portion. I am and have been fascinated by those for years & make a point of dropping into NPS visitor centers & museums that have them when we travel. If I'm lucky enough to visit NS, I'll have to make a point of visiting there!
@@placebomandingo2095 Thank you! It's definitely on the list now, especially since it's a goal to visit every province now. BC, ON, AB, NB & PQ already under my belt, but when we were in NE we didn't have enough time for NS, PE & NL - I didn't want to cheat myself of the experiences. Looks like that will be one trip in and of itself!
Never would have guessed this story had a significant part to play with my hometown of St Petersburg, Florida. 4 days in our port! Know anything else about their time here other than what you put in the video?
I live a couple hour's drive from Yarmouth in Nova Scotia. There is some very interesting history here that I am very proud of 😊 Hope everyone reading has the same feelings about their hometowns!
Am a new subscriber. Admiring the thorough research, the historical context you provide and clear objective of providing most salient info in reaching your analyses in each vid. Thank you so much :)
Awesome video! I watched all your videos so far and there all great! so detailed and so well explained. My mom was born in Yarmouth and grew up around 45 min away in Meteghan, NS. My uncle and cousin are volunteer fireman there too. Next time I am there visiting, should be this summer, I will be going to check out that museum! Did you ever think of doing any videos in PEI? Lots of stories here I'm sure, I'm a ship buff as well. So many shipwreck stories out there. If ever you do a video in PEI I use to work at Tourism PEI for almost 12 years so I can point you to all the museums and archives. Cheers! Can't wait for your next video!
Hey Tom, if ever you get the chance to visite Switzerland one day, make sure to check out the CGN line on lake Geneva, they are paddle steamers from the 1900’s still in use today
Yarnouth is not the best place to take a circus ship, it seems. This was a disaster, but the Fleurus fire is primarily a tale of extraordinary heroism.So many lives would have been lost if the community, the firefighters, and the circus members didn't care about not only themselves, but their four legged friends.
You know, there's this kind of special love for animals these days that borders on the insane. I can understand children but we're talking grown adults. To the point that take over any compassion for humans in general. It's kind of scary.
I don’t like circuses much, but these guys must have truly cared for their animals. Your channels usually pretty sad, but this one made me happy
Great town full of helpful caring people!!
@@karenroot450 always had a soft spot for Nova Scotians
They cared for they livelihood😢
Animals are money
Cirque De Solei is the new circuis.
Its amazing how the Yarmouth people firefighters and Circus people all team work together to get all the animals off the burning sinking ship great story.
Thank you for a fascinating video! I've heard of circus trains, but never circus ships.
This one should've never left St. Petersburg!
The fact that 99% of the animals made it out alive is a testament to the trust and bond they had with their humans. I've trained many horses, dogs, and even cats in my life, and I can tell you that once you have that bond between you and those creatures, they will literally trust you with their lives. It's not something to be taken lightly. And the dedication of the firefighters and everyone else that day is absolutely amazing. ❤
The bond between the animals and their handlers is one of trust. You cannot force an animal to perform for you.
As a firefighter myself.
I can attest to how vital it is to stay (Flexible) while doing 1st responder duties.
You nvr know what the incident will look like til you have boots on the ground.
Thx for bringing this story to light explorer.
I started this, but I think I need to save it until lunch when my husband is around. We both love history and your storytelling.
the first-person interviews add great context to these stories. i'm throwing my hat in the ring for more in future videos, where they're available.
Dr Hawkes certainly got more exotic animal treatment experience in one day than he would have ever expected in a port town in Nova Scotia.
That was a really great one. My favorite stories are the ones with examples of heroism. I cried a lot. Especially when the dude swam under the wharf to save the horse. So brave.
Thanks so much for your work.
I’m from Yarmouth , always heard about this but never saw pictures before this awesome job
A beautiful story with a great outcome. Thank you so very, very much.
The Al G. Kelly and Miller Brothers Circus: the Unluckiest Show on Earth.
They were known as the "Algae" Circus right after this.
Indeed 😅
For any of my friends who are also touchy about animals being involved in a disaster, here is a breakdown so you can make an informed decision about whether you'll be okay watching this video:
Obviously, these animals are in peril and very scared, but as far as casualties, only a single zebra didn't make it, (no other details are given.) There was a veterinarian on hand who worked very hard in the rescue efforts and treat any animals who were hurt, the only one mentioned specifically is a leopard(?) and it was revived sucessfully.
I know, I thought the list was going to be a lot worse as well, but Tom goes on to say how much of a testment it is to how hard the circus workers and fire department worked to save all of the animals on board, even at the cost of all of their material goods.
Tom also talks about a previous circus ship wreck in the same area, most of the animals and people were lost, but he doesn't go into any detail.
And there are also some sweet little stories about the animal survivors after they're saved from the sinking.
Take care, everyone, and thank you Tom for yet another excellent video!
That was the shortest breakdown of time stamps in the history of Utube. Lol
Thank you for this, I wasn't going to watch but I can now.
Thank you
You're a legend, thank you.... I know a fair number of people will be having that exact thought & hesitating, despite knowing how fantastic Tom's videos always are. Personally, I just need to be in the right headspace for watching certain content & it's great to get a heads up so I know where to park it in my playlist. 👍
@@medea27 Pretty much exactly why I made this comment. Caring for animals is practically my whole life at this point, and while I've seen/dealt with plenty of instances of animals being injured or dying, I know myself well enough to know that I have to be in a good enough mental/emotional state to potentially put myself through thinking about it intentionally.
That being said, I was feeling fine this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find that despite this disaster having the potential to be horrific for those of us who care about animals so much, it actually turned out a LOT better than I would have assumed. And that giving that people knowledge ahead of time may let them know they'll be okay watching the video!
Thank you though, your reply was very sweet and gave me a good smile, I'm so glad I could help! ☺️
I live in Yarmouth and I have heard stories from family about this it was nice to see something local shared.
I was hoping you'd mention the Royal Tar. Absolute legend in my home town, an island in the Penobscot Bay. Nowhere near Yarmouth, though. Downeast Maine.
We have performances about it. There's a (fantastic) coffee named after it. I know people who have artifacts from her, including her anchor, which came up in a dredge.
I'd love it if you'd follow up with a full presentation on her. Our local historical society has heaps of information about the wreck. To this day, the Royal Tar lives on strongly in the minds and hearts of locals.
Wow! I knew nothing of this story! Fascinating! Thanks for researching this and telling it so well!
Saving these stories for generations to come is a wonderful thing. What a great story. Thanks Tom .
Born in Yarmouth and still living here now, I’ve never heard of this before. Thank you for the history lesson about my home town :) I’ll have to ask some other locals about this sometime
I just, accidentally, ran across this channel while surfing UA-cam for something to watch. I don’t know how I am just now discovered him. Considering this is the type of stuff that I like to watch. This and stories like the Appalachian storyteller and MrBallen.. I will have to join his Patreon and I’ve only watched three of his videos. What a spectacular storyteller with visuals. Thank you.
Theres no such thing as a "good fire" but the outcome of this by all logical explanation should have been a complete tragedy. To have such limited resources and still manage to save all but one poor zebra. Thats a testament to the crews of the fire companies and the people who lived in the surrounding area. I was an infant when this happened but hearing how those people pulled together and saved so many animals makes me proud to know that people were still selfless enough to endanger themselves to rescue those animals. Sadly I don't think even with modern equipment, should it happen again, the outcome wouldn't be as miraculous. Great video as usual and not the outcome I was expecting. Thank you for presenting us with another fascinating story.
Honestly it may have been a stroke of luck that the captain had gotten drunk. If they had been out at sea when the fire started it would have been much worse
Well told story. You have a talent for mixing the technical with the tragic with the individual dramas taking place within chaos and confusion. Focusing on Sparkle having a hoof wedged really grabbed my heart and I was glad the poor horse survived. I can't imagine the combination of noises from people, machines, and large frightened animals.
My Dad is from Yarmouth and I spent nearly every Christmas there hearing stories about the circus ship fire. I was just there in October and got to see the photos and artifacts from it at the Fire Fighters Museum.
Thank you so much for covering it! It was wonderful to learn more about it and debunk all the stories of "ghost animals" in the harbor my older siblings filled my little child head with!
Yes, we totally appreciate your french pronunciation, supporting the factual authenticity you always strive for, nice touch.
Just discovered your channel. It's a great job bringing a historical tragedy to life. I braced myself for a heart-wrenching story, so glad the majority were safely evacuated.
I have watched or at least tried to watch every single one of your videos on your channel. I love your pacing and that you're just a humble family dude who has massive amounts of knowledge and use this magical internet to find others of your ilk and Cher said knowledge. That being said, I absolutely love something. I have not seen other people 's channels do with as much consistency as you do. The inserting of the old photographs on top of the new images of the same location. It helps so much for people such as myself who are not as inclined towards the visualizing things. Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say thanks for making it easier for the less intellectually gifted, such as myself
Amazing feat. I cried when with the telling of the horse’s story.
I think it’d be interesting if you talked about the burning of the MV Artensis that took place in the summer of 1961. The cargo ship, built in 1959, exploded while loading newsprint on board and led to the burning of the ship, a newsprint facility nearby, the wharf it was docked at and 4 unlucky homes. 2 bodies were recovered and 3 died. I’ve actually met and asked witnesses about what they saw. “I could see a bellow of black smoke raising in the air.” “Ray wanted to go out on the boat but I begged him not to go.” “The first thing that come to my mind, is my house is on fire.” Were some of the things they said to me. There’s video footage that you can find online in full colour too, and a massive gallery of photographs during and after the fire on Facebook. The ship itself actually continued service for two different companies afterwards until 1983 when it was scrapped, but the interiors and superstructure had to be completely gutted after the fire. If you do decide to make this a video, I can put the link to my interviews (an in-person one and an online one) in the replies
Let me rephrase that. If Hollywood wasn't its own disastrous circus, this story would make one hell of a great movie. 1:24
Excellent video as usual. Several notes: if the people on many of the shipwrecks you've featured, acted together with wisdom and compassion and courage like the circus employees, firemen, and townsfolk did in this instance, those other wrecks would've been far less tragic. That being said, it's easy to judge from one's living room.
Kudos to the man who saved the horse! That's one of the bravest and loving acts I've ever heard of.
FYI...I just read that, as of 2023, Carnival Cruise Lines had the highest accident rate (51) of any cruise line. What are the odds? lol.
You asked for an orange ship, we gave you an orange ship.
But it was a Lemon.. Magic
Wow total chaos that day! The raw video of the event shows so many emotions in everyone’s faces! This was a great story you covered. I’ve never heard of this before. You find some good ones. Thanks
Thank's For Teaching people about nova scotia's history!
Dr. A.B. Hawkes was my father. I grew up with one of those Fleurus Panama life preservers hanging I our cottage, along with the stories I heard. Thanks for this video, it's great to see it all in one place. (Just as an aside, I was born 9 months after this incident. )
Hey Noah, bad idea. Ever fought a zebra for a space on a lifeboat?
I really enjoy watching your video's, because you cover thing's I've never heard of. This was such a touching story, because so much effort was made to save the animal's, even over anything else. I also liked the fire engine's that still exist today, thanks to those who care enough to save history for future generations. G-d bless.
great job presenting this story. I live in Yarmouth and remember it well.
I'm an archaeologist in Australia, and if I can ever afford to visit the US, I'll be expecting a personal, nerd history tour from you guys! 😁🥰
The man in the first part of this story who is holding a rifle was my grandfather, James Amirault. He was a firefighter and was asked to take out the lions if they got loose. He talked about that day for many years.
Wow, what a remarkable story, sparkles was a very lucky horse as were those lions. The white dogs were absolutely georgous, tragic end for the zebra but considering the extent of the disaster one fatality could be construed as a blessing thanks to the crane and someone's quick thinking. Luckily for history it was caught on film too, although I don't expect that was their intention at the time. Thanks for another insightful upload.
Tom, I just want to stop here and just say I am a huge fan of your work not appreciated nearly as much as you should be the overall time you put into your channel and the overall quality is just superb would love to meet you one these days and you met parks Stevenson and Ken Marshall I could talk to those 2 all day all year if ya feel me haha anyways man keep doing you and thank you for your hard work, it’s appreciated immensely
There is a fun picture book based on the story of the Royal Tar. In it the residents save the animals and prevent them from being taken back to another circus
10:46 I think this has to be the first time I've heard a captain's drunkenness actually saving lives.
This Story is F#@$ing Amazing! How is THIS not a movie? Don't let Cameron or Burton near the story! Can You Imagine? Also every time I think you can't tell a better story...you nail it! Thank you Sir.
Great story,, and presentation,...
A fascinating story. You covered it so well, thank you.
Thanks for the story. I'm watching from Yarmouth NS as we speak ❤
That makes two of us! Never heard of this until yesterday, gotta do some research I guess, very interesting story
Always appreciate the dedication that you show in these videos. I feel you tell the story very well and the facts very well done. The history is fascinating to finally understand and your commitment to relaying it is very enjoyable. Thank you and keep them coming !
I'd love to see more history from yarmouth. Thank you so much for putting this together for people to watch. There used to be a ship off the shore by Tim Hortons Wendy's that I'd love the history on as it was lost some years ago to arsen
This is my hometown! Terrific video.
As someone who has worked for over a dozen circuses as a steel rigger.
This has been incredibly informative.
It proves how awesome circus people are in the back that we can basically make anything happen.
Which is not really something you can say about a lot of people of this generation.
I've loved your work for about a year now and these unique stories of humanity and danger are always incredible, especially with minimal casualties and a bit of humor compared to the news' favorite death and total destruction. They really show that humans have not only always been humans, but that life can afford moments of opportune bravery, which never fail to surprise and embolden me. Amazing story and video, as always!
Indian elephants can be trained to a degree but never African elephants. Also fire around horses is a disaster as they will actually run toward the fire in their terror. Yarmouth certainly had its problems w/circus ships. Thx Thomas.
Growing up on a working farm in the 60s & 70s I heard many stories from old timers about barn fires. Horses were notorious for wanting to go back into burning buildings. Once you got them out you had to make sure every opening was blocked to keep them out. Despite this knowledge a big draft horse is very powerful and a human is like fly, they do what they want if panicked.
I also heard about cattle and pigs doing that also but horses were the worst.
are they attracked to fire for some reason or are they just trying to get back to their safe place (the building currently burning)?
omg he has grown up so much 9:36 😭 ❤
Tom, some of my very favourites of your videos are the ones where you illuminate a piece of history I didn't even know about in my own backyard of Atlantic Canada. I grew up spending many summer afternoons poring over the exhibits of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, which was an easy way for my Nana (a local history buff herself) to keep me easily entertained for a few hours while chatting with her friends in the Lunenburg Genealogy Society upstairs. As a teen and young twenty-something working at a summer camp just outside Annapolis Royal, I would hop across the road from the sail school on my days off to spend my spare change on admission to Fort Anne (and its incredible historic graveyard, including a memorable beer-aided candlelight 'ghost tour' with coworkers), or the O'Dell House Museum, or especially the Sinclair Inn which with its unassuming facade hiding those incredible murals upstairs always felt like a particular hidden treasure (you would likely love Annapolis if you've never been - Two Scoops Ice Cream is a must if you visit). Honestly I think every little town in this part of the world has some little treasure of a small, lovingly maintained museum or two, and a rich collection of history to be shared. It's lovely to see you share it with the world every now and again, and delightful to learn something new along the way! Enjoy your next adventure :)
you should consider being a full-time explorer!
Come to think of it, it's an amazing story with an incredible amount of pictures taken and recorded footage.
Thanks for sharing, Tom.
My dad saw the circus in Yarmouth when he was a kid. He's mentioned it before, while we were living there, and there was always this little wreck on a small island in the harbor, and my dad couldn't remember where it came from. He always said it was just "some ship they dragged up there". But this video made me realize that it was in fact the Fleurus that I'd been seeing, decayed and rotten, slowly becoming less and less recognizable as a ship. She used to be there, on that little island that was shown at 25:35, but as was stated in this video, she's been scrapped, vandalized and ripped apart.
Edit: I've been informed by my sister that the SS Fleurus was actually removed, sometime in the past few years. According to her, the remains of the boat were leeching all sorts of nasty stuff into the water
I loved this story. Thanks!
Thank you!
A circus ship is a such an ingenious idea, and one that I am surprised that I have never heard of before this video. Had misfortune not intervened, this vessel might have been able to make up for its early breakdowns.
This is an amazing story!
Can't wait to share with some local firefighting friends in my area. We too have a very cool firefighters museum representing our large northwest metro. However I don't recall any such event that called upon so many creative actions from both firefighters and community. Thank you for sharing this fascinating history!
These videos are always a treat, keep up with the awesome content 👍
You actually have me kicking myself for not going to that museum now … my family and I made fun of it when we saw it on the “to do” list of things in Yarmouth
Hey, I'm an Effects Artist who works in Unreal. I've seen you sometimes make cgi recreations of the crashes. If you ever want help with one of the explosions or destruction sims, I'd be happy to help. Your channel is awesome.
My new favorite UA-cam channel.
Wonderful presentation of a piece of history that I’ve been unaware of.
Tom your channel keeps getting better and better. Where were you when I was in school watching film strips? Wait, your grandparents hadn't been born yet back then. All the best to your family.
So many amazing folks worked for the Kelly Miller show. I shared this on my page. Its full of history of circus. The john Ringling birth-site. Thank you for your hard work. I hope i help you in spreading your great work and hope people follow your stories by me sharing this. I love your stories.
I did not know there was video of this incident. Incredible!
Ships on fire in Nova Scotia? It’s more likely than you think. I’ve never heard this tale before as someone who’s lived in the province for over a decade so THANK YOU
This channel is probably the greatest discovery ive had
Huh, I thought this was a video about the SS Yarmouth Castle fire. I didn't know about the Fleurus, fantastic job in sharing her story and the story of those survived the fire!
Thank you so much for bringing this marvellous lost media to the masses. Your retelling of the events was compelling!
Congratulations to the whole team. You even interview someone who experienced this astounding event first-hand. Really, First Class Documentary. 😊❤
I really like how you show local attractions such as the Firefighter Museum and the Yarmouth County Archives in many of your videos. I hope they get some visitors thanks to your videos. If I ever get back up to that part of Canada, I'll try to visit them.
You, sir, were born to tell story's Not like most who spin a yarn. Your stories are full of facts. You have a gift to tell a story and keep me informed and interested. I'm not sure if you write books. But you should.
What a story. Thank you for your work
Hi Tom! Thank you for the excellence in your work over the years. Your passion is palpable. I've grown my own over time largely due to you and most recently visited the Columbia River Marittime museum some 2 weeks ago traveling from Minnesota!
Awesome documentary, thank you! 👍
Oh! I just saw a glimpse of the Fresnel lighthouse lens in the county museum portion. I am and have been fascinated by those for years & make a point of dropping into NPS visitor centers & museums that have them when we travel. If I'm lucky enough to visit NS, I'll have to make a point of visiting there!
There are several large Fresnel lenses in museum collections around Nova Scotia. Do come visit, it's a pleasant place to your.
@@placebomandingo2095 Thank you! It's definitely on the list now, especially since it's a goal to visit every province now. BC, ON, AB, NB & PQ already under my belt, but when we were in NE we didn't have enough time for NS, PE & NL - I didn't want to cheat myself of the experiences. Looks like that will be one trip in and of itself!
You are such an amazing story teller! What an amazing tale! Holy Toledo!
Never would have guessed this story had a significant part to play with my hometown of St Petersburg, Florida. 4 days in our port! Know anything else about their time here other than what you put in the video?
I live a couple hour's drive from Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.
There is some very interesting history here that I am very proud of 😊
Hope everyone reading has the same feelings about their hometowns!
Your comedic timing is unmatched 😅
Am a new subscriber. Admiring the thorough research, the historical context you provide and clear objective of providing most salient info in reaching your analyses in each vid. Thank you so much :)
@9:35 wait... Is that the next generation of 'Part-Time Explorer'?
Awesome video! I watched all your videos so far and there all great! so detailed and so well explained. My mom was born in Yarmouth and grew up around 45 min away in Meteghan, NS. My uncle and cousin are volunteer fireman there too. Next time I am there visiting, should be this summer, I will be going to check out that museum! Did you ever think of doing any videos in PEI? Lots of stories here I'm sure, I'm a ship buff as well. So many shipwreck stories out there. If ever you do a video in PEI I use to work at Tourism PEI for almost 12 years so I can point you to all the museums and archives. Cheers! Can't wait for your next video!
Nice one , thank you Tom
Another wonderfully done, respectful documentary. Keep up the awesome work. I look forward to your videos.
Another amazing story brought to life, thank you
Another amazing production, Tom! I always look forward to your uploads ☕️
Wow, astounding that there was only one death total
Top caliber presentation. Thank you.
Great work on this documentary!
21:52 Shout out to the man carrying a leopard under his arm like it's a house cat!
Hey Tom, if ever you get the chance to visite Switzerland one day, make sure to check out the CGN line on lake Geneva, they are paddle steamers from the 1900’s still in use today
What a fascinating piece of history! I really admire both your dedication and talent on this channel.
Born and bred Nova Scotian , never heard of this , pretty cool story ,thanks cat
What a haunting tale...Thank you.
Hey just wondering what happened to the FIberMark episode? I live close by and was looking forward to it!!! great video as always!!
Yarnouth is not the best place to take a circus ship, it seems. This was a disaster, but the Fleurus fire is primarily a tale of extraordinary heroism.So many lives would have been lost if the community, the firefighters, and the circus members didn't care about not only themselves, but their four legged friends.
Great documentary my friend!
You know, there's this kind of special love for animals these days that borders on the insane. I can understand children but we're talking grown adults. To the point that take over any compassion for humans in general. It's kind of scary.