1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion

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Coordinates: 39°49′39″N 86°8′6″W / 39.82750°N 86.13500°W / 39.82750; -86.13500
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1963 Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion
DateOctober 31, 1963
Time11:06 p.m. (
Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Coordinates39°49′39″N 86°8′6″W / 39.82750°N 86.13500°W / 39.82750; -86.13500
TypeGas explosion
CauseGas leak
Deaths81
Non-fatal injuries~400

The Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum gas explosion took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on October 31, 1963; 81 people died and about 400 others were injured. It was one of the worst disasters in the history of the state.

On the night of October 31, over 4,000 people were in the

Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum to watch a Holiday on Ice performance. While this was happening, liquefied petroleum gas was leaking from a tank that was stored with several others in a supply room underneath a part of the grandstands. Shortly after 11 p.m. ET, the gas came into contact with an electrical heating element from the concessions area, causing a major explosion
that killed many seated above the room and caused significant damage to the stands. After the initial blast, while people were evacuating, a second blast caused by the remaining, unexploded tanks caused further destruction. Firefighters and other emergency responders were at the site within minutes and survivors were transported via ambulance to various hospitals in the area. The gas tanks were discovered by firefighters during cleanup operations and later testing revealed that they were the cause of the explosion.

Following the disaster, a

Indiana State Fairgrounds
.

Background

Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum
(pictured 2014)

The

Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.[1] On the night of October 31, 1963, 4,327 spectators were present at the arena to see the opening-night performance of Holiday on Ice.[1][2] This was the first performance of the ice show's scheduled eleven-day run in Indianapolis,[3] and the coliseum promoted it as part of its "Shriners Night".[1][4] It had been raining throughout the night and, because it was Halloween, the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) had activated more police officers than usual.[1] The show had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. EST,[3] but it had started about fifteen minutes behind schedule, and around 11 p.m., the finale was about to begin.[5]

Explosion

The explosion occurred at 11:06 p.m.,

shock.[11][4][2] The location of the explosions had left a crater measuring approximately 50 feet (15 m) across that contained a great deal of rubble and a small fire.[10]

Emergency response

Within a minute of the first explosion, an off-duty

ambulances be sent to the scene.[15] As a result, in the first notification that any hospital received of the disaster, the dispatcher called a local hospital and requested that all three of their ambulances be sent to the arena.[15] At 11:11 p.m., the IFD contacted the IPD directly to ensure that they were aware of the situation.[16][17] A police car first arrived on the scene at 11:15 p.m., and additional cars were dispatched to the scene shortly thereafter.[16] This initial police car radioed that an estimated 10 to 15 people had died.[18] Around this same time, additional crisis organizations in the area, such as The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross,[19] were alerted to the situation and began to mobilize,[12] sending some of their personnel to the coliseum to assist.[19] Within nine minutes of the explosion, a photographer for local television station WFBM-TV was at the scene, and news of the event would be broadcast on the late-night news.[20] The Indianapolis Star would have over 40 employees work to have the story quickly added to the next morning's paper before the press deadline of 1:30 a.m.[21]

Partial view of the fairgrounds, seen here during the 2006 Indiana State Fair. The coliseum is visible in the left background.

At 11:23 p.m., a police car at the scene radioed a request for

Indiana Governor Matthew E. Welsh.[11] The state police immediately sent three officers to the site.[19] While initial estimates from the state police put the death toll at 12 to 15, that number continued to rise and more state police troopers were called in through the night.[26]

The District Chief from the

U.S. Army ambulances from this facility were also deployed.[30]

By 11:30 p.m., only 10 injured people remained in the arena.

Marion County sheriff, the police chief, the county coroner, the director of civil defense, and a representative from the state police.[32] By midnight, almost all of the injured people who were not trapped under rubble had been taken outside of the coliseum.[24] Shortly after midnight, the superintendent of the Indiana State Police,[24] as well as the Salvation Army's canteen truck and nurses from the American Red Cross Motor Corps, arrived at the fairgrounds.[33]

As cleanup efforts continued into the early morning of November 1, five liquefied petroleum gas (LP gas) tanks[note 3] were discovered in the wreckage and were moved to the Fire Headquarters for inspection.[24] By 1 a.m., all wounded individuals had been removed from the site and were being treated in hospitals around the area.[31] At 1:47 a.m., the police chief, attempting to reduce traffic congestion around the arena, barred any additional vehicles from entering the fairgrounds.[33] About 15 minutes later, at 2:00 a.m., the police chief called a meeting of the command post to outline the process for body identification.[37] At the time, only 21 bodies had been identified from the wreckage, and the police had a team of four ministers and priests to contact the deceased's next of kin.[37] Around the same time, it was decided that the command of the situation would be gradually handed over from the chief of police to the Indiana State Police, as the fairgrounds were state property.[38] At about 3:00 a.m., some relatives of those thought to be dead from the explosion began to arrive to identify their bodies,[39] and half an hour later, a press conference was held wherein the command post gave updates about the state of the response and answered some questions regarding the cause of the incident.[40] At 6:30 a.m., the IPD handed over control of the site to the State Police and, save for those who were assisting the coroner, most IPD officers left the site.[40] At this point, most of the emergency tasks at the site had been completed.[41] By 3 p.m., all but two of the deceased had been identified,[40] and shortly thereafter, the coroner ordered that the remaining two be moved to a nearby hospital and that the coliseum be closed.[42] By 4:00 p.m., the coliseum was almost entirely vacated,[12] except for State Police officers who were stationed at the entrances.[42]

Aftermath

Severity of the disaster

The explosion was one of the worst disasters in both Indianapolis and Indiana history.[43] Approximately 54 people died in the initial explosion, and others later succumbed to their injuries, raising the number of fatalities to approximately 81.[note 4] Among the dead was a former mayor of nearby Lafayette, Indiana.[11] The 1963 coliseum explosion became the deadliest in Indianapolis's history, surpassing an 1869 boiler explosion that had killed 30 people.[51] Coincidentally, this previous explosion had also occurred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.[51][1] According to a 1968 case study, the explosion was also "the highest single death toll ever to occur in an Indiana disaster".[1] In addition to the fatalities, approximately 400 people were injured.[note 5] A later statement from the Marion County Sheriff's Department projected that had the performance begun on time, there would not have been as many casualties.[36] It took until October 30, 1964, for the last person who had been injured in the explosion to be released from the hospital.[2][56] A memorial service was held the following day for the victims of the explosion on the event's one-year anniversary.[2]

Cause of the explosion

The investigation into the cause of the explosion began shortly after the injured people were removed from the coliseum and was headed by Indiana

Fire Marshal Ira J. Anderson,[2] the Indianapolis Fire Prevention Chief, and the State Police.[57] The cause of the explosion was identified as the five LP gas tanks, each with a capacity of 100 pounds (45 kg) of propane,[20] that had been recovered and moved to the Fire Headquarters.[58] This was confirmed in a technical report issued by engineers from Purdue University on December 4, 1963, that said that LP gas that had leaked from the tanks was the most probable cause of the explosion.[59] These tanks had been stored in an unventilated[3] concessions area storeroom,[36] which was located directly beneath the southeastern section of bleachers.[2][9] The culprit tank had rusted,[60][35] and it had a faulty valve from which LP gas had leaked.[3] At some point while it was leaking, this tank had fallen over.[3] The gas collected inside the unventilated storeroom, and it eventually roused the suspicion of a manager who opened the door to the room to discover a thick mist of gas in the air.[2] The manager notified several employees in the area and began evacuating them, though one employee entered the room to attempt to stop the leak.[2] Ultimately, this gas came into contact with a heating element on an electric popcorn warming machine and ignited, causing the initial blast.[61][62][50] The second explosion that happened a few minutes later was caused by the remaining propane tanks that had not erupted in the first blast.[4]

Investigation and legal issues

Following the explosion, a

sports promoter who operated the coliseum stated that, while he did not have permits to legally store the LP gas tanks inside the building, they had been in use for about ten years, during which time he was never made aware of the need for a permit.[64] Additionally, while it was customary to have firefighters inspect venues before large public gatherings (as they had done prior to the 1961 Holiday on Ice show at the coliseum), the promoter had not reached out to the fire department prior to the 1963 show.[65] It was revealed that, despite hosting several large gatherings throughout the year, the coliseum was inspected by firefighters only once per year, during the annual state fair.[65] News reports showed that the fire department was aware of the LP gas tanks being used at the coliseum during this time, as they had been called to the venue several times in 1959 to investigate reports of a gas leak but had taken no precautions to stop the venue operator's practices.[66] The state fire marshal and city fire chief argued that they had been hindered in their inspection and fire safety abilities due to a shortage of manpower, issues with legislation concerning fire safety and prevention, and a reduction in their budgets.[67]

On December 9, 1963, the grand jury released its findings.

Involuntary manslaughter charges were pressed against three individuals from the company that had supplied the LP gas tanks, the Discount Gas Corporation, and two employees of the arena's operators, the Indiana Coliseum Corporation (the general manager and the concessions manager),[60] while misdemeanor charges were pressed against Fire Marshal Anderson and Fire Chief Phillips,[2] the latter of whom was indicted for failure to inspect the coliseum.[63][69] The grand jury placed much of the fault for the explosion on the LP gas supplier, stating that, instead of warning their customers of the dangers of an improperly installed LP gas tank, the company was "impelled by the profit from the sale ... without any regard for the safety of persons".[59] The grand jury also criticized the Indiana Coliseum Corporation for its "steady build-up of indifference and carelessness in the unlawful handling and use" of the gas.[70]

Despite the indictments, no one served any jail time for the disaster.[63] Phillips's charges were overturned when it was determined that he could not be held liable for state-owned property.[63] Additionally, despite evidence that showed that the coliseum operators had been warned about gas problems in the past, the others that had been indicted had their charges dropped because they were found not to have had a direct role in the explosion.[63] In the end, only one person, Discount Gas Corporation's President Edward J. Franger,[63] was found guilty by a jury, in this case of the lesser charge of assault and battery.[2] However, this conviction was later overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court.[60][63][4]

Survivors of the explosion and the families of those killed were awarded approximately $4.6 million in settlements.

out of court settlement.[71] In total, more than 413 lawsuits had been filed against insurance companies and the state of Indiana for damages from the explosion, with the cumulative amounts totaling $70 million.[71]

The explosion was analyzed in-depth by the Disaster Research Center (DRC), a group formed in 1963 at the Ohio State University to investigate and study large-scale disasters.[54][72] In total, the DRC conducted three visits to the location, including one the day after the explosion had occurred.[73] The explosion was one of the first studied by the group,[72] and in 1968,[74] the group published its first ever case study on the disaster.[61]

The coliseum

The coliseum in 2014

Following the explosion, the coliseum remained closed for 41 days while inspections were made that showed that the building was structurally sound.

Polled Hereford cattle show.[75][2] In September 1964, the coliseum served as a venue for The Beatles during their 1964 North American tour.[2] This show was the first time since the accident that the coliseum was at full crowd capacity.[64] On November 9, 1964,[64] Holiday on Ice returned to the coliseum and performed before a crowd of about 5,000, exceeding the crowd that had been there the previous year.[2]

Following the explosion, the Indianapolis Capitals of the Central Professional Hockey League, which played their home games in the coliseum, terminated their lease and relocated to Cincinnati, where they became the Cincinnati Wings.[77] The team had begun playing earlier in October and had only played eight games in the coliseum before the incident.[77]

In 1991, the naming rights for the arena were sold and it was renamed the Pepsi Coliseum.[61][60] This sponsorship ended in 2012, and the arena is now known as the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.[60] On November 14, 2002,[9] a memorial plaque was installed at the coliseum that bears the names of those who died in the disaster.[2] The dedication ceremony was attended by about 100 people.[11] Another memorial was held at the coliseum in 2013 on the fiftieth anniversary of the disaster.[34] In 2014, the arena underwent a $63 million renovation.[60] However, the arena looks much like it did prior to the accident.[63]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This is the exact time given in a 1968 case study on the explosion issued by the Disaster Research Center (DRC)[6] However, a 2003 article published in Indianapolis Monthly gives the time of the explosion as 11:04 p.m.[3]
  2. ^ Estimates vary on the time between blasts, with ranges of between three and eight minutes.[10] A 1968 case study of the incident published by the DRC states that the shorter time estimates are probably the most accurate.[10]
  3. ^ Also referred to in sources as propane[34][35] or butane[36][9] tanks.
  4. ^ Sources vary on the number of casualties from this disaster.[1] Most sources that give an initial death toll give a number of 54,[1][11][44] though other sources give the number as 65[36][2][45] and as high as 73.[7] Many sources gave only the total number of fatalities, which again differed considerably. Early reports published in The New York Times gave a number of 62,[46] which later rose to 72.[47] Most sources state that either 70,[36] 74,[48][49][44] or 81[1][2][50] people died as a result of the explosion. The numbers given in the text are taken from a 1968 case study on the disaster published by the Disaster Research Center.[1]
  5. ^ While most sources give an approximate number of around 400,[50][44][35] a 1964 newsletter published by the United States Navy gave an exact number of 385.[52] Another source states that 374 people were taken to hospitals from the coliseum.[53] However, on the other end, Thomas E. Drabek (a researcher for the Disaster Research Center who investigated the explosion) states that there were more than 400 injured people.[54][55]
  6. ^ One source states that it took the grand jury six weeks to announce their findings.[63]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Drabek 1968, p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Campbell 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h MacGregor 2003, p. 124.
  4. ^ a b c d e West 1994, p. 458.
  5. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 1–2.
  6. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 2.
  7. ^ a b Cavinder 1985, p. 2.
  8. ^ a b Drabek 1968, pp. 2–3.
  9. ^ a b c d Rader 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Drabek 1968, p. 3.
  11. ^ a b c d e MacGregor 2003, p. 127.
  12. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 7.
  13. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 57.
  14. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 7–8.
  15. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 58.
  16. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 8.
  17. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 33.
  18. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 32.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Drabek 1968, p. 9.
  20. ^ a b Hartz 2018.
  21. ^ MacGregor 2003, pp. 220–221.
  22. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 35.
  23. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 11.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Drabek 1968, p. 17.
  25. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 8–9.
  26. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 14.
  27. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 11–12.
  28. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 13.
  29. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 13–14.
  30. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 15.
  31. ^ a b MacGregor 2003, p. 220.
  32. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 16.
  33. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 19.
  34. ^ a b McClure 2013.
  35. ^ a b c WLS-TV 2011.
  36. ^ a b c d e Marion County Sheriff's Department 2002, p. 39.
  37. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 20.
  38. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 20–21.
  39. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 26–27.
  40. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 27.
  41. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 31.
  42. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 29.
  43. ^ Drabek 1996, p. 43, "the worst disaster in the state's history"; Drabek 2002, p. 129, "the worst disaster in the history of the state"; Campbell 2013, "By the morning after, the newspaper reported this was the worst disaster in city and very possibly state history"; Campbell 2013, "Indianapolis' greatest tragedy"; Hartz 2018, "One of Indianapolis’ worst tragedies"; West 1994, p. 458, "One of the worst disasters in Indianapolis history"; MacGregor 2003, p. 124, "To this day, 40 years later, the Coliseum explosion remains one of Indiana's worst tragedies and perhaps the blackest night Indianapolis has ever seen"; Cavinder 1985, p. 2, "The worst indoor explosion in Indiana"; Ksander 2006, "one of the state's deadliest disasters".
  44. ^ a b c United States House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery 2014, p. 59.
  45. ^ MacGregor 2003, p. 221.
  46. ^ The New York Times 1963.
  47. ^ a b United Press International 1963.
  48. ^ Associated Press 2011.
  49. ^ Brannigan 1992, p. 352.
  50. ^ a b c d e Sanders 2021.
  51. ^ a b Mitchell 2016.
  52. ^ United States Navy Medical News Letter 1964, p. 18.
  53. ^ Auf der Heide 2007, p. 104.
  54. ^ a b Drabek 1996, p. 43.
  55. ^ Drabek 2002, p. 129.
  56. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 121.
  57. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 27–28.
  58. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 28.
  59. ^ a b c d Drabek 1968, p. 117.
  60. ^ a b c d e f Mitchell 2019.
  61. ^ a b c d Ksander 2006.
  62. ^ Nye 1999, p. 11.
  63. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k MacGregor 2003, p. 222.
  64. ^ a b c d Drabek 1968, p. 113.
  65. ^ a b Drabek 1968, p. 114.
  66. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 114–115.
  67. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 114–117.
  68. ^ Cavinder 1985, pp. 2–3.
  69. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 119.
  70. ^ Drabek 1968, p. 118.
  71. ^ a b West 1994, p. 459.
  72. ^ a b Kano et al. 2010, p. 4.
  73. ^ Drabek 1968, p. viii.
  74. ^ Drabek 1968, p. x.
  75. ^ a b c Drabek 1968, p. 112.
  76. ^ Drabek 1968, pp. 111–112.
  77. ^ a b Brockman 1994, p. 694.

Sources

Further reading

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